| A | B |
|---|
| Bodhisattva | someone at the penultimate stage of existence who refrains of Nirvana out of compassion to save others |
| Buddha | The Enlightened One |
| Koan | a story, question, or phrase that seeks to express an inexpressible truth |
| Lama | teacher of Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism |
| Mandala | concentric diagram, often made of sand, used in prayers in Tibetan Buddhism |
| Mahayana | ‘Greater Vehicle,’ a version of Buddhism founded around 100 BCE and popular in Tibet, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan |
| Monastery | a residence for monks |
| Monk | male member of a religious order |
| Nirvana | Enlightenment - the idea that all reality is an illusion |
| Nun | a female member of a religious order |
| Pali | ancient Indian language in which some of the oldest Buddhist sacred texts are written |
| Rinpoche | title used for senior Tibetan Buddhist teacher |
| Roshi | title used for senior Zen Buddhist teacher |
| Sangha | community of Buddhist monks or nuns |
| Sensei | title for Japanese Buddhist teachers, sometimes for those less senior than a roshi |
| Stupa | a mound like structure containing relics of a Buddha or a Buddhist saint |
| Theravada | the oldest version of Buddhism also called the Teaching of the Elders and especially popular in Ski Lanka and Southeast Asia. |
| Zendo | meditation hall for Zen Buddhism |
