| A | B |
|---|
| Anatta | Pali: "no-self." One of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine denying a permanent self. |
| Anicca | Pali: "impermanence." One of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine that all existent things are constantly changing. |
| Arhat | Sanskrit: "worthy one." One who has become enlightened; the ideal type for Theravada Buddhism. |
| Bodhisattvas | Future Buddhas. As the ideal types for Mahayahana Buddhism, beings who have experienced enlightenment but, motivated by compassion, stop short of entering nirvana so as to help others achieve it. |
| Buddha | Sanskrit and Pali: "awakened one." Siddhartha Gautama and all others who have by their own insight attained perfect enlightenment. |
| Dalai Lama | The spiritual leader of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, believed to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. |
| Dharma | The teachings of the Buddha, and one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. |
| Dukkha | Pali: "suffering, frustration, dislocation, or discomfort." The first of the Four Noble Truths, the basic Buddhist insight that suffering is part of the human condition. |
| Five Precepts | The basic moral requirements that are binding for all Buddhists. |
| Four Noble Truths | The central teachings of Buddhism: to live is to suffer; suffering is caused by desire; the cessation of suffering can be achieved; the solution is the Noble Eightfold Path. |
| Karma | Sanskrit: "action." The moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's rebirth. |
| Mahayana | Sanskrit: "the great vehicle." The largest of Buddhism's three divisions, prevalent in China, Japan, and Korea; encompasses a variety of forms, including those that emphasize devotion and prayer to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. |
| Mandalas | Sanskrit: "circle." Patterned icons that visually excite; used in Vajrayana Buddhism to enhance meditation. |
| Mantras | Phrases or syllables chanted to evoke a deity or to enhance meditation; used in Hinduism and Buddhism, especially in Vajrayana. |
| Middle Way | A basic Buddhist teaching that rejects both the pleasures of sensual indulgence and the self-denial of asceticism, focusing instead on a practical approach to spiritual attainment. |
| Mudras | Choreographed hand movements used in Vajrayana Buddhism. |
| Nirvana | Sanskrit: "blowing out." The ultimate goal of all Buddhists, the extinction of desire and any sense of individual selfhood, resulting in liberation from samsara and its limiting conditions. |
| Noble Eightfold Path | The fourth of the Four Noble Truths; defines the basic practices of Buddhism that lead to nirvana. |
| Pali | An ancient language of India, similar to Sanskrit but more commonly understood, and used in the writing of the earliest Buddhist texts; most important for Theravada Buddhism. |
| Samsara | The wheel of rebirth or reincarnation; the this-worldly realm in which rebirth occurs. |
| Sangha | Sanskrit and Pali: "assemblage." The Buddhist community of monks and nuns; one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. |
| Tanha | Pali: "desire, thirst, craving." The second of the Four Noble Truths, selfish desire, which causes dukkha. |
| Theravada | Pali: "the way of the elders." Prevalent form of Buddhism in Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand; focuses on the earliest texts and emphasizes monastic lifestyle. |
| Three Marks of Existence | Characteristics that summarize the changing nature of reality; anatta, anicca, and dukkha. |
| Vajrayana | Sanskrit: "the vehicle of the diamond." Named for the vajra, the Buddha's diamond scepter; prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet; emphasizes the harnessing of spiritual energies to attain nirvana. |
