Introduction To Buddhism -- Essential Vocabulary

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Bodhidharma

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Buddhist monk traditionally credited with the transfer of Cha'n (zen) to China. Not much is known of him specifically.

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Asoka

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Ideal king/Cakravartin who brought india together. Though he formed his empire through brutal violence and slaughtering, he ultimately realized this was not the way and converted to buddhism.

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Aung San Suu Kyi

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In Burma, she formed and developed the NLD and was placed under house arrest in 1990. The NLD were elected but it was inconsequential.

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Atisa

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teachings formed the tibetan sect of buddhism. He also established monestaries and signed treaties emphasizing the 3 schools of buddhism.

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Aryan

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noble. spiritual. (ex: the four noble truths)

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Anagarika Dharmapala

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Buddhist missionary in america. Tought in conjunction with first evolutionary teachings. Was embraced by audiences who rejected mainstream christianity. responsible for revamping buddhism on 3 continents and of course, preaching in america.

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Amitabha/amitaya/amita

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meaning: unlimited light. Savior Buddha of pureland buddhism.

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The Way

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the order of the universe; the way one ought to act to be in harmony with the universe. Now known as taoism or daoism.

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Vajracarya

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the diamond teacher or the teacher of the vajrayan buddhism, which is "the diamond vehicle".

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Sukhavati

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Pure land Buddha - field of the Amitabha. "happiness-having"

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Sinicize (v)

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(chinicize) to make chinese in character or bring under chinese influence.

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Silk Road

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a series of trade and cultural routes that were central to cultural interaction through the regions of the asian continent, connecting east and west. (How buddhism traveled away from India.)

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Sarvastivadins

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"realists" who believe that all things, mental and material, exist.

OR

All dharmas, past, present and future - exist.

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Pala Dynasty

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a dynasty controlling northern and eastern Indian subcontinent, mainly Bengal/Bihar regions, from the 8th-12th centuries.

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Pure Land

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(western pureland) the sect of buddhism where you devote yourself to Amitabah in hopes that he will take you to Pure Land, which is a buddha field.

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Princess Miaoshan ("wonderful goodness")

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manifestation of the bodhisattva Guanyin; defied fathers arrranged marriage to study religion as a vocation. This later enabled her to save dad, making her a perfect model for filiel piety.

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prajnaparamita

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the perfection of wisdom. one of the aspects of a bodivattvas personality called the paramita. Prajna wisdom. Paramita, perfection for the bodhisattva.

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vajrayana

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path of bodhisattva practice. Faster, more direct, often riskier than older mahayana practices.

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Tara

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female savior bodhisattva; often associated with avalokitesvara and popular in tibet.

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adhikara

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act of service to an awakend being, contributing to ones perfections.

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antinomian

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the idea that members of a religious group are under no obligation to obey the laws presented by the religious authorities.

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apocryphal

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of doubtful authorship or authenticity

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bardo state

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intermediate space (4 in all)

mental space b/t two events
space b/t 2 thoughts
space b/t sleeping and waking
space after death. each can form the opening to altered states of conciousness.

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bhumisparsa-mudra

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calling on the earth goddess to witness via hand gesture before mara.

(call earth to witness)

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bodhicitta

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THE WISH to obtain complete elightenment (buddahood). To be beneficial to all sentient beings. One who has bodhicitta as the primary motivation for all activities is called a bodhisattva.

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buddha-field

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in avadana, term describes fertile ground surrounding a buddha or his relics that enables "seeds" of merit to bear abundant fruit. In mahayana, denotes seperate cosmos in which celestial Buddha resides. Basically the area that the buddha has control over. In mainsteam: stupha, relics.

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cakravartin

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the wheel turning monarch, the ideal king, rules world according to the dharma, has similarities with Buddha.

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Padmasambhava

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brought tantric buddhism to tibet in 8th century.

"precious master" in Bhutan and Tibet, where he is regarded as 2n dbuddha.

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svabhava

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"own-nature"

instrinsic nature.

Essential nature or essence.

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sarvastivadins

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"realists" who believe that all things, material or mental, exist.

all dharmas--, past present and future, exist. all things or all dharmas exist.