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| Explanations of some Buddhist terms. | |
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| Term | Definition | |
| Abhidharmakosha | (skt.: abhidharmakosha; tib.: chu ngunpa dzu) Literally The Treasury of Higher Knowledge. It is one of the five main texts that monks in monasteries study in much detail. It was written by Master Vasubandhu in the 4th century CE. The book presents various important topics such as ontology, psychology, cosmology, causality, states of consciousness, etc. This book is considered to be part of Hinayana, mainly of the Vaibhashika school. | |
| Abhisheka | (skt.: abhisheka; tib.: wang) Wang, usually translated as empowerment, is a complex tantric ritual based on a mandala of a deity which confers the power and ability to engage in certain meditative practices for achieving enlightenment, and thus becoming a Buddha, in order to benefit others as fully as possible. An empowerment also plants new seeds, or potentials. | |
| Aeon | (skt.: kalpa/yuga; tib.: kal pa) In ancient Indian cosmology, an extremely long period of time. There are various views on the length of kalpa: 1. According to The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom kalpa is longer than the time required to wear away a cube of rock forty ri (one ri being about 450 meters) on each side, by brushing it with a piece of cloth once every hundred years. Great Perfection of Wisdom also defines a kalpa as being longer than the time needed to remove all the mustard seeds filling a city forty ri square, if one takes away one seed every hundred years. 2. According to Abhidharmakosha world perpetually repeats a four stage cycle (whole cycle is called maha kalpa) and periods correspodning to these four stages are called the four kalpas and each of these lasts twenty small kalpas. The four kalpas are: a) Kalpa of Formation. In this kalpa, a world takes shape and living beings appear in it. b) Kalpa of Continuance. World continues to exist in a relatively stable state along with its inhabitants. c) Kalpa of Decline. World is gradually destroyed. d) Kalpa of Disintegration. The kalpa of disintegration is the period lasting from the annihilation of a world at the end of the kalpa of decline until the formation of a new world. In general, a small kalpa is represented as 16,800,000 years, a kalpa as 336,000,000 years and a mahakalpa is 1,334,000,000 years. There is also another kalpa, even longer than mahakalpa, which is called Countless eon. This is the time it takes after you decide to begin collecting virtue to become a Buddha to actually become a Buddha. Master Vasubandhu says in his Abhidharmakosha that Countless eon is a period of three countless (countless actually means a number: about ten to the sixtieth power) mahakalpas. | |
| Alaya-vijnana | (skt.: alayavijnana; tib.: kunshi namshe) According to the Chittamatra (or Yogachara, Mind Only) this is the eighth consciousness. They believe that this consciousness contains karmic seeds. | |
| Arhat | (tib.: dra chom pa) Sometimes also called Arhant, Arahat or Arahant; female Arhat is called Arhati. A being who has attained the fifth (and the last) path of no more learning by destroying mental afflictions and dualistic ego grasping. There are three types of Arhats: 1. Hearer Arhat (sravaka arhat) 2. Solitary-realizer Arhat (pratyekabuddha arhat) 3. Buddha Arhat (buddha arhat). Hearer Arhat and Solitary-realizer Arhat abide in Nirvana and belong to Hinayana, whereas Buddha Arhat does not stay in Nirvana and belongs to Mahayana. | |
| Arya | (tib.: phag pa) A Noble being, who has attained the third path, the path of seeing emptiness directly. Arya knows the true nature of all phenomena and is a true Sangha refuge. There are three types of Aryas: 1. Hearer Arya (shravaka arya), 2. Solitary-realizer Arya (pratyekabuddha arya) 3. Arya Bodhisattva (bodhisattva arya). Hearer Arya and Solitary-realizer Arya belong to Hinayana, whereas Arya Bodihsattvas belong to Mahayana because they have also realized Bodhichitta. | |
| Atman | (skt.: atman; tib.: dag) Self. Simply put, self can be compared to unchanging eternal soul. Buddhism does not accept such a self. More technically, the concept of self could be basically divided in two ways: 1. When Hinayana schools (Vaibashika and Sautrantika tenets) speak about self, they refer to a self, which if it existed, would be unchanging (eternal, not changing from moment to moment), and would be in control of the five aggregates. They negate such a self and usually they call the fact that self does not exist in this way selflessness. They speak mostly about self of a person. 2. When Mahayana schools (Chittamatra and Madhyamika tenets) speak about self, they refer to a self, which if it existed, would be inherently or truly existent (this is actually extension of Hinayana view). So, they negate self which would be inherently or truly existent. They speak about self of a person and about self of phenomena. They usually call the fact that self or objects does not exist in this way emptiness. These negations of Hinayana and Mahayana do not mean that self does not exist at all, rather it means that self is a mere imputation on a valid basis. | |
| Awakening Mind | (skt.: bodhichitta; tib.: jang chub kyi sem) Usually translated as Wish for Enlightenment or Awakening Mind. Bodhichitta is defined as the wish to achieve Buddhahood for the benefit of others. Bodhichitta is the main mind and not a mental factor and it is an underlying motivation of practitioners of Mahayana Buddhism. Beings who have realized Bodhichitta are called Bodhisattvas. There are many types of divisions of Bodhichitta: 1. Divison corresponding to the two truths: - (kun dzob jang sem) Conventional Bodhichitta, which is wanting to become a Buddha to help all sentient beings. - (don dam jang sem) Ultimate Bodhichitta, which is direct perception of emptiness. 2. Division by its nature: - (mön sem) Aspiring Bodhichitta, which is the aspiration to achieve enlightenment to benefit all beings. - (jug sem) Engaged Bodhichitta, which is to follow Bodhisattva vows and Bodhisattva behavior to practice six perfections that will actually bring us to Enlightenment. 3. Divison by the way one thinks: - (gyel po ta bui sem kye) King-like Bodhichitta, where you want to become enlightened first and then lead others to Enlightenment. - (dzi bu ta bui sem kye) Shepherd-like Bodhichitta, where you stay behind and shepherd all other beings to Enlightenment before realizing it yourself. - (nyen pa ta bui sem kye) Ferryman-like Bodhichitta, where you want to achieve Enlightenment along with all other beings. (note: Shepherd like Bodhichitta and Ferryman like Bodhicitta are only a kind of description of willingness to help others first; actually no one would postpone their own Enlightenment, because realizing it is the highest way of helping others.) | |
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