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Buddhism
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A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ...
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| | History of Buddhism
The History of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. ...
| | Timeline of Buddhism
Buddhist councils
563 BCE: SiddhÄrtha Gautama, Buddha-to-be, is born in Lumbini, Ancient India. ...
// Main article: First Buddhist council Ananda reciting the Sutta Pitaka According to the scriptures of all Buddhist schools, the first Buddhist Council was held soon after the nirvana of the Buddha under the patronage of king Ajatasatru, and presided by the monk Mahakasyapa, at Rajagaha (todays Rajgir). ...
| | Foundations
Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ...
| | Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
Buddhist Precepts
Nirvāṇa · Three Jewels
The Four Noble Truths (Pali: CattÄri ariyasaccÄni, Sanskrit: CatvÄri ÄryasatyÄni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì, Thai: à¸à¸£à¸´à¸¢à¸ªà¸±à¸ˆà¸ªà¸µà¹ˆ, Ariyasaj Sii) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ...
The Dharma wheel, often used to represent the Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path (PÄli: Ariyo aá¹á¹haá¹…giko maggo; Sanskrit: Ä€rya á¹£á¹Äá¹…ga mÄrgaḥ; Chinese: å…«æ£é“, BÄzhèngdà o; Japanese: å…«æ£é“, HasshÅdÅ, Thai: à¸à¸£à¸´à¸¢à¸¡à¸£à¸£à¸„à¹à¸›à¸”, Ariya Mugg Paad, Mongolian qutuÉ£tan-u naiman gesigün-ü mör) is, in...
Śīla (Sanskrit) or sÄ«la (PÄli) is usually rendered into English as behavioral discipline, morality, or ethics. ...
This article is about the Buddhist concept. ...
Symbol of the triratna, as seen in the Sanchi stupa, 1st century BCE. The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures, Three Refuges or Triple Gem are the three things that Buddhists give themselves to, and in return look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. ...
| | Key Concepts
Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ...
| | Three marks of existence
Skandha · Cosmology
Saṃsāra · Rebirth · Dharma
Dependent Origination · Karma
According to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals, that is dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence), and anatta (non-Self). ...
The skandhas (Sanskrit: PÄli: Khandha; literally: heap or bundle) are the five constituents or aggregates through which the functioning and experience of an individual is created according to Buddhist phenomenology. ...
Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. ...
For other uses, see Samsara (disambiguation). ...
Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded), upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates (skandhas) which make up that person, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas which may again be conventionally considered...
Dharma (Sanskrit: धरà¥à¤®) or Dhamma (PÄli: धमà¥à¤®) in Buddhism has two primary meanings: the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment the constituent factors of the experienced world In East Asia, the character for Dharma is 法, pronounced fÇŽ in Mandarin and hÅ in Japanese. ...
The doctrine of PratÄ«tyasamutpÄda (Sanskrit: ) or PaticcasamuppÄda, Pali: ; Tibetan: ; Chinese: ) Dependent Arising is an important part of Buddhist metaphysics. ...
Karma (Sanskrit: करà¥à¤®à¤¨ karman, PÄli: कमा Kamma) means action or doing; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma. ...
| | Major Figures
A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. ...
| | Gautama Buddha
Disciples · Later Buddhists Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ...
A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. ...
| | Practices and Attainment
| | Buddhahood · Bodhisattva
Four Stages of Enlightenment
Paramitas · Meditation · Laity
For the historical founder of Buddhism, see Gautama Buddha. ...
Lands Bhutan • China • Korea Japan • Tibet • Vietnam Taiwan • Mongolia Doctrine Bodhisattva • Bodhicitta Karuna • Prajna Sunyata • Buddha Nature Trikaya • Eternal Buddha Scriptures Prajnaparamita Sutra Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra Vimalakīrti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra History 4th Buddhist Council Silk Road • Nagarjuna Asanga • Vasubandhu Bodhidharma A statue of a Bodhisattva, Akasagarbha. ...
The four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life. ...
PÄramitÄ or PÄramÄ« (Sanskrit and PÄli respectively): Perfection or Transcendent. In Buddhism & Jainism, the Paramitas refer to the perfection or culmination of certain practices. ...
Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. ...
In canonical Buddhism, householder refers to a particular strata of society whose individuals are typified by having a home life and family. ...
| | Regions
Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. ...
| | Southeast Asia · East Asia
India · Sri Lanka · Tibet
Bhutan · Western Countries
Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ...
The Aomori Daibutsu (Big Buddha), Aomori, Japan. ...
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ...
The Indo-Greek king Menander (155-130 BCE) is the first Western historical figure documented to have converted to Buddhism. ...
| | Branches
| | Theravāda · Mahāyāna
Vajrayāna · Early schools
Pre-sectarian Buddhism Theravada (PÄli: theravÄda; Sanskrit: सà¥à¤¥à¤µà¤¿à¤°à¤µà¤¾à¤¦ sthaviravÄda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ...
Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ...
VajrayÄna Buddhism (Also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Esoteric Buddhism, Diamond Vehicle, or 金剛乘 Jingangcheng in Chinese; however, these terms are not always regarded as equivalent: one scholar[1] speaks of the tantra divisions of some editions of the Kangyur as including Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana texts) is...
Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ...
The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. ...
| | Texts
Chinese Song Period Maha-prajna-paramita Sutra Page The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. ...
| | Pali Canon · Mahayana Sutras
Tibetan Canon Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ...
Lands Bhutan • China • Korea Japan • Tibet • Vietnam Taiwan • Mongolia Doctrine Bodhisattva • Bodhicitta Karuna • Prajna Sunyata • Buddha Nature Trikaya • Eternal Buddha Mahayana Sutras Prajnaparamita Sutra Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra Vimalakīrti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra History Silk Road • Nagarjuna Asanga • Vasubandhu Bodhidharma Mahayana sutras are a very broad genre of...
The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. ...
| | Comparative Studies
Culture · List of topics
Portal: Buddhism
The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include: Buddhist cuisine Buddhist art Buddharupa Art and architecture of Japan Greco-Buddhism Tibetan Buddhist sacred art Buddhist music Buddhist chant Shomyo Categories: Buddhism-related stubs ...
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Ahimsa Ajahn Ajahn Chah Ajanta Aksobhya Alexandra David-Néel...
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 Image File history File links Dharma_wheel. ...
| In Buddhism, bodhicitta (Ch. 菩提心, pudixin, Jp. bodaishin) is the wish to attain complete enlightenment (that is, Buddhahood) in order to be of benefit to all sentient beings -- beings who are trapped in cyclic existence (samsāra) and have not yet reached Buddhahood. One who has bodhicitta as the primary motivation for all of their activities is called a bodhisattva. A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ...
Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ...
Illustration depicting the transmigration of the soul. ...
Bodhicitta may be divided into:
- Relative Bodhicitta, in which the practitioner works to free all beings from bondage and suffering.
- Absolute, or ultimate, Bodhicitta, in which the practitioner clearly sees that the bondage and suffering are illusory and never existed in the first place.[citation needed]
Some bodhicitta practices emphasize the absolute (e.g. vipassana); others emphasize the relative (e.g. metta), but both aspects are essential in any practice. The creative tension between the relative and absolute aspects of Bodhicitta is an important part of many Mahayana practices, including in particular the Tibetan Mind Training practices of tonglen and lojong. VipassanÄ (PÄli) or vipaÅ›yanÄ (विपशà¥à¤¯à¤¨à¤¾) in (Sanskrit) means insight and is often referred to by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike as simply insight meditation. While it is a type of Buddhist meditation as taught by the Buddha, it is essentially non-sectarian in character and has universal application. ...
Mettā (मेटा in Devanagari) is a Pali word meaning unconditional loving-kindness. ...
Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ...
Tonglen is Tibetan for taking and giving, and it refers to a meditation practice practiced in Tibetan Buddhism. ...
Lojong (often translated into English as Mind Training) is a practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on a set of proverbs formulated in Tibet in the 12th century by Chekawa. ...
Etymologically, the word is a combination of the Sanskrit words bodhi and citta. Bodhi means 'awakening', or 'enlightenment'. Citta may be translated as 'mind' or 'spirit'. Bodhicitta can therefore be translated as 'mind of enlightenment' or 'spirit of awakening'. Bodhi (बोधि) is the PÄli and Sanskrit word for the awakened or knowing consciousness of a fully liberated yogi, generally translated into English as enlightenment. It is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand), corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (P...
Significance Bodhicitta is what distinguishes Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna (or tantric) Buddhism from the Hinayāna schools. In Hinayāna Buddhism, the goal of Buddhist practice is primarily for an individual to escape from samsāra without aspiring to be reborn infinite numbers of times to liberate all those other beings still trapped in samsāra. Mah is an ancient Persian god of the moon, one of the Yazatas. ...
A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ...
Although Mahāyāna Buddhists tend to consider the Theravāda as a Hinayāna school, there are neverthess bodhisattvas in the Theravāda school as well.[1] The distinction between Mahāyāna and Hinayāna refers to the motivation of the practitioner, not to the name of the particular tradition a practitioner is following. Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) NikÄya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ...
If the practitioner has bodhicitta as his or her main motivation, that person belongs to the Mahāyāna. If, by contrast, the practitioner's main goal is personal (rather than collective) escape from samsāra, then that practitioner falls within the category of the Hinayāna.[1] Thus, despite whatever teachings they hear, there can be practitioners in a Mahāyāna school who practice solely for the sake of their own liberation; and there can likewise be practitioners in a Hinayāna school who develop bodhicitta.
According to the Theravāda school, only a select few are able to attain Buddhahood (or complete enlightenment). Followers of the Mahāyāna, on the other hand, believe that the attainment of Buddhahood is not only possible by all sentient beings, but inevitable. The Mahāyāna teaches that even those who have initially chosen personal liberation from samsāra through the Hinayāna will be awakened eventually by Buddhas and entreated to develop bodhicitta and become fully enlightened in order to help liberate all sentient beings.
From a Mahāyāna point of view, bodhicitta is the best possible motivation one can have for any action, whether it be working in one's vocation, teaching others, or even making an incense offering. The Six Perfections (Pāramitās) of Buddhism only become true "perfections" when they are done with the motivation of bodhicitta. Thus, the action of giving (Skt. dāna) can be done in a mundane sense, or it can be a Pāramitā if it is conjoined with bodhicitta. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Dan (Hinduism). ...
Colored items are in both lists. ...
From the Mahāyāna point of view, the best motivation one can adopt from the outset of one's practice of Buddhism is the broader motivation of achieving one's own enlightenment in order to help all sentient beings (bodhicitta) rather than the more narrow motivation of escaping samsāra only for onesself.
Cultivation It is important to understand that bodhicitta generally does not arise spontaneously within the minds of sentient beings but must be cultivated intentionally through meditative contemplation. Cultivation of bodhicitta is the hallmark of the Mahāyāna and is considered to be one of the most difficult aspects of the path to complete enlightenment. Any teaching or activity cannot be held to be a genuine Mahāyāna activity unless it is conjoined with at least a contrived bodhicitta. Practitioners of the Mahāyāna make it their primary goal to go beyond contrived forms of bodhicitta and to develop a genuine, uncontrived bodhicitta which remains within their mindstreams continuously without having to rely on conscious effort.
Tibetan Mahāyāna teachings hold that there are two methods by which one may cultivate uncontrived bodhicitta: (1) through the Seven Fold Cause-and-Effect method and (2) by Exchanging Self with Others. These two methods are explained in detail (along with a method for combining them) in Pabongka Rinpoche's seminal work Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ...
Notes - ^ a b Gems of Buddhist Wisdom. Publications of the Buddhist Missionary Society. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1983, page 461-471
References - White, Kenneth R. 2005. The Role of Bodhicitta in Buddhist Enlightenment. New York : The Edwin Mellen Press. [includes translations of the following: Bodhicitta-sastra, Benkemmitsu-nikyoron, Sammaya-kaijo]
- Lampert, K.(2005); Traditions of Compassion: From Religious Duty to Social Activism. Palgrave-Macmillan
- Steps on the Path to Enlightenment. Vol. 1. Geshe Lhundub Sopa w/ David Pratt. 2004
- An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics. Peter Harvey. 2000
- Entering the Path of Enlightenment: The Bodhicaryavatara of the Buddhist Poet Santideva. (Translation) Marion L. Matics. 1970
- The World of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama. 1995
- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. John Powers. 1995
- A Guide to the Buddhist Path. Sangharakshita. 1990
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