definitions

• The buddha


  Title meaning "the awakened One"
• renunciation


  in religion, giving something up in order to live a spiritual life
• Dharma


  spiritual laws of the universe; the buddhas teachings
• the eigtfold path


  the practices followed by buddhists to reach nirvana
• samsara


  the continual cycle of birth, death and rebirth
• arhat


  a "perfected person" who has eliminated the three poisons and attained nirvana
• Bodhisattva


  a being who is on the path to enlightenment, but delays entry to help other beings.
• paramita


  a "perfection" a perfect virtue that must be developed by those on the bodhisattva path
• shrine


  a place regarded as holy because it's linked to a holy person or object .
• Vihara


  A theravada temple monastery
• Samatha


  A form of meditation that aims to develop calmness
• vipassana

  insight meditation
• mettabhavana


  meditation focused on loving kindness
• puja

  buddhist word for "worship" or "devotional ritual"
• Triratna

  buddhist term for three jewels
• mantra


  sacred sound or phrase which is repeated over again as a form of meditation
• wesak


  A Theravada festival that celebrates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing away
• Parinirvana day


  a Mahayana festival that commemorates the Buddha's passing away
• kathina


  A Theravada festival which comes at the end of Vassa (in annual period of retreat)
• Anatta


  Buddhist term for "no permanent self" , one of the three marks of existence.
• anicca


  buddhist term for impermenance , one of the three marks of existence
• dukkha


  sanskrit word for suffering, one of the three marks of existence
• tatagatagarhba


  "buddha nature" . belief that all beings have the potential to become a buddha.
• pratityasamutpada


  buddhist term for dependent origination
• three jewels


  dharma, sangha, buddha
• sangha


  buddhist community of monks and nuns
• bodhisattva of compassion


  Dalai Lama
• Bodhisattva of wisdom


  Manjushri
• Theravada festivals


  wesak and kathina
• Mahayana festivals


  parinirvana day
• Six Paramitas


  generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, wisdom
• theravada


  "Way of the elders"
• mahayana


  "great vehicle"
• buddhas death place


  Kushinagar, India
• buddhas birth 


  Lumbini, Nepal 400BC
• Dharma


  The universal laws of existence, which the Buddha understood at the moment of his enlightenment