RS Buddhism key terms

• anicca


  sanskrit word meaning "impermanence"
• dukkah


  sanskrit word meaning "suffering"
• anatta


  sanskrit word meaning "no permanent self"
• pratityasamutpada


  sanskrit word meaning "dependent orgination"
• the three marks of existence


  the three charcteristics of all living beings: anicca, dukkah, anatta
• samsara


  the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth
• skandha


  sanskrit word meaning "part" or "aggregate"
• the four noble truths


  first teaching given by the Buddha:

  • truth of suffering
  • cause of suffering
  • cessation of suffering
  • path to cessation of suffering
• the three poisons

  ignorance, hatred and greed. the negative charcteristics possessed by all humans
• arhat


  a "perfected person" that has rid themselves of the three posions and freed from the cycle of samsara
• the eightfold path

  practices leading to the liberation from samsara
• nirvana


  refers to the overcoming of craving and the three poisons
• karma


  good actions lead to good consequences and bad actions lead to bad consequences
• the moral precepts


  a system of morality and ethics that lay Buddhists respect and commit to
• metta


  loving kindness
• sunyata


  sanskrit word meaning "emptiness"
• bodhisattva


  "a Buddha in training", a person on the path to Buddhahood but delays their nirvana to help others achieve enlightenment
• metta bhavana


  meditation focused on developing loving kindess
• samatha


  a form of meditation that aims to develop calmness
• vipassana


  insight meditation
• mahayana


  a school of buddhism meaning "The Great Vehicle"
• the three jewels


  the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha
• wesak


  Theravada festival that celebrates the Buddha's birth, enlightenement and death
• what was the name of the Buddha's mother

  Queen Maya
• what were the four sights the Buddha saw


  old age, sickness, corpse and ascetics
• one disadvanatge of meditation

  takes time to perfect
• karuna


  Buddhist term for compassion
• tathagatagarbha


  Buddha nature
• parinirvana


  "final nirvana". freedom from samsara only attained after death, when a person has attained nirvana in life
• tanha


  sanskrit word meaning "craving" or "thirsting"
• which two parts of the eightfold path make up the way of wisdom

  right view

  right intention
• which three parts of the eightfold path make up the "way of morality"


  right speech

  right action

  right livelihood
• which three parts of the eightfold path make up the "way of meditation"


  right effort

  right mindfulness

  right concentration
• 5 moral precepts (in order)


  abstain from harming living beings

  abstain from taking what's not given

  abstain from sexual misconduct

  abstain from false speech

  abstain from taking intoxants
• 5 skandhas


  form

  sensation

  perception

  mental formation

  conciousness
• the "Buddha of Infinite Light" who is worshipped by Lay Buddhists


  amitabha
• to main qualities needed in order to reach enlightenment

  wisdom and compassion
• six paramitas (in order)


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


  school of Buddhism meaning "Way of The Elders"