GLOSSARY

asuras: Beings who like to fight. 

Bodhi tree: A pipal tree that is known as the 'tree of enlightenment'. The tree under which Gautama achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha. 

Bodhisattva: A compassionate being who enlightens himself and helps others to be enlightened. 

Buddha: The Enlightened or Awakened One. The word 'Bodhi' means to awaken. ​

Buddha Hall: The main room inside a Buddhist temple. 

Dharma: Teachings of the Buddha 

enlightenment: Understanding the truth of life, freedom from ignorance. 

Five Precepts: The five rules of conduct given by the Buddha to his disciples: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no false speech, no intoxicants. 

Four Noble Truths: The first teachings spoken by the Buddha: the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the Path leading to the end of suffering. 

hungry ghosts: Ghosts that suffer a lot because they are greedy. 

Jataka tales: stories about the past lives of the Buddha. 

karma: 'Action' or the law of cause and effect. For every action there is a cause. 

Kathina: A 'festival of giving' held in autumn, where people make offerings to the monks and nuns. 

lotus posture: A meditation posture. 

lotus: The lotus symbolizes the purity of the Buddha. It grows out of mud, yet it is not defiled by it. 

Mahayana: The tradition of Northern Buddhism. 

mantras: Symbolic phrases that Buddhists chant. 

meditation: A method of calming and training the mind. 

Middle Way: The path in life prescribed by the Buddha, the path between extremes. 

Nirvana: An everlasting state of great joy and peace. 

Noble Eightfold Path: The Buddha's prescription for ending suffering. It is made up of eight parts: right views, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. 

offering bowl: A bowl that nuns and monks receive offerings in. 

Pali: An ancient language of India that the Buddhist Sutras were originally written in. 

Pratyekabuddha: Hermits who become enlightened by themselves. 

puja: A Pali word for Buddhist worship. 

Sangha: The community of Buddhist nuns and monks. 

Sanskrit: An ancient language of India that the Buddhist Sutras were written in. 

Six Perfections: The six ideals that a Bodhisattva perfects: giving morality, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom. 

stupas: Monuments to the Buddha 

Theravada: The tradition of Southern Buddhism. 

Three Refuges: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. 

Tripitaka: The 'three baskets', a collection of the Buddha's written teachings. 

Triple Jewel: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. 

Ullambana: A Buddhist festival when offerings are given to the Sangha.
Wheel of Life and Death: The six worldly states of rebirth: gods, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings. 

zafu: A round meditation cushion used in Japanese Buddhism. 

Zen: Japanese meditation.

Source:
​http://www.cttbusa.org/introducingbuddhism/intro2buddhism3.htm