Glossary of Buddhist Terms
Abhidhamma/Abhidharma (Pali/Sanskrit)
The third section of the Buddhist canon devoted to human psychology and philosophy
Anapanasati (Pali)
Mindfulness of breathing
Anatta (Pali)
Not self, insubstantiality, one of the three characteristics of existence
Anicca (Pali)
Impermanent, one of the three characteristics of existence. Buddhist teachings emphasize that all conditioned mental and physical phenomena are impermanent – nothing lasts, nothing stays the same.
Arahant (Pali)
Enlightened one; someone whose mind is completely free from the defilements; a person who is no longer bound to cyclic existence
Beginner’s Mind
A mind that is open to the experience of the moment, free of conceptual overlays; first made popular by the Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi
Bhikkhu (Pali)
A Buddhist monk
Bhikkhuni (Pali)
A Buddhist nun
Bodhi (Pali/Sanskrit)
Enlightenment, awakening
Bodhicitta (Sanskrit)
Wisdom-heart or the awakened heart/mind; the aspiration for supreme enlightenment so that all sentient beings may be free from suffering
Bodhisatta/Bodhisattva (Pali/Sanskrit)
One who has taken a vow to become a fully enlightened Buddha; someone known for an unbounded readiness and availability to help all sentient beings
Bodhi tree
The tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India – a fig tree popularly called Pipal (Ficus Religiosa)
Buddha (Pali, Sanskrit)
Fully awakened one; specifically the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, who lived and taught in India 2,500 years ago; one of the three jewels of refuge
Buddha-Dharma/Dhamma (Sanskrit/Pali)
The teachings of the Buddha
Citta (Pali/Sanskrit)
The emotive, sympathetic aspect of the mind, as opposed to the calculating, planning, intellectual aspect of the mind. Can be conceived as heart.
Dana (Pali/Sanskrit)
The practice of giving; generosity. Dana is the first of the ten paramis, or qualities to be perfected in order to become a Buddha
Dhammapada (Pali)
The best known of all the Buddhist scriptures; a collection of 423 verses, spoken by the Buddha, that focuses on the value of ethical conduct and mental training
Dependent origination
The doctrine that all mental and physical phenomena arise and pass away depending on causes and conditions
Dharma/Dhamma (Sanskrit/Pali)
The Buddha’s teachings, truth, the basic building blocks of reality; one of the three jewels of refuge
Dukkha (Pali)
Suffering; of pain, both mental and physical, of change, and endemic to cyclic existence; the first Noble Truth that acknowledges the reality of suffering
Ego
The pattern of conditioned habits that we mistake for a sense of self
Enlightenment
Awakening
Feeling tone
Vedana (Pali); the pleasant, unpleasant or neutral tone that arises with every experience; one of the five aggregates
Investigation
Vicaya (Pali); Interest and inquiry into experience. One of the seven factors of enlightenment
Jhana (Pali)
Mental absorption, a state of strong concentration that temporarily suspends the five hindrances
Joy
Piti (Pali); A gladdening of the mind and body. One of the seven factors of enlightenment
Kalyana mitta (Pali)
Spiritual friend. In Early Buddhism, teachers are often referred to as spiritual friends.
Karma/Kamma (Sanskrit/Pali)
Action, deed; the law of cause and effect; intentional action, either wholesome or unwholesome that brings either pleasant or unpleasant results respectively
Kilesa (Pali)
Defilement; unwholesome qualities; a factor of mind that obscures clear seeing; a hindrance to meditation; also know as afflictive emotion
Karuna (Pali)
Compassion; one of the four Brahma-Viharas (sublime abodes)
Mental noting
A technique used in meditation to help direct the mind to the object of meditation
Merit
The auspicious power of wholesome action that brings positive karmic results
Metta (Pali)
Loving kindness, gentle friendship; a practice for generating lovingkindness said to be first taught by the Buddha as an antidote to fear. It helps cultivate our natural capacity for an open and loving heart and is traditionally offered along with other Brahma-vihara meditations that enrich compassion, joy in the happiness of others and equanimity. These practices lead to the development of concentration, fearlessness, happiness and a greater ability to love.
Middle way
A spiritual path that avoids extremes of self-mortification and self-indulgence, as discovered and taught by the Buddha
Mindfulness
Sati (Pali). Careful attention to mental and physical processes; a key ingredient of meditation; one of the five spiritual faculties; one of the seven factors of enlightenment; an aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path
Mudita (Pali)
Appreciative or empathetic joy; the cultivation of happiness when seeing someone else’s good fortune or happy circumstances; one of the four Brahma-Viharas (sublime abodes)
Neutral person
In the context of metta (lovingkindness) practice, someone for whom you feel no particular liking or disliking
Nirvana/ Nibbana (Sanskrit/Pali)
Extinction of the fires of attachment, hatred and delusion that cause suffering; liberation from cyclic existence
Pali
The ancient language of the scriptures of Early Buddhism
Panna (Pali)
Wisdom; one of the five spiritual faculties
Parami (Pali)
The qualities of character to be perfected in order to become a Buddha.
Precept
A principle that defines a certain standard of ethical conduct; the foundation of all Buddhist meditation practice.
Restlessness and remorse
Uddhacca-kukkucca (Pali). Agitation of the mind; one of the five hindrances to meditation
Saddha (Pali)
Faith, confidence; one of the five spiritual faculties
Samadhi (Pali)
Concentration; a deep state of meditation; one of the five spiritual faculties; one of the seven factors of enlightenment; an aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path
Samatha (Pali)
A term referring to the group of meditation practices that aim at samadhi
Samsara (Pali, Sanskrit)
Wandering on; round of rebirths; the ocean of worldly suffering; the state of being governed by the five hindrances
Sangha (Pali)
The community of practitioners of the Buddhist path, or those beings who have attained direct realization of the nature of reality, one of the three jewels of refuge.
Sankhara (Pali)
Mental or physical formation
Sati (Pali)
Mindfulness; one of the five spiritual faculties; of the seven factors of enlightenment; an aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path
Satipatthana (Pali)
The four foundations of mindfulness: contemplation of body, feeling, mind and mind-objects; the Buddha’s quintessential teachings on mindfulness
Sense doors
The six perceptual gates through which we experience the world
Sila (Pali)
Moral or ethical conduct, virtue, the foundation of Buddhist practice
Skeptical doubt
Vicikiccha (Pali). The kind of doubt that undermines faith; one of the five hindrances to meditation
Skillful means
Action based on kindness, respect, truthfulness, timeliness and wisdom
Sloth and torpor
Thina-middha (Pali) Sleepiness; one of the five hindrances to meditation
Sutta/Sutra (Pali/Sanskrit)
Thread, heard; a discourse by the Buddha or one of his disciples
Theravada (Pali)
Path of the Elders; the form of Buddhism found throughout many parts of Southeast Asia. Vipassana meditation is a central part of this tradition.
Three jewels of refuge
The three jewels of refuge are the Buddha, the Dharma (doctrine) and the Sangha. Practitioners take refuge in the fact that the Buddha found a way to freedom, taught the Dharma as the path to that freedom, and founded the Sangha as the supportive community that follows the way.
Tranquility
Passaddhi (Pali); Physical and mental calm. One of the seven factors of enlightenment
Upekkha (Pali)
Equanimity; the ability to maintain a spacious impartiality of mind in the midst of life’s changing conditions; one of the four Brahma-Viharas (sublime abodes); one of the seven factors of enlightenment
Vedana (Pali)
Feeling; the pleasant, unpleasant or neutral feeling tone that arises with all experience; one of the five aggregates
Vinaya (Pali)
Discipline; the rules and regulations governing the conduct of Buddhist monks and nuns
Vipassana (Pali)
To see clearly; insight meditation; the simple and direct practice of moment-to-moment mindfulness. Through careful and sustained observation, we experience for ourselves the ever-changing flow of the mind/body process. This awareness leads us to accept more fully the pleasure and pain, fear and joy, sadness and happiness that life inevitably brings. As insight deepens, we develop greater equanimity and peace in the face of change, and wisdom and compassion increasingly become the guiding principles of our lives. The Buddha first taught vipassana over 2,500 years ago. The various methods of this practice have been well preserved in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. IMS retreats are all rooted in this ancient and well-mapped path to awakening and draw on the full spectrum of this tradition’s lineages.
Viriya (Pali)
The physical and mental energy needed for diligent mindfulness practice; the strong, courageous heart of energy. One of the five spiritual faculties; one of the seven factors of enlightenment
Wrong view
The tendency of the mind to cling to concepts at the expense of reality; taking what is impermanent to be permanent, what is dissatisfying to be satisfying, what is selfless to be self
Yogi (Pali)
One who is undertaking the spiritual path of awakening; a meditator
