Buddhist Terms
Religious Studies 270
Chinese Religions

Three Jewels/Treasures (Sanbao): Buddha / Dharma / Sangha (Fo / Fa / Seng)

Siddhartha Gautama: The Buddha / Fo (Enlightened One), Sakyamuni / Shijiamouni (Sage of the Sakya clan), Tathagatha / Rulai (Thus-come-one)
Three Branches:
Theravada (Hinayana / Xiao cheng): Way of the Elders (Smaller Vehicle) - S/SE Asia
Mahayana (Da cheng): Greater Vehicle - East Asia
Vajrayana (Jingang cheng): Diamond Vehicle - Tibet, North/Central Asia, Japan (1 school)
Theravada Buddhist Canon (Tripitaka / Sanzang):
Sutra / Jing: discourses of the Buddha
Vinaya / Lü: monastic codes
Abhidharma / Lun: philosophical analysis
Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path:
1. "Suffering"/ unsatisfactoriness (dukkha): inevitable part of existence
2. Cause of suffering: craving, desire, thirst (tanha)
3. Elimination of suffering: elimination of craving
4. Means of eliminating craving: The Noble Eightfold Path (babu dao):
1. Right views
2. Right intention                              (1-2:  Wisdom [prajña])
3. Right speech
4. Right action                                  (3-5:  Morality [sila])
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness                          (6-8:  Concentration, meditation [samadhi])
8. Right concentration
Five Skandhas (components, aggregates):
1. Form
2. Sensation
3. Perceptions/conceptions
4. Predispositions (karmic), volitions, will
5. Consciousness
Three Characteristics of Existence:
suffering (dukkha)
impermanence (anitya)
no-self (anatman)
Other key concepts:

karma: moral causality
samsara: cycle of rebirth
nirvana (nieban): extinction of karma and rebirth
bodhi / wu / satori: enlightenment
ignorance (avidya)
dependent origination (pratitya-samutpada)
arhat / luohan: enlightened person (in Theravada)

MAHAYANA

emptiness (sunyatta / kong)

Buddhas (Fo):

Sakyamuni / Shijia: Historical Buddha
Amithabha / Amituo: Buddha of the Pure Land
Vairocana / Luoshan'a: Cosmic Buddha
Bodhisattvas (Putisatuo or pusa):
Maitreya / Miluo: Future Buddha
Avalokitesvara / Guanyin: Compassion
Manjusri / Wenshu: Wisdom
Three Body doctrine (trikaya / san-shen)
1. Dharma-kaya / fa-shen: Truth body (Buddhahood as abstract principle)
2. Nirmana-kaya / hua-shen: Transformation body (Buddhahood as historical Sakyamuni)
3. Sambhoga-kaya / bao-shen: Bliss or Reward body (Buddhahood as spiritual being)
New Chinese schools/sects:
Pure Land (Jingtu)
Tiantai
Huayan
Chan (Zen)