Buddhists believe that one day, seated beneath the Bodhi tree (the tree of awakening), Siddhartha became deeply absorbed in meditation and reflected on his experience of life until he became enlightened.
By finding the path to enlightenment, Siddhartha was led from the pain of suffering and rebirth towards the path of enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or ‘awakened one’.
Test your knowledge of a few basic Buddhist terms: Buddhism Glossary Quiz
Quiz: Buddhism Glossary
- Question 1 of 10
1.
He was one of the chief disciples of the Buddha and is addressed in “The Heart Sutra”.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Shariputra
“The Heart Sutra” is the most widely chanted sutra in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.
- Question 2 of 10
2.
In Mahayana Buddhism it is the title given to one who compassionately postpones enlightenment for the sake of helping others realize themselves.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Bodhisattva
- Question 3 of 10
3.
It is the name given to the eternal truth body of a Buddha.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Dharmakaya
- Question 4 of 10
4.
It is the path indicated by the fourth noble truth which includes right view, right thought, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – The Eightfold Path
- Question 5 of 10
5.
It is the name given to the personification of evil, the tempter or the king of demons.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Mara
Marpa was a famous Tibetan yogi and the teacher of Milarepa. A mudra is a symbolic ritual gesture.
- Question 6 of 10
6.
He was the first patriarch in the Ch’an tradition of China and subsequent Zen tradition of Japan.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Bodhidharma
- Question 7 of 10
7.
It is the tradition of Buddhism predominantly practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand, and has arhatship as its final goal.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Theravada
- Question 8 of 10
8.
It is the name of the cycle of existence.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Samsara
Nirvana is the state of ceaseless bliss and extinction of all fettering passions.
- Question 9 of 10
9.
It is the term meaning “one-pointed concentration”.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Samadhi
Metta means “loving-kindness”. A mantra is a set of words or syllables whose recitation has special effects based on the power of sound. A daison is a face-to-face encounter between a teacher and a student.
- Question 10 of 10
10.
She is the female version of the archetypal Bodhisattva of compassion observed in China.
Correct
Wrong — Correct Answer – Kuan Yin
Avalokiteshvara is the sanskrit name for the Bodhisattva of compassion. Kannon or Kanzeon is the name in Japan. Chenrezig is the name in Tibet.
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Some Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an attempt has been made to organize terms by their original form and give translations and synonyms in other languages along with the definition.
Some languages and traditions dealt with here: Buddhism Glossary Quiz
- Abhidhamma A category of scriptures that attempts to use Buddhist teachings to create a systematic, abstract description of all worldly phenomena
- Abhidhamma Pitaka The third basket of the Tripitaka canon, the reorganization of all doctrines in a systematic way
- Acariya, lit. “teacher”, One of the two teachers of a novice monk – the other one is called upādhyāya
- Ahimsa The devotion to non-violence and respect for all forms of life. Practicers of ahimsa are often vegetarians or vegans
- Amitabha Lit. “The Buddha of Infinite Light”. The main buddha of the Pure Land school, but is popular in other Mahayana sects as well. The image is of light as the form of wisdom, which has no form. Also interpreted as the Tathagata of Unhindered Light that Penetrates the Ten Quarters by Tan Luan, Shinran and others
- Anagarika A white-robed student in the Theravada tradition who, for a few months, awaits being considered for Samaneras ordination
- Anapanasati Mindfulness of the breath meditation