AGAM: A secret ritual room for esoteric rites in Newar Buddhist temples in Nepal.
BHIKSHUNI (Sanskrit) or BHIKKUNI (Pali): A Buddhist nun.
BODHI: The state of awakening that the Buddha achieved.
BODHISATTVA: A being on the path to becoming a Buddha, or one who is already enlightened. In Mahayana Buddhism, it describes one who chooses to stay on earth to help other sentient beings achieve Buddhahood. Bodhisattvas are also embodiments of Buddhist ideals such as compassion, mercy and wisdom.
BUDDHA: Sanskrit and Pali for “the Awakened One”; the name given to Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. Can also refer to anyone who has achieved enlightenment.
CHAN (Mandarin) or ZEN (Japanese): A school of Mahayana Buddhism centered on meditation.
Buddhism, born on the Indian subcontinent in the sixth century B.C., has no holy book, no commandments, no prophets. Yet its teachings spread throughout Asia, mingling with local beliefs and customs along the way — and changing the continent forever.
In the three-part cover story for T’s Travel issue, Aatish Taseer follows Buddhism’s journey through Nepal, Thailand and Taiwan.
Plus: we share a map and timeline of the religion’s transmission across the East, a glossary of Buddhist terms, a snapshot of the great diversity of Buddhist monuments and an essential reading list. Click here to read Hanya Yanagihara’s editor’s letter.
DHARMA: A key term in both Hinduism and Buddhism with a range of meanings, including “law,” “doctrine,” “duty,” “vocation,” “religion,” “nature” and “essence.” In the Buddhist context, it refers to the ultimate law of reality, especially the cycle of karmic rebirth, and also to the Buddha’s teachings.
DHARMACHAKRA: “Wheel of Dharma” in Sanskrit; the central symbol representing the Buddha’s doctrine, the path to enlightenment and the eternal cycle of transformation.
JATAKAS: Stories from the past lives of the Buddha, similar to both Aesop’s Fables and the ancient Hindu animal tales known as the Panchatantra.
KARMA: Sanskrit for “action.” Also refers to action with cosmic repercussions for the journey of the soul through its many births and deaths.
MAHAYANA: “Great Vehicle” in Sanskrit; the largest branch of Buddhism, which is thought to have originated between the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. and is now most active in northern Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.
MANJUSHRI: A bodhisattva who is part of the creation myth of Kathmandu and is said to reside on Mount Wutai in China.
NEWAR BUDDHISM: The kind of Buddhism practiced in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley — characterized by the presence of a caste of monk-householders, Sanskrit liturgy and a deep syncretic bond with Hinduism.
PALI: One of Buddhism’s principal liturgical languages, especially important for Theravada Buddhism. Related to Sanskrit, the liturgical language of Hinduism.
PAUBHA: A traditional Newar Buddhist painting that’s thought to be a precursor to the Tibetan thangka, a religious or spiritual artwork.
PEEPUL TREE: Ficus religiosa, the sacred fig tree under which the Buddha was awakened.
PHRA: A Thai prefix for Buddhist monks as well as Hindu gods.
PHRAM: In Thailand, a Hindu priest, particularly one associated with Brahminical or royal court traditions.
PURE LAND BUDDHISM: A school of Chinese and Mahayana Buddhism in which recitation plays a central role.
SAMSARA: “Wandering” in Sanskrit; also refers to the cycle of death and rebirth.
SANGHA: The community of Buddhists, particularly monks, nuns and priests but also, in a broader sense, lay practitioners.
SHINGON BUDDHISM: A Japanese take on esoteric or Tantric Buddhism.
THERAVADA: “Way of the Elders” in Pali; a rules-based, monastic school of Buddhism, founded in the third century B.C., that is the dominant strain in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Uses Pali as its liturgical language.
TIANTAI: Founded by Zhiyi, a monk and philosopher, in the sixth century A.D. and considered the first truly Chinese school of Buddhism, in which Mahayana teachings from India are assimilated. Its seminal text is the Lotus Sutra.
TIBETAN BUDDHISM: Derived from Mahayana Buddhism and incorporating elements from the Vajrayana (or Tantric) school, it was developed between the seventh and eighth centuries. The Dalai Lama is its senior-most leader.
UPADANA: The Pali and Sanskrit word for clinging, grasping or attachment.
VAJRA: The double-headed ritual scepter that’s the mark of esoteric, Tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism.
VAJRAYANA: “Diamond Vehicle” or “Thunderbolt Vehicle” in Sanskrit; a strain of Buddhism that draws on secret texts called the tantras. Widely practiced in Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet and across the Himalayas, it emerged around the sixth century and is more closely aligned to Mahayana Buddhism than to Theravada.
VEDIC HINDUISM: A precursor to modern Hinduism based on the Vedas, Hindu texts dating from as far back as 1500 B.C.
WAT: A Buddhist temple in Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.
