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Pāramitā
''Pāramitā'' (Sanskrit, Pali: पारमिता) or ''pāramī'' (Pāli: पारमी), is a Buddhist term often translated as "perfection". It is described in Buddhist commentaries as noble character qualities generally associated with enlightened beings. ''Pāramī'' and ''pāramitā'' are both terms in Pali but Pali literature makes greater reference to ''pāramī,'' while Mahayana texts generally use the Sanskrit ''pāramitā.'' Etymology Donald S. Lopez, Jr. describes the etymology of the term: Theravāda Buddhism Theravada teachings on the ''pāramīs'' can be found in late canonical books and post-canonical commentaries. Theravada commentator Dhammapala describes them as noble qualities usually associated with bodhisattas. American scholar-monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu describes them as perfections ''(paramī)'' of character necessary to achieve enlightenment as one of the three enlightened beings, a '' samma sambuddha'' a '' pacceka-buddha'' or an ''arahan ...
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Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism (the other being ''Theravāda'' and Vajrayana).Harvey (2013), p. 189. Mahāyāna accepts the main scriptures and teachings of early Buddhism but also recognizes various doctrines and texts that are not accepted by Theravada Buddhism as original. These include the Mahāyāna Sūtras and their emphasis on the ''bodhisattva'' path and ''Prajñāpāramitā''. '' Vajrayāna'' or Mantra traditions are a subset of Mahāyāna, which make use of numerous tantric methods considered to be faster and more powerful at achieving Buddhahood by Vajrayānists. "Mahāyāna" also refers to the path of the bodhisattva striving to become a fully awakened Buddha (''samyaksaṃbuddha'') for the benefit of all sentient beings, and is thus ...
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Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools as well as modern Theravada Buddhism, a bodhisattva (Pali: ''bodhisatta'') refers to someone who has made a resolution to become a Buddha and has also received a confirmation or prediction from a living Buddha that this will be so. In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva refers to anyone who has generated ''bodhicitta'', a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Mahayana bodhisattvas are spiritually heroic persons that work to attain awakening and are driven by a great compassion (''mahakaruṇā''). These beings are exemplified by important spiritual qualities such as the "four divine abodes" (''brahmaviharas'') of loving-kindness ('' metta''), compassion (''karuṇā''), empatheti ...
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Prajñā (Buddhism)
Prajñā (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञा) or paññā (Pāli: पञ्ञा), is a Buddhist term often translated as "wisdom", "intelligence", or "understanding". It is described in Buddhist texts as the understanding of the true nature of phenomena. In the context of Buddhist meditation, it is the ability to understand the three characteristics of all things: ''anicca'' ("impermanence"), '' dukkha'' ("dissatisfaction" or "suffering"), and ''anattā'' ("non-self"). Mahāyāna texts describe it as the understanding of ''śūnyatā'' ("emptiness"). It is part of the Threefold Training in Buddhism, and is one of the ten '' pāramīs'' of Theravāda Buddhism and one of the six Mahāyāna ''pāramitās''. Etymology ''Prajñā'' () is often translated as "wisdom", but according to Buddhist bioethics scholar Damien Keown, it is closer in meaning to "insight", "non-discriminating knowledge", or "intuitive apprehension". * ''jñā'' () can be translated as "consciousness", "know ...
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Arahant
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. Mahayana Buddhist traditions have used the term for people far advanced along the path of Enlightenment, but who may not have reached full Buddhahood. The understanding of the concept has changed over the centuries, and varies between different schools of Buddhism and different regions. A range of views on the attainment of arhats existed in the early Buddhist schools. The Sarvāstivāda, Kāśyapīya, Mahāsāṃghika, Ekavyāvahārika, Lokottaravāda, Bahuśrutīya, Prajñaptivāda, and Caitika schools all regarded arhats as imperfect in their attainments compared to buddhas.Sree Padma. Barber, Anthony W. ''Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra''. 2008. p. 44Warder, A.K. ''Indian Buddhis ...
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Dāna
Dāna (Devanagari: दान, IAST: Dānam) is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of generosity, charity or giving of alms in Indian philosophies. In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, dāna is the practice of cultivating generosity. It can take the form of giving to an individual in distress or need. It can also take the form of philanthropic public projects that empower and help many. Dāna is an ancient practice in Indian traditions, tracing back to Vedic traditions.Shah et al (2013), Soulful Corporations: A Values-Based Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, , page 125, Quote: "The concept of Daana (charity) dates back to the Vedic period. The Rig Veda enjoins charity as a duty and responsibility of every citizen." Hinduism Dāna (Sanskrit: दान) means giving, often in the context of donation and charity.
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Jataka Tales
The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is "one of the oldest classes of Buddhist literature."Skilling, Peter (2010). ''Buddhism and Buddhist Literature of South-East Asia,'' pp. 161-162. Some of these works are also considered great works of literature in their own right. In these stories, the future Buddha may appear as a king, an outcast, a deva, an animal—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates. Often, Jātaka tales include an extensive cast of characters who interact and get into various kinds of trouble - whereupon the Buddha character intervenes to resolve all the problems and bring about a happy ending. The Jātaka genre is based on the idea that the Buddha was able to recollect all his past lives and thus could use these memori ...
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Sacca
''Sacca'' ( sa, Satya सत्य) is a Pali word meaning "real" or "true". In early Buddhist literature, ''sacca'' is often found in the context of the "Four Noble Truths",_a_crystallization_of_Buddhist_wisdom.__In_addition,_''sacca''_is_one_of_the_ten_ pāramīs_or_"most_high"_a_pāramīs_or_"most_high"_a_bodhisattva">bodhisatta_must_develop_in_order_to_become_a_Buddhahood.html" "title="bodhisattva.html" ;"title="pāramitā.html" ;"title="Four Noble Truths: BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Encycl ...", a crystallization of Buddhist wisdom. In addition, ''sacca'' is one of the ten pāramitā">pāramīs or "most high" a bodhisattva">bodhisatta must develop in order to become a Buddhahood">Buddha. The profoundest truth of reality In the Pali Canon, ''sacca'' is frequently found in the term ''ariya-sacca'', meaning "noble truth" or "truth of the noble ones". More specifically, the term ''ariya-sacca'' refers to the Gautama Buddha, Buddha's "Four Noble Truths,"_elucidated_in_his_Dhammacak ...
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Śīla
Buddhist ethics are traditionally based on what Buddhists view as the enlightened perspective of the Buddha. The term for ethics or morality used in Buddhism is ''Śīla'' or ''sīla'' (Pāli). ''Śīla'' in Buddhism is one of three sections of the Noble Eightfold Path, and is a code of conduct that embraces a commitment to harmony and self-restraint with the principal motivation being nonviolence, or freedom from causing harm. It has been variously described as virtue, moral discipline and precept. ''Sīla'' is an internal, aware, and intentional ethical behavior, according to one's commitment to the path of liberation. It is an ethical compass within self and relationships, rather than what is associated with the English word "morality" (i.e., obedience, a sense of obligation, and external constraint). ''Sīla'' is one of the three practices foundational to Buddhism and the non-sectarian Vipassana movement; ''sīla,'' ''samādhi'', and '' paññā'' as well as the Theravadin ...
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Kshanti
Kshanti (Sanskrit ') or khanti (Pāli) is patience, forbearance and forgiveness. It is one of the pāramitās in both Theravāda and Mahāyāna Buddhism. Canonical sources Examples in the Pāli canon identify using forbearance in response to others' anger, cuckolding, torture and even fatal assaults. Dhammapada verses ''Khanti'' is the first word of the ''Ovada-Patimokkha Gatha'' (Pāli for " Patimokkha Exhortation Verse"), also found in the Dhammapada, verse 184: Elsewhere in the Dhammapada ''khanti'' is found in verse 399: Lord Sakka's restraint In the '' Samyutta Nikaya'', the Buddha tells of an ancient battle between ''devas'' and ''asuras'' during which the ''devas'' were victorious and the ''asura'' king Vepacitti was captured and imprisoned. When the ''deva'' lord, Sakka visited Vepacitti in prison, Vepacitti "abused and reviled him with rude, harsh words," to which Sakka did not respond in kind. Afterwards, Sakka's charioteer questioned Sakka about this, expres ...
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Vīrya
Vīrya (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''viriya'') is a Buddhist term commonly translated as "energy", "diligence", "enthusiasm", or "effort". It can be defined as an attitude of gladly engaging in wholesome activities, and it functions to cause one to accomplish wholesome or virtuous actions. Etymology ''Vīrya'' literally means "state of a strong human or "manliness."See, e.g., which Monier Williams (1899), entry for "Vīyà," defines ''vīyà'' in part as: "manliness, valour, strength, power, energy, RV Rig Veda ">Rig_Veda.html" ;"title="Rig Veda">Rig Veda &c. &c.; heroism/heroinism, heroic deed, ibid.; manly vigour, virility, semen virile, MBh. [ Mahabharata ]; Kāv.&c; ...." Retrieved 3 February 2011 from "U.Cologne" at https://web.archive.org/web/20090303213620/http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw1006-virabhaTa.jpg In Vedic literature, the term is often associated with heroism and virility. In Buddhism, the term more g ...
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Brahmavihara
The ''brahmavihārās'' (sublime attitudes, lit. "abodes of brahma") are a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. They are also known as the four immeasurables (Sanskrit: अप्रमाण, ''apramāṇa'', Pāli: अप्पमञ्ञा, ''appamaññā'') or four infinite minds (Chinese: 四無量心). The ''Brahma-viharas'' are: # loving-kindness or benevolence (maitrī/mettā) # compassion (karuṇā) # empathetic joy (muditā) # equanimity (upekṣā/upekkhā) According to the ''Metta Sutta'', cultivation of the four immeasurables has the power to cause the practitioner to be reborn into a "Brahma realm" (Pāli: ''Brahmaloka''). Etymology and translations * Pāli: ''cattāri brahmavihārā'' * sa, चत्वारो ब्रह्मविहाराः (IAST: ') * , ( Wylie: tshad med bzhi) ''Brahmavihāra'' may be parsed as "Brahma" and " vihāra", which is often rendered into English as "sublime" or "div ...
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Virtue
Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards: doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. The opposite of virtue is vice. Other examples of this notion include the concept of merit in Asian traditions as well as '' De'' ( Chinese 德). Buddhism's four brahmavihara ("Divine States") can be regarded as virtues in the European sense. Etymology The ancient Romans used the Latin word ''virtus'' (derived from ''vir'', their word for ''man'') to refer to all of the "excellent qualities of men, including physical strength, valorous conduct, and moral rectitude." The French words ''vertu'' and ''virtu'' came from this Latin root. In the 13th century, the word ''virtue'' was "borrowed into English". Ancient Egypt Maat (or Ma'at) was the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, order ...
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