Buddhism is a religion and philosophy with between 230 and 500 million adherents worldwide. The vast majority live in Asia. It consists of two major schools: Mahayana and Theravada. The Mahayana school is in turn divided into East Asian (including Pure Land, Chan/Seon/Thien/Zen, Nichiren, Shingon and others) and Tibetan (sometimes grouped with Shingon under the term Vajrayana). However there are many other sects besides these. These divisions reflect a combination of doctrinal differences and regional syncretisms. Buddhism is based on the teachings of the Gautama Buddha who lived circa the fifth century BCE in parts of what is now Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on the northeastern Indian subcontinent. While there is disagreement between denominations over the Buddha's teachings, nearly all Buddhists recognize some version of the Tipitaka ("Three Baskets"), though it plays a far more central role in Theravada Buddhism than in Mahayana Buddhism. Also, Mahayana Buddhists recognize a set of texts called the Mahayana Sutras which Theravadins do not accept. (more)
Genres: buddhism, religious
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Gautama Buddha:
Siddhārtha Gautama (pronunciation: [sɪd̪.d̪ʰaːr.t̪ʰə gəʊ.t̪ə.mə]), in Sanskrit, or Siddhattha Gotama, in Pali, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the founder of Buddhism. He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Samm
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Zen:
Zen (Japanese: 禅), the Japanese translation for Chan (Traditional Chinese: 禪; Simplified Chinese: 禅), is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Korean pronunciation of 禪 is Seon and the Vietnamese pronunciation of which is Thiền. Zen emphasizes dharma pr
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Theravada:
Theravada (Pāli: theravāda (cf Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda); literally, "the Teaching of the Elders", or "the Ancient Teaching") is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (abou
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Mahayana:
Mahayana (mahāyāna: महायान, "Great Vehicle") is a classification of Buddhism used in several different senses. # The most common, found in English dictionaries, is as one of two major branches of Buddhism existing today, the other being Theravada (स्
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Tibetan Buddhism:
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan regions, which include northern Nepal, Bhutan, India (Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim), Mongolia, Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia a
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Pali Canon:
The Pali Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pali language. The Canon was written down, transcribed from the oral tradition, during the Fourth Buddhist Council (in the usual Theravad
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Pure Land Buddhism:
Pure Land Buddhism ( , Jìngtǔzōng; 浄土教, Jōdokyō; Korean: , jeongtojong; Vietnamese: 浄土宗, Tịnh Độ Tông), also sometimes referred to as Amidism , is a broad branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism and currently one of the most popular schools of Buddhism in East A
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Nichiren Buddhism:
Nichiren Buddhism (日蓮系諸宗派: Nichiren-kei sho shūha) is a branch of Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282). Nichiren Buddhism is a comprehensive term covering several major schools and many sub-schools, a
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Mahayana sutras:
Mahayana sutras are a very broad genre of Buddhist scriptures (sutras) which according to Mahayana Buddhists represent original teachings of the Buddha. The earliest scripture that mentions "Mahayana" is the Lotus Sutra, probably compiled in its earl
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East Asian Buddhism:
East Asian Buddhism is a collective term for the schools of Buddhism that developed in the East Asian region, most of which are part of the Mahayana (which means "The Greater Vehicle") transmission. These include Chinese Buddhism, Korean Buddhism, Ja
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Nepal:
Nepal (नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is bordered by China to the north and by India to the south, east and west. The Himalaya mountain range runs across Nepal's northern and western parts, and eight of the world's ten highest mou
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Bihar:
Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, bɪhaːr, ) is a state in the Republic of India situated in the eastern most part of the north Indian politico-geographical zone. Its capital has been Patna, earlier known as Patliputra, for almost 2500 years. Bihar is
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Vajrayana:
{|style="float:right" Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle (Chinese: 金剛乘, jīngāngshèng, Japanese: 金剛乗, kongōjō) although these terms are not
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Buddhist flag:
The Buddhist flag is a flag designed to symbolise Buddhism. It is used by Buddhists throughout the world.
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Buddhist terms and concepts:
Several 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 a
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Shinbutsu shūgō:
Shinbutsu shūgō (also called Shinbutsu konkō, term which however has a negative connotation) is the Japanese syncretism of Buddhism and Shinto. When Buddhism was introduced through China in the late Yamato period (6th century), rather than discard th
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Uttar Pradesh:
Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश, اتر پردیش, , translation: Northern Province), [often referred to as U.P.] is a state located in the northern part of India. With over 180 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most popu
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Syncretism:
Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term may refer to attempts to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially
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Tibetan language:
Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, as well as by overseas Tibetan communities around the world. Several forms of Tibetan are also spoken
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Buddhahood:
In Buddhism, buddhahood (Sanskrit: buddhatva.Pali: buddhatta. Or (both) buddhabhāva) is the state of perfect enlightenment (Sanskrit: samyaksambodhi. Pali: sammāsambodhi) attained by a (Pali/Sanskrit for "awakened one"). In Buddhism, the term 'buddha
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Karma:
Karma (Sanskrit: कर्म , kárman- "act, action, performance" ; Pali: kamma) is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Indian religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in an
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Stupa:
A stupa (from Sanskrit and Pāli: m., स्तूप, stūpa, literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics--once thought to be places of Buddhist worship--typically, the remains of a Buddha or saint. In other Asian languages su
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Kushan Empire:
The Kushan Empire (c. 1st-3rd centuries) was a state that at its cultural zenith, circa 105-250 CE, extended from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and down into the Ganges river valley in northern India. The empire was created by the K
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Tantra:
Tantra (Sanskrit: ตันตระतन्त्र "weave" denoting continuity ), tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. It exists in Hindu, Bönpo, Buddhist, and Jain forms. Tantra in its various forms has existed
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Bodhisattva:
In the Buddhist context, bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व, bodhisattva; Tibetan: jang chub; Vietnamese: Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त, bodhisatta; Thai: โพธิสัตว์, phothisat; ) means "enlightened (bodhi) existence (sattva)" or 'enlightenment-being' in Sanskrit. Another tr
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Nāga:
Nāga (नाग, IAST: nāgá) is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very large snake, found in Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of the term nāga is often ambiguous, as the word may also refer, in similar c
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Indo-Greek Kingdom:
The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom ) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries BC, and was ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other.
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Padma (attribute):
Padma (nelumblum speciosum), the sacred lotus, is an aquatic plant that plays a central role in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The lotus and lotus flower is an ancient polyvalent symbol. The lotus flower is one of the Vajra
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Prajñā:
Prajñā (Sanskrit) or paññā (Pali) has been translated as "wisdom," "understanding," "discernment," "cognitive acuity," or "know-how." In some sects of Buddhism, it especially refers to the wisdom that is based on the direct realization of the Four No
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Vinaya:
The Vinaya (a word in Pāli as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning 'leading out', 'education', 'discipline') is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teach
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B. R. Ambedkar:
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 — December 6, 1956), also known as Babasaheb, was an Indian nationalist, jurist, Dalit political leader and a Buddhist revivalist. He is also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. Born into a poor Unto
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Samsara:
Samsara or saṃsāra (Sanskrit: संसार; Tibetan: khor wa; Mongolian: orchilong) refers to the cycle of reincarnation or rebirth in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other related religions. In modern Sanskrit-derived languages, it is primarily us
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Kōan:
A kōan (公案; Japanese: kōan, Chinese: gōng-àn, Korean: gong'an, Vietnamese: công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chán (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understand
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Lotus Sutra:
The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit: सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra; 妙法蓮華經 Mandarin: Miàofǎ Liánhuā Jīng; Japanese: Myōhō Renge Kyō; Korean: Myo beom nyeon hwa gyeong; Vietnamese: Diệu Pháp Liên
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Agama (text):
Agama (Sanskrit आगम; also Pali āgama) means "a traditional doctrine, or system which commands faith". Agama refers to sets of scriptures in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism that evolved from the Upanishads.
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Five Precepts:
The Five Precepts (Pali: pañca-sīla; Sanskrit: pañca-śīla) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. The Five Precepts are commitments to abstain from kil
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Dukkha:
Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख; Sanskrit दुःख duḥkha; according to grammatical tradition derived from dus-kha "uneasy", but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of dus-stha "unsteady, disquieted") is a central concept in Buddhism, the word
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Madhyamaka:
Madhyamaka (Also known as Śunyavada) is a Buddhist Mahayāna tradition popularized by Nāgārjuna and Aśvaghoṣa. The tradition and its subsidiaries are called "Madhyamaka"; those who follow it are called "Mādhyamikas." According to the Mādhyamikas, all
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Yogacara:
Yogācāra (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"; "one whose practice is yoga" ) is an influential school of Eastern philosophy and psychology emphasizing ontology and phenomenology through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices, that developed in In
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Skandha:
In Buddhist phenomenology and soteriology, the five skandhas (Sanskrit) or khandhas (Pāli) are five "aggregates" which categorize all individual experience, among which there is no "self" to be found. A frequently postulated metaphysical corollary is
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Four Noble Truths:
The Four Noble Truths (catvāri āryasatyāni; cattāri ariyasaccāni) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. In broad terms, these truths relate to suffering's nature, origin, cessation and the path leading to the cessation. They are among t
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Sutta Pitaka:
The Sutta Pitaka (suttapiṭaka; or Suttanta Pitaka; cf Sanskrit सूत्र पिटक Sutra Pitaka) is the second of the three divisions of the Tipitaka or Pali Canon, the great Pali collection of Buddhist writings, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. The Sutt
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Three Jewels:
The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. The Three Jewels are: * Buddha (The Enli
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Sarvastivada:
Sarvastivada is an early school of Buddhism that held to 'the existence of all dharmas in the past, present and future, the 'three times'. The Abhidharma Kosa-bhaṣya, a later text, states:
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Dhammapada:
The Dhammapada (Pāli; Prakrit: Dhamapada; Sanskrit Dharmapada; sometimes translated into English as Path of the Dharma) is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. It is one of the best-known texts from the Therava
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Nirvana Sutra:
Nirvana Sutra or Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (Chinese: Niepan Jing (涅槃經); Japanese: Nehankyō (涅槃経); Tibetan: myang 'das kyi mdo). ) is one of the major texts of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Note that this is one of two Buddhist texts having approximately the same ti
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Greco-Buddhist art:
Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 1000 years in Central Asia, between the conquests of Alexander the G
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Buddha-nature:
Buddha-nature (Classical Chinese: 佛性, modern pinyin fó xìng, literally corresponds to the Sanskrit, Buddha-dhatu - "Buddha Element", "Buddha-Principle", but seems to have been used most frequently to translate the Sanskrit Tathāgata-garbha, meaning
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Tathagatagarbha doctrine:
In Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism, the Tathāgatagarbha doctrine (often essentially the same as the Buddha nature concept) teaches that each sentient being contains the intrinsic, effulgent Buddhic element or indwelling potency for becoming a Buddha. "
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Pratītyasamutpāda:
The doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit; paticcasamuppāda; rten.cing.'brel.bar.'byung.ba; 緣起), often translated as "Dependent Arising," is an important part of Buddhist metaphysics. Common to all schools of Buddhism, it states that phenomena aris
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Parinirvana:
In Buddhism, parinirvana (Sanskrit: परिनिर्वाण parinirvāṇa; Pali: परिनिब्बाण parinibbāṇa; Chinese: 般涅槃, bō niè pán) is the final nirvana, usually understood to be within reach only upon the death of the body of someone who has attained complete awake
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Impermanence:
Impermanence (Sanskrit: अनित्य anitya; Pāli: अनिच्चा anicca; Tibetan: མི་རྟག་པ་ mi rtag pa; Chinese: 無常 wúcháng; Japanese: 無常 mujō; Thai: อนิจจัง anitchang) is one of the essential doctrines or Three marks of existence in Buddhism. The term express
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Vasubandhu:
Vasubandhu (fl. 4th c.) was, according to Mahayana Buddhist tradition, an Indian Buddhist scholar-monk, and along with his half-brother Asanga, one of the main founders of the Indian Yogācāra school. However, some scholars consider Vasubandhu to be t
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Heart Sutra:
The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra or Essence of Wisdom Sutra (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसूत्र Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya Sūtra; , Pinyin: Bōrĕbōluómìduō Xīnjīng; 摩訶般若波羅蜜多心経, Maka Hannyaharamita Shingyō; 반야심경, Banya Simgyeong, Bát Nhã Ba L
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Abhidhamma Pitaka:
The Abhidhamma Pitaka (abhidhammapiṭaka) is the last of the three pitakas, that is, baskets, constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism. It presents a more formal, abstract, systematic form of teaching than the others.
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Samanera:
In Buddhist context, a samanera (Pali, Sanskrit: śrāmaṇera) can be translated as novice monk. It literally means 'small samana', or small renunciate, where 'small' has the meaning of boy or girl. In the Vinaya (monastic discipline), a man under the a
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Patimokkha:
In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka. The rule
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Vinaya Pitaka:
The Vinaya Piṭaka is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns. The name Vinaya Piṭaka (vinayapiṭaka) is the same in Pāli, Sanskrit and other dialects
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Bodhicitta:
In Buddhism, bodhicitta (Ch. 菩提心, pudixin, Jp. bodaishin, Tibetan jang chub sem, Mongolian бодь сэтгэл) is the wish to attain complete enlightenment (that is, Buddhahood) in order to be of benefit to all sentient beings -- beings who are trapped in c
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Buddhism in the West:
Buddhism in the West broadly encompasses the knowledge and practice of Buddhism outside of Asia. Occasional intersections between Western civilization and the Buddhist world have been occurring for thousands of years, but it was not until the era of
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Pratyekabuddha:
A Pratyekabuddha (Sanskrit) or Paccekabuddha (Pāli), literally "a lone buddha" , "a buddha on their own" or "a private buddha", is one of three types of enlightened beings according to some schools of Buddhism. The other two types are the Śrāvakabudd
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Three marks of existence:
According to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena other than Nirvana, (sankhara) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals, that is anicca (impermanence), dukkha (suffering), and anatta (non-Self). According to t
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God in Buddhism:
Buddhism is usually considered a religion, but is also commonly described as a "spiritual philosophy", since it generally lacks an Absolute Creator God (who created the universe ex nihilo and to whom worship and adoration are due). With constant prac
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Friends of the Western Buddhist Order:
The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) is a Buddhist movement founded by Sangharakshita in 1967 in the UK in 1967, and which attempts to incorporate Western philosophy, psychotherapy, and art into its teachings. There are over 100 FWBO grou
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Kalama Sutta:
The Kalama Sutta (Sanskrit: Kalama Sutra) is a Buddhist sutta in the Anguttara Nikaya of the Tipitaka. It is often cited by Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists alike. Kalama sutta is also called Buddha's charter of free inquiry.http://www.thebuddhadharm
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Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit:
Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) is a modern linguistic category applied to a number of languages used in some of the Mahāyāna Buddhist sutras, such as the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Pali could also be considered a form of BHS. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskr
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Amitabha Sutra:
The Buddha's Discourse of the Amitabha Sutra, or Shorter Sukhavativyuha Sutra (阿彌陀經, zh: Ēmítuó jīng; jp: Amida kyō; vi: A di đà kinh), is a Mahayana Buddhist text associated with Pure Land Buddhism. It was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by th
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Reality in Buddhism:
Buddhism evolved a variety of doctrinal/philosophical traditions, each with its own ideas of reality. The following are still regularly studied in some branches of the Buddhist tradition: Theravada, Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Jojitsu, Madhyamika, Yoga
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Anagami:
In Buddhism, an anagami (Pali for "non-returning") is a partially-enlightened person who has cut off the first five chains that bind the ordinary mind. Anagami-ship is the third of the four stages of enlightenment. Anagamis are not reborn into the hu
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Vibhajjavada:
Vibhajjavāda is an umbrella classification for Buddhist denominations that promote analysis as a primary tool for developing 'insight' (Sanskrit: prajñā). This doctrine holds that the first step to insight is to be achieved by the aspirant's experien
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Buddhism and Hinduism:
Buddhism and Hinduism are two closely related religions that are in some ways parallel each other and in other ways are divergent in theory and practice. The Vedic, Buddhist, and Jain religions share a common regional culture situated near and around
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Religion in North Korea:
Traditionally, religion in North Korea primarily consists of Buddhism and Confucianism, and to a lesser extent, Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo. According to the CIA, since the rise of communism, free religious activities no longer exist as the
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Buddhism and Jainism:
Buddhism and Jainism are the two branches of the Shramana tradition that still exist today. Jainism has been largely confined to India, while Buddhism has largely flourished in countries outside of India. However the two traditions share remarkable s
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Buddhist holidays:
There are many holy days that people of the Buddhist community recognize. On these days Buddhists attend a local temple and offer food to the monks which will later be distributed to the poor. Buddhist New Year This day is celebrated for three days f
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Basic Points Unifying the Theravāda and the Mahāyāna:
The Basic Points Unifying the Theravāda and the Mahāyāna is an important Buddhist Ecumenical statement created in 1967 during the First Congress of the World Buddhist Sangha Council (WBSC), where its founder Secretary-General, the late Venerable Pan
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India:
India (Hindi: भारत ; see also other Indian languages), officially the Republic of India (Hindi: भारत गणराज्य ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most popul
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Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhalese: , இலங்கை; known as Ceylon before 1972) is an island nation in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India. It is home to around twenty million people. Beca
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Sanskrit:
Sanskrit (संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā , for short संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a classical language of Vāc, for short संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a classical language of [[India, a liturgical language of Hinduism and other Indian religions, and one of the 23 sched
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Cambodia:
The Kingdom of Cambodia ( , formerly known as Kampuchea (/kampuˈtɕiːə/), , transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 13 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Pe
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Bhutan:
The Kingdom of Bhutan ( ) is a landlocked nation in South Asia. It is located amid the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by Tibet/China. Bhutan is separated from Nepal by the I
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Southeast Asia:
South East Asia South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heav
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Meditation:
Meditation is a discipline of consciousness, beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind, in a state of relaxation. It often involves turning attention to a single point of reference. Meditation is recognized as a component of almost all religions, and
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Pali:
Pali (IAST: ) is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or prakrit of India. It is best known as the language of the earliest extant Buddhist canon, the Pāḷi Canon (Pāḷi: Tipitaka), and as the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism. Pāli has since been writ
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Nirvana:
Nirvana (निर्वाण; निब्बान, Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण) is a sramanic philosophical concept important in Buddhism and Jainism. It is a state of being free from both suffering and the cycle of rebirth. 'Nirvana' is a Sanskrit word that literally means "
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Bodhi:
Bodhi (बोधि) is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment." The word "buddha" means "one who has achieved bodhi." Bodhi is also frequently translated as "awakening." Although its most common usage by far
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Ashoka the Great:
Ashoka (Devanāgarī: अशोकः, IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(h ə ), Prakrit Imperial title: Devanampriya Priyadarsi (Devanāgarī: देवानांप्रिय प्रियदर्शी), "He who is the beloved of the Gods and who regards everyone amiably") and Dhamma (Devanāgarī: धम्मः), "Lawfu
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Sūtra:
Sūtra (Sanskrit, Devanagari सूत्र) or Sutta (Pāli), literally means a rope or thread that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. It is
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Asceticism:
Asceticism (Greek: askēsis) describes a life-style characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures (especially sexual activity and consumption of alcohol) often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals. Indian religi
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Major religious groups:
. Major Religion percentages - Christians: 33.32%, Muslims: 21.01%, Hindus: 13.26%, Buddhists: 5.84%...]] The world's principal religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups or world religions. According to
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Religion in China:
Religion in China has been characterized by pluralism since the beginning of Chinese history. Temples of many different religions dot China's landscape, particularly those of Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk religion. Mahayana Buddhism remains the
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Maurya Empire:
The Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), ruled by the Mauryan dynasty, was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military empire in ancient India. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains (modern Bihar and Bengal) i
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Nagarjuna:
Acharya Nāgārjuna (Telugu: నాగార్జున; Chinese: 龍樹; Tibetan: Klu Sgrub) (c. 150 - 250 CE) was an Indian philosopher, the founder of the Madhyamaka (Middle Path) school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and arguably the most influential Buddhist thinker after Gaut
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Karma in Buddhism:
Karma (Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means "action" or "doing"; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma. In Buddhism, the term karma is used specifically for those actions which spring from : * mental intent (Pali: cetana) * mental o
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Ananda:
Ānanda was one of many principal disciples and a devout attendant of the Buddha. Amongst the Buddha's many disciples Ānanda had the most retentive memory and most of the suttas in the Sutta Pitaka are attributed to his remembering of the Buddha's tea
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Nalanda:
Nālandā is the name of an ancient university in Bihar, India. The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 CE to 1197 CE partly under the Pala Empire.
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Ātman (Buddhism):
Ātman (Sanskrit: आत्मन्) or Atta (Pāli) literally means "self", but is sometimes translated as "soul" or "ego". The word derives from the Indo-European root *ēt-men (breath) and is cognate with Old English æthm and German atem In Buddhism, the mispla
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Nikāya:
Nikāya is a word of meaning 'collection,' 'assemblage,' 'class' or 'group' in both Pali and Sanskrit. It is most commonly used in English in reference to Buddhist texts but also refers to Theravada monastic divisions.
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Sacred fig:
The Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa) is a species of banyan fig native to Sri Lanka, Nepal and India, southwest China and Indochina east to Vietnam. It is known by a wide range of local names, such as Bo or pou (from the Sinhalese bo), Bodhi (in Thai Lan
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Dhyāna:
Dhyāna (from Sanskrit ध्यान dhyāna) or Jhāna in Pāli refers to a stage of meditation, which is a subset of samadhi. It is a key concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Equivalent terms are "Chán" in modern Chinese, "Zen" in Japanese, "Seon" in Ko
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Abhidharma:
Abhidharma (Sanskrit) or Abhidhamma (Pāli) is a category of Buddhist scriptures, and the ideas contained in and based on them, that attempts to use Buddhist teachings to create a systematic, abstract description of all phenomena. In the particular ca
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Anatta:
In Buddhist philosophy, anatta (Pāli) or anātman (Sanskrit) refers to the notion of "non-self" or "absence of separate self". One scholar describes it as "meaning non-selfhood, the absence of limiting self-identity in people and things." Its opposite
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Mendicant:
The term mendicant (Latin mendicans, begging) refers to begging or relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religious followers or ascetics who rely exclusively on charity to survive. In principle, mendicant orders or followers do
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Lumbini:
Lumbini (Sanskrit: लुम्बिनी, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Kapilavastu district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who in turn, as the Buddha
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Jnana:
Top Jñāna (also spelled Gñāna; Devanagari ज्ञान) is the Sanskrit term for knowledge or philosophy. In Buddhism, it refers to pure awareness that is free of conceptual encumbrances, and is contrasted with vijnana, which is a moment of 'divided knowing
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Perfection of Wisdom:
"Perfection of Wisdom" is a translation of the Sanskrit term prajñā pāramitā (Devanagari: प्रज्ञा पारमिता, Tibetan: Shes-rab-pha-rol-phyin ་ཤེས་རབ་ཕ་རོལ་, Chinese: 般若波羅蜜多/般若波罗蜜多, Pinyin: bō'ruò-bōluómìduō, Japanese: hannya-haramitta Korean: banya-par
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Edicts of Ashoka:
The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 272 to 231 BC. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout
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Kushinagar:
Kushinagar or Kusinagar (26.45 N,83.24E)is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kushinagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Gautama Buddha died.
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Chakravartin:
A Chakravartin ( चक्रवर्तिन् cakra-vartin, a Sanskrit bahuvrihi, literally "whose wheels are moving", in the sense of "whose chariot is rolling everywhere without obstruction"; Pali cakkavatti, also interpreted as "for whom the Wheel of Dharma is tur
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Dalit Buddhist movement:
The Dalit Buddhist movement (Pāli नवयान navayāna as dubbed by certain Ambedkerites) Omvedt, Gail. Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste. 3rd ed. London/New Delhi/Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003. pages: 2, 3-7, 8, 14-15, 19, 240, 266, 271 in
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Amaravati:
Amaravati may refer to: * Amaravati (mythology), in Hinduism, (అమరావతి) is the capital of Svarga, a temporary paradise where the dead live. It is ruled by Indra and located on Mt. Meru. * Amaravathi Reservoir on the edge of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sa
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Pre-sectarian Buddhism:
The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used by some scholars to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. Other terms that have been used to refer to this first period of Buddhism are: the earliest Buddhi
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Buddhism and Christianity:
The possibility of a reciprocal but long lost relationship between what became known as Buddhism and Christianity exercised a small number of both scholars and popularisers in post-Enlightenment Europe, even before archaeological finds in the late 19
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The Golden Fish:
The Golden Fish may refer to: *Histoire d'un poisson rouge (1959), aka The Golden Fish (film) (IMDB) *Le Poisson d'or (1867), ballet in 4 acts by Arthur Saint-Léon *The Golden Fish (1925), a painting by Paul Klee *The Golden Fish from The Gold-Childr
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Buddhism and science:
Buddhism and science are generally considered to be compatible with each other, especially compared to the conflict between science and the Abrahamic religions. Buddhism itself, being generally neutral on the subject of the supernatural, is open to s
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