Glossary

A

(The character 阿 阿 is here Romanized as "ē," following modern standardized pronunciation.)

Ānbā 安巴 安巴

name of a village

Ān-móluó 庵摩罗 菴摩羅

name of a singing girl

Ān-móluó shùyuán 庵摩罗术园 菴摩羅術園

name of a grove

B

bā jìng fǎ 八敬法 八敬法

eight commands issued specifically for female followers.

Bátí 拔提 拔提 or Mónábátí 摩男拔提 摩男拔提

Bhadrika, Bhaddiya

prince at the court of King Jìngfàn

Bāzhà 巴咤 巴吒

name of a village

bìbōluó 毕波罗 畢波羅

a kind of tree

bǐqiū 比丘 比丘

bhikshu

mendicant scholars; disciples of the Buddha

Bōgē-suǒ 钵哥索 鉢哥索

a fellow-student of Xīdá-duō

Bōluó-nài 波罗奈 波羅奈

name of a town (and kingdom) where Vārānasi (Benares) now stands

Bōpó Tǎ 波婆塔 波婆塔

name of a pagoda (tǎ)

C

chándìng 禅定 禪定

dhyāna

meditation

Chēnì 车匿 車匿

Chandaka or Channa, Xīdá-duō's driver

chūjiā 出家 出家

pravraj

to leave one's family and become a mendicant; the less common full phrase is chūjiā rùdào 出家入道 出家入道 ; to leave home and enter the Way. A common translation is "renounce the family." Buddhism does not condemn families, but families are believed often to be distracting from religious advancement.

chūjiārén 出家人 出家人

a person who has left home to become a wandering mendicant; or to become a Buddhist monk or nun. (Occasionally the term is used for leaving home only metaphorically.)

Chúntuó 淳陀 淳陀

the son of a goldsmith

cíbēi 慈悲 慈悲

compassion, pity; merciful.

D

Dá'ē-nòumǎ 达阿耨玛 達阿耨瑪

name of a river

Dáhù-qié 达护伽 達護伽

name of a town

dàjué 大觉 大覺

mayabodhi

the supreme bodhi or Great Enlightenment

Dàlín Jīngshè 大林精舍 大林精舍

Great Forest Hermitage or Venuvana monastery

Dàlín Jīngshè 大林精舍 大林精舍

Hermitage of the Great Wood

Dápú-shā 达菩沙 達菩沙

Trapusa

an early follower

dìzǐ 弟子 弟子

follower, disciple

E

Ēlā-chūn 阿拉春 阿拉春

a prince at the court of King Jìngfàn

Ē-luóbì-kēpān 阿罗毕疴潘 阿羅畢疴潘

A mango grove to which Xīdá-duō went after leaving his live as a prince.

an early disciple.

ē-luóhàn 阿罗汉 阿羅漢

See luóhàn.

Ēluó-lán 阿罗蓝 阿羅藍

Ārada Kālāma

a famous religious teacher

Ēmítuó-fó 阿弥陀佛 阿彌陀佛

Amitābha buddha

the Amida or Amitabha buddha

Ēnán 阿难 阿難 or Ēnántuó 阿难陀 阿難陀

Ānanda

prince at the court of King Jìngfàn and cousin of the Buddha. He became the Buddha's most intimate disciple. He was famed for his memory, and is sometimes called Duōwén 多闻 多聞 or "Heard Much" because he remembered teachings and compiled scriptures after the death of the Buddha. He was a central figure in the first Buddhist council and the establishment of a canon.

Ēnán-dàdé 阿难大德 阿難大德

See Ēnán.

Ēnán-tuó 阿难陀 阿難陀

See Ēnán.

Ēnuó-lǜ 阿那律 阿那律

a prince at the court of King Jìngfàn

Ēnuò-píyé 阿诺毘耶 阿諾毘耶

name of a village

Ēruò Jiāo-chénrú 阿若憍陈如 阿若憍陳如

Ājñāta-kāundinya

See Jiāo-chénrú.

Ēshé-shì 阿阇世 阿闍世

Ajātaśatru

the son of King Pínpó-suōluó and friend of Típó-dáduō

Ēshuō-shì 阿说示 阿說示

Assaj, Aśvajit

a servant of King Jìngfàn

Ēsī-tuó 阿私陀 阿私陀

name of a sage

F

fǎ 法 法

dharma

"law" and by extension Buddhist doctrine

fó 佛 佛

buddha

fófǎ 佛法 佛法

buddhadharma

doctrines of the buddhas. The term fǎ means law, but in a Buddhist context the intended meaning is the principles underlying cosmic principles like karma and reincarnation, so the translation "law," like fǎ itself, while traditional, is misleading.

fótuó 佛陀 佛陀

buddha

G

gòngyàng 供养 供養

act of merit; to offer sustenance to a mendicant

H

Hātí 哈提 哈提

name of a village

hóngfǎ 弘法 弘法

spreading the doctrine

J

jèngjué 正觉 正覺

perfect awareness

Jiā-bǐlā 迦比拉 迦比拉

a prince at the court of King Jìngfàn

Jiāliú-tuóyí 迦留陀夷 迦留陀夷

Kālodāyin

name of a one-time playmate (or teacher) of Xīdá-duō

Jiānzhì 犍陟 犍陟

Kanthaka or Kantakanam, name of Xīdá-duō's horse, also known as Mǎwáng 马王 馬王 , King of Horses

Jiāo-chénrú 憍陈如 憍陳如 or Qiáo-chénrú 乔陈如 喬陳如

Kondanna, Ājñāta-Kaundinya

Jiāpí-luó 迦毘罗 迦毘羅 or Jiébǐluó 劫比罗 劫比羅

Kapilavastu or Kapilavatthu (possibly Tiraulakot in modern Nepal)

Jiāqū-cuǒ 迦屈瑳 迦屈瑳

name of a river

Jiāyè 迦叶 迦葉

surname of three brothers

jiè 戒 戒

precaution, regulation, prohibition (often translated "precept" in English, which carries less sense of prohibition)

Jiéfǎ-wàidào 结发外道 結髮外道

name of a hamlet

Jǐgūdú-zhǎngzhě 给孤独长者 給孤獨長者

name of a supporter

Jìngfǎ Jié 敬法节 敬法節

the "Festival of Reverencing the Law."

Jìngfàn 净饭 淨飯 Dronodana rāja (same as 斛饭王 斛飯王?)

father of the Buddha

jīngshè 精舍 精舍

hermitage, religious cottage or retreat

jīngxíng 经行 經行

scripture walking, i.e., walking during meditation or religious contemplation, as around a meditation hall

jìsòng 偈诵 偈誦

to recite, chant

jué 觉 覺

bodhi

understanding, awakening.

juéwù 觉悟 覺悟

awakening, consciousness, awareness

Jūlǜ-tuó 拘律陀 拘律陀

name of a seeker

jūshì 居士 居士

home-dwelling follower

Jūshī-nuó 拘尸那 拘尸那

Kuśinagara

name of a city (Kasiah, northwest of Patna), where the Buddha died.

K

Kāiyuán Chánsì 开元禅寺 開元禪寺

a monastery in Táinán, where Jordan lived in 1976

Kǔxíng Lín 苦行林 苦行林

Uruvilva Kāśyapa

Forest of Mortification

L

Lán-píní 蓝毘尼 藍毘尼 or Lán-píní 岚毘尼 嵐毘尼

Lumbini or Lumbinī

name of the park where the Buddha was born

lòujìn zhì 漏尽智 漏盡智

āsravaksaya-jñāna

consciousness of detachment

luóhàn 罗汉 羅漢

arhan, arhat

generic name for early disciples. Various numbers or sets of luóhàn are honored in temples, most commonly a set of 18. Some figures regarded as luóhàn in southern Buddhism are regarded as púsà in Mahayana.

Luó-hóuluó 罗睺罗 羅睺羅

Rahulo, Rāhula

name of Xīdá-duō's son. The name means "obstacle" or "eclipse," but is sometimes interpreted in Chinese as meaning "circle," referring to the circle of commitments that prevent concentration on salvation.

Lùyě yuàn 鹿野怨 鹿野怨

Uruvela, Mrgadāva

place name

M

Mǎwáng 马王 馬王 , see Jiānzhì.

Mílè-fó 弥勒佛 彌勒佛

Maitreya

the buddha of the future

Móhē-bōshé-bōtí 摩诃波阇波提 摩訶波闍波提

Mahā-prajāpati (also

Dà'àidào 大爱道 大愛道 )

name of Xīdá-duō's aunt

Móhē-nán 摩诃男 摩訶男

Mahā-nama (same as Mónán-jùlì 摩男俱力 摩男俱力 or mónán-jūlì 摩男拘利 摩男拘利, Mahānāma-Kulika)

an early disciple

Mójiē-tuó 摩揭陀 摩揭陀

Māgadha, the kingdom in which the Buddha was born, regarded as the heartland of Buddhism

Mòluó 末罗 末羅

name of a clan

Móyé 摩耶 摩耶

Mahāmāyā, Māyā, or Mātrkā , mother of Xīdá-duō

Mùguā Lín 木瓜林 木瓜林

Uruvilva

a papaya grove

Mùjiān-lián 目犍连 目犍連

Mahāmaudgalyāyana

religious name of Jūlǜ-tuó 拘律陀 拘律陀, a disciple and assistant of Xīdá-duō

N

Nántuó 难陀 難陀

younger second cousin of Xīdá-duō

niànsòng 念诵 唸誦

recite, chant

nièpán 涅槃 涅槃

nirvāna

nirvana, a state of escape from the cycle of reincarnation; complete extinction of individual existence (regarded as desirable because existence entails suffering)

Níliánchán 尼连禅 尼連禪

name of a river

Nuódí 那笛 那笛

name of a river

Nuólā-jílǐ 那拉吉里 那拉吉裏

name of an elephant

P

Pēntuó-wā 奔陀洼 奔陀窪

place name

Pínpó-suōluó 频婆娑罗 頻婆娑羅

Bimbisāra or Bimbasāra

a king

póluó-mén 婆罗门 婆羅門

Brāhman

Brahman (highest caste in ancient India, from which priests were drawn); polite term for a religious teacher

Pōluótí mùchā jiàojiè 波罗提木叉教诫 波羅提木叉教誡

text of the precepts taught at the Jìngfǎ Jié

Póshā-bō 婆沙波 婆沙波 or Shílìjiāyè 十力迦叶 十力迦葉

Vappa or Daśabala-Kāśyapa

an early follower

Pósuō 婆娑 婆娑

a prince at the court of King Jìngfàn

Púlì-jiā 菩利迦 菩利迦

Bhallika

an early follower

púsà 菩萨 菩薩

bodhisattva

a person who has qualified for nirvana but holds back in order to share his or her merit with suffering humanity to help others on the way to nirvana. (Short for pútí-sàduǒ 菩提萨埵 菩提薩埵, which is rarely used.)

pútí 菩提 菩提

bodhi

knowledge, truth, wisdom. The pútí tree is a kind of fig.

Q

Qiáo-chénrú 乔陈如 喬陳如

See Jiāo-chénrú.

Qiáo-dámó 乔答摩 喬答摩

Shuddhodana (surname)

Qípó 耆婆 耆婆

name of a doctor

Qíshé-kū 耆阇窟 耆闍窟

place name

Qíyuán jīngshè 祇园精舍 祇園精舍

Earthgod Garden Hermitage (at the town of Shèwèi 舍卫 舍衛 )

Qūtán 瞿昙 瞿曇 or Qiáo-dámó 喬答摩 喬答摩

Gautama (surname)

R

Rándēng-fó 燃灯佛 燃燈佛

the "Lamplighter Buddha" who preceded Shìjiā-móuní.

Rénbù 仁布 仁布

name of a village

Rúlái 如来 如來

title taken by the Buddha. It literally means "thus come."

S

sānbǎo 三宝 三寶 (1)

triratna, or ratnatraya

three treasures (fó, fǎ, sēng)

sānbǎo 三宝 三寶(2)

Three statues in the main hall of some temples: The particular combination varies, but is usually Sìjiāfó in the middle, with Yàoshī on his left hand and Ēmítuó on his right.

sēng 僧 僧

sangha

Buddhist priest or priesthood

shāmén 沙门 沙門

śramaṇa

any kind of ascetic (also used for shamans); a dàshāmén 大沙门 大沙門 (mahāśramaņa) or "great shāmén," is an honorific title for the Buddha or for high-ranking Buddhists.

shāmí 沙弥 沙彌

disciple in the new Buddhist movement, a category of follower slightly below a bǐqiū.

Shànjué 善觉 善覺 or Shànjué-zhǎngzhě 善觉长者 善覺長者

Suprabuddha

Shànshēng 善生 善生

Sujāta

name of a person

Shān-shéyé 删阇耶 刪闍耶

name of a religious teacher

Shè-lìfú 舍利弗 舍利弗

Śāriputra

religious name of Yōubō-shìshā 优波室沙 優波室沙, a disciple and assistant

shēng-lǎo-bìng-sǐ 生老病死 生老病死

birth, old age, sickness, and death

shèngrén 圣人 聖人

saintly person

Shèwèi 舍卫 舍衛

name of a town

Shìjiā 释迦 釋迦

Shakya or Śākya

Shìjiā-fó 释迦佛 釋迦佛

Śākyamuni buddha

Shìjiā-móuní 释迦牟尼 釋迦牟尼

Śākyamuni

Shìzūn 世尊 世尊

lokajyestha, lokanātha, bhagavan, bhagavat

"Lord of the World," a title of the Buddha

sì 寺 寺

monastery

Sūdìyé 苏谛耶 蘇諦耶

name of a person

sùmìng zhì 宿命智 宿命智

pūrvanivāsānusmṛti-(jñāna)

consciousness of fate

suōluó 娑罗 娑羅

a kind of tree

Sūyé-dánǚ 苏耶妲女 蘇耶妲女

name of a maiden who nursed the Buddha back to health

T

Táinán 台南 臺南

a city in Táiwān

Táiwān 台湾 臺灣

a province of China

tàizǐ 太子 太子

prince

Tiānbì 天臂 天臂

See Tiānbì-chéng.

Tiānbì-chéng 天臂城 天臂城

Devadarsita or Devadista

tiānyǎn zhì 天眼智 天眼智

divyacaksus

consciousness of universal insight

Tiānzūn 天尊 天尊

"Celestial Lord," a title of the Buddha (also by Daoists to refer to their divinities as counterparts of the Buddhist term Shìzūn.)

Típó-dáduō 提婆达多 提婆達多

Devadatta

a prince at the court of King Jìngfàn and cousin and rival of the Buddha.

tuōbō 托钵 托鉢

a begging bowl; to beg with a bowl

W

wàidào 外道 外道

heretic, wild non-conformist

wánggēng jié 王耕节 王耕節

plowing festival

Wángshè 王舍城 王舍城

Rājagrha name of a town

wǔ'è 五恶 五惡

See wǔjiè.

wǔjiè 五戒 五戒

pañca-veramanī

five prohibitions binding on the laity as well as on clerics (namely against killing, stealing, adultery, lying, and intoxication, or in Chinese bù shāshēng; bù tōudào; bù xiéyín; bù wàngyǔ; bùyǐnjiǔ 不杀生; 不偷盗; 不邪淫; 不妄语; 不飮酒 不殺生; 不偸盜; 不邪婬; 不妄語; 不飮酒 ) Also called the five sins (wǔ'è 五恶 五惡 ).

wúsuǒyǒu chùdìng 无所有处定 無所有處定

knowledge of things of this world and other worlds; contemplation of nothingness, producing serenity

Wúwǒxiàng jīng 无我相经 無我相經

"Scripture of Non-Self"

X

xiānrén 仙人 仙人

rici

holy men (technically earth-dwelling immortals), generic term for a holy man or sage, carrying an implication of magic

Xīdá-duō 悉达多 悉達多

Siddhartha, Siddhārtha, Sarvāthasiddha

Xīlián-chán 熙连禅 熙連禪

name of a river

Xī-nuóní 西那尼 西那尼

place name

xiūdào 修道 修道

to practice religious austerities

xiūdàozhě 修道者 修道者

ascetics, wandering monks

xiūfànxíng 修梵行 修梵行

the way to avoid suffering and/or gain religious merit by leading an ascetic life

Xūbá-tuóluó 须跋陀罗 須跋陀羅

the Buddha's last convert

Y

yánfú 严浮 嚴浮

a kind of tree

Yàoshī-fó 药师佛 藥師佛

Bhaisajyaguru , Bhaisajya buddha

the buddha of medicine

Yéshè 耶舍 耶舍

name of a person, a disciple of Ēnán.

Yéshū-tuóluó 耶输陀罗 耶輸陀羅

Yashodhara,Yaśodharā

wife of Xīdá-duō

yīnguǒ 因果 因果

cause and effect

Yōubō-shìshā 优波室沙 優波室沙

name of a seeker

Yōulóu-pínluó 优楼频螺 優樓頻螺

place name

Yùtuó-luójiā 郁陀罗迦 郁陀羅迦

Udraka Ramaputra, name of a sage

Z

Zhānbù-zhōu 瞻部洲 瞻部洲

ancient name of India

zhāntán'ěr 旃檀耳 旃檀耳

"sandalwood ear," a fruit or fungus of the sandalwood tree.

zhèngjué 正觉 正覺

sambodhi

perfect awareness, the wisdom or omniscience of a buddha. Here translated "great awakening."

zhēnlǐ 真理 真理

true Principle, true way

Zhuǎn fǎlún jīng 转法轮经 轉法輪經

Dharmatchakra-pravartana sūtra

Scripture of the Turning of the Wheel of the Law

Zhuǎnlún shèngwáng 转轮圣王 轉輪聖王

title of an ancient king

Zhúlín 竹林 竹林

"Bamboo Grove," name of a village

Zhúlín Jīngshè 竹林精舍 竹林精舍

Bamboo Forest Retreat, the first monastery

Chinese Buddha, Wood, 1700s