Pali Buddhist

Buddhism: History of the Buddhist schools

Three months after the passing of Gautama Buddha, The First Council was held at Rajagaha by his immediate disciples who had attained Arahantship (Enlightenment). Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council. Only two sections the Dhamma and the Vinaya were recited at the First Council. All Arahants unanimously agree that no disciplinary rule laid down by the Buddha should be changed, and no new ones should be introduced. At this point, no conflict about what the Buddha taught is known to have occurred, so the teachings were divided into various parts and each was assigned to an elder and his pupils to commit to memory. These groups of people often cross-checked with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made.

Read more here: » Buddhism: History of the Buddhist schools

Buddhism after the Buddha

Buddhism spread slowly in India until the powerful Mauryan emperor Asoka converted to it and actively supported it. His promotion led to construction of Buddhist religious sites and missionary efforts that spread the faith into the countries listed at the beginning of the article.

Read more here: » Buddhism: Buddhism after the Buddha

Buddhism is a philosophy and/or religion based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit; in Pali, Siddhattha Gotama), who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, as well as the East Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan.

Read more here: » Buddhism: Introduction to Buddhism

Are desires the root of suffering?
Will I become happy without desires?

Kalki, or Sri Kalki Bhagavan, the founder of Golden Age Foundation, is considered to be the Kalki Avatar capable of bringing enlightenment and to introduce the Golden Age. Here he is commenting on Desires.

Read more here: » Kalki about Desires

samyojana, sanyojana (sa"myojana): Fetter that binds the mind to the cycle of rebirth (see vatta) - self-identification views (sakkaya-ditthi), uncertainty (vicikiccha), grasping at precepts and practices (silabbata-paramasa); sensual passion (kama-raga), resistance (vyapada); passion for form (rupa-raga), passion for formless phenomena (arupa-raga), conceit (mana), restlessness (uddhacca), and unawareness (avijja).

Compare anusaya.

 (See also: Samyojana, sanyojana , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

adhitthana (adhi.t.thaana): Determination; resolution. One of the ten perfections (paramis).

 (See also: Adhitthana , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

anupadisesa-nibbana (anupaadisesa-nibbaana): Nibbana with no fuel remaining (the analogy is to an extinguished fire whose embers are cold) - the nibbana of the arahant after his passing away. See:. sa-upadisesa-nibbana.

 (See also: Anupadisesa-nibbana , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

anagami (anaagaamii): Nonreturner. A person who has abandoned the five lower fetters that bind the mind to the cycle of rebirth (see samyojana), and who after death will appear in one of the Brahma worlds called the Pure Abodes, there to attain nibbana, never again to return to this world.

 (See also: Anagami , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

anicca (anicca): Inconstant; unsteady; impermanent.

 (See also: Anicca , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

The New Age movement is hardly novel! Its philosophy is rooted in ancient traditions, often based on mystical experiences, each within a different context.

Part II of II, written by Michael Rogge

Read more here: » The roots of the New Age Movement Ð Part II

akusala (akusala): Unwholesome, unskillful, demeritorious. See its opposite, kusala.

 (See also: Akusala , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

paticca-samuppada (pa.ticca-samuppaada): Dependent co-arising; dependent origination.

A map showing the way the aggregates (khandha) and sense media (ayatana) interact with ignorance (avijja) and craving (tanha) to bring about stress and suffering (dukkha).

As the interactions are complex, there are several different versions of paticca samuppada given in the suttas. In the most common one, the map starts with ignorance. In another common one, the map starts with the interrelation between name (nama) and form (rupa) on the one hand, and sensory consciousness (vinnana) on the other.

 (See also: Paticca-samuppada , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

The Noble Eightfold Path

In order to fully understand the noble truths and investigate whether they were in fact true, Buddha recommended that a certain lifestyle or path be followed which consists of:

1.   Right Understanding

2.   Right Thought

3.   Right Speech

4.   Right Action

5.   Right Livelihood

6.   Right Effort

7.   Right Mindfulness

8.   Right Concentration

Read more here: » Buddhism Beliefs:: The Noble Eightfold Path

sukha (sukha): Pleasure; ease; satisfaction. In meditation, a mental quality that reaches full maturity upon the development of the third level of jhana.

 (See also: Sukha , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

Vesak, Vesakha, Visakha, Wesak, etc. (visaakha): The ancient name for the Indian lunar month in spring corresponding to our April-May. According to tradition, the Buddha's birth, Awakening, and Parinibbana each took place on the full-moon night in the month of Visakha. These events are commemorated on that day in the Visakha festival, which is celebrated annually throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism.

 (See also: Vesak , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

sangha (sangha): On the conventional (sammati) level, this term denotes the communities of Buddhist monks and nuns; on the ideal (ariya) level, it denotes those followers of the Buddha, lay or ordained, who have attained at least stream-entry (see sotapanna), the first of the transcendent paths (see magga) culminating in nibbana. Recently, particularly in the West, the term "sangha" has been popularly adapted to mean the wider sense of "community of followers on the Buddhist path," although this usage finds no basis in the Pali Canon. The term "parisa" may be more appropriate for this much broader meaning.

 (See also: Sangha , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

sacca (sacca): Truthfulness. One of the ten perfections (paramis).

 (See also: Sacca , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

samana (sama.na): Contemplative. Literally, a person who abandons the conventional obligations of social life in order to find a way of life more "in tune" (sama) with the ways of nature.

 (See also: Samana , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

Sakyamuni (saakyamuni): "Sage of the Sakyans"; an epithet for the Buddha.

 (See also: Sakyamuni , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

Theravada Lit., the School of the Elders; one of the two main forms of Buddhism known in the world today; practiced chiefly in south-east Asia; has the Pali Canon for textual foundation; this tradition advocates the Arahantship.

 (See also: Theravada , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Pali Buddhist Dictionary

Buddha: What is a Buddha?

Buddha is a word in the ancient Indian languages Pali and Sanskrit which means "one who has become awake". It is derived from the verbal root "Ãbudh", meaning "to awaken or be enlightened."

Read more here: » Buddha: What is a Buddha?