Tathāgata (Sanskrit; Pali "The one thus-come" or "The one thus-gone"; Chinese: 如來; Pinyin: Rú lái; Japanese: nyorai; Korean: yeo-rae) This is traditionally interpreted as "one who comes and goes in the same way (as the previous Buddhas)". Tathāgata is the name which the historical Buddha Sakyamuni (Siddhattha Gotama) used when referring to himself as recorded in the tipitaka of the Pali Canon. It highlights the unique (and ambiguous) ontological status of a fully enlightened being since such a one is beyond the categories of existence and ...

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Tathagata

Usually translated as "Thus Come One." He who came as did all Buddhas, who took the absolute way of cause and effect, and attained to perfect wisdom; one of the highest titles of a Buddha (Charles Luk).

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

Tathagata: Literally, "thus gone," an honorary title used by Buddha in reference to himself, perhaps indicating that he has "gone before" others on the path of enlightenment.

 (See also: Tathagata, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Buddhism is not centred on a god, rather, it is a system of philosophy and a code of morality. Moreover, the achievement of enlightenment is the goal of every being, so eventually, we will all reach Buddhahood. This article gives a great insight to the characteristics of buddhism.

Read more here: » Buddhism: A Unique Spiritual Journey

Buddha (Sanskrit, Pali, others: literally Awakened One, from the root: √budh, "to awaken") is a title used in Buddhism for anyone who has discovered their enlightenment (bodhi), although it is commonly used to refer to Siddhartha Gautama, the historical founder of Buddhism, who was born in Lumbini--a place situated in modern Nepal. Generally, Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama—who lived in ancient India from about 623 BC to 543 BC, and attained bodhi around 588 BC—to have been ...

Including:

• Buddha - Eternal Buddha
• Buddha - Names of the Buddhas
• Buddha - Sources

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Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher who was born in Lumbini, a place situated in modern Nepal. He spent most of his time in Northern India, approximately 563 BCE to 483 BCE, preaching his knowledge. Born as Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit: "descendant of Gautama whose aims are achieved / who achieves aims effectively") he became "the Buddha" after embarking on a quest for spiritual meaning. He is universally recognised by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (literally Enlightened One or Awakened One) of our age. He is also commonly known as Shakyamuni or Śakyamuni ("sage of the Shakya ...

Including:

• Gautama Buddha - Buddha's life
• Gautama Buddha - Marriage
• Gautama Buddha - The Great Departure
• Gautama Buddha - Enlightenment
• Gautama Buddha - The Great Passing
• Gautama Buddha - Personality and character
• Gautama Buddha - Physical characteristics
• Gautama Buddha - Teachings
• Gautama Buddha - The Buddha in other religions
• Gautama Buddha - Hinduism
• Gautama Buddha - Islam
• Gautama Buddha - Christianity

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Pilgrims visit Bodh Gaya on Vaishakha Purnima day as it marks the three major events in the Buddha's life: His birth, enlightenment and passing away.

Buddha Purnima assumes great importance especially when the world faces challenges of violence and terrorism in various forms. Buddha said that just as fire cannot extinguish fire, war cannot solve disputes. Enmity cannot overcome enmity; it can be overcome only with love. Disputes can be settled through dialogue and negotiation, not by war..

(See also: Vaishakha Purnima day, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Buddha-nature (originally in Sanskrit, "Buddha-dhatu" - "Buddha Element", "Buddha-Principle") is a doctrine important for many schools of Mahayana Buddhism. The Buddha-nature ("Buddha-dhatu") is taught to be a truly real eternal potential or principle, present in all sentient beings, for awakening and becoming Enlightened. The Buddha-nature doctrine relates to the possession by sentient beings of the innate buddha-mind or buddha-element ("Buddha-dhatu"), which is, prior to the full attainment of buddhahood, not fully actualized, or at ...

Including:

• Buddha-nature - Development of Buddha-nature
• Buddha-nature - Buddha-nature vs. atman

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Bodhi (Pāli and Sanskrit. Lit. awakening) is a title given in Buddhism to the specific awakening experience attained by the Indian spiritual teacher Gautama Buddha and his disciples. It is sometimes described as complete and perfect sanity, or awareness of the true nature of the universe. After attainment, it is believed one is freed from the cycle of Samsāra: birth, suffering, death and rebirth. Bodhi is most commonly translated into English as enlightenment, though this translation is problematic, since enlightenment ...

Including:

• Bodhi - Modes of Enlightenment
• Bodhi - Pacceka-Bodhi Pratyeka
• Bodhi - Sammā-Sambodhi supreme Buddha
• Bodhi - Quotes

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There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

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The Tathagatagarbha doctrine (tathāgatagarbha) teaches that each sentient being contains the effulgent Buddhic element or potential to become a Buddha. "Tathagata-garbha" means "Buddha Womb/ Buddha Matrix" or "Buddha Embryo", and this notion is explicated by the Buddha in the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra" as the "True Self" within all sentient beings - the unconditioned, boundless, nurturing, sustaining, deathless and diamond-like Self of Buddha, which is indiscernible to worldly, unawakened vision as a result of the masses of neg ...

Including:

• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Tathagatagarbha in Zen
• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Buddha-bots
• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Texts

Read more here: » Tathagatagarbha doctrine: Encyclopedia - Tathagatagarbha doctrine

Shingon (真言) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and one of two major sub-schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, the other being Tibetan Buddhism. The word Shingon is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese term Zhen Yan meaning "True Word", which itself is a representation of the Sanskrit word for mantra. Shingon arose in Japan's Heian period (794-1185) when the monk Kukai went to China in 804 where he studied the tantra and returned armed with many texts and art works, and developed his own synthesis of esoteric practi ...

Including:

• Shingon Buddhism - Teachings
• Shingon Buddhism - Mahavairocana Tathagata
• Shingon Buddhism - Features
• Shingon Buddhism - Branches of Shingon

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The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures or Triple Gem (Sanskrit: Triratna, also Ratna-traya, Pali: Tiratna, Chinese: 三宝, Sānbǎo, Japanese: Sambō or Sampō) are the three central concepts in Buddhism. The Buddha (ChN: 佛, Fó, Jpn: Butsu) is the Awakened One. see also The Tathagata and Sakyamuni Buddha. The Dharma (Chn: 法, Fǎ, Jpn: Hō) is the teachings or law as expounded by the Bu ...

Including:

• Three Jewels - Religious meaning
• Three Jewels - Triratna symbol
• Three Jewels - Footnotes

Read more here: » Three Jewels: Encyclopedia - Three Jewels

Amitābha or Amida (阿彌陀佛 Ch. Āmítuó fó (=Amida Buddha), 阿弥陀佛 Kr. Amita Bul (Amida Buddha), 阿弥陀如来 Jp. Amida Nyorai (=Amida Tathagata), the Buddha of Limitless Light (無量光佛), also Amitāyus, the Buddha of Limitless Life (無量壽佛), is the primary Buddha of the Pure Land school of Buddhism which developed and spread in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan and has grown to become the largest sect in Buddhism. Amitābha is believed to be a Buddha who possesses infinite ...

Including:

• Amitabha - Doctrine
• Amitabha - Iconography
• Amitabha - Mantras
• Amitabha - Origins

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Brahmaviharā (Pali and Sanskrit) can be translated as Sublime Attitudes or Abodes of God. They form a sequence of Buddhism meditations recommended in the Pali Brahmavihara Sutta and the Sanskrit Brahmavihara Sutra. Metta/Maitri: lovingkindness towards all; the hope that a person will be well Karuna: compassion; the hope that a person's sufferings will diminish Mudita: altruistic joy in the accomplishments of a person, oneself or other Upekkha/Upeksha: equanimity, or learning to accept both loss and gain, praise and blame, success and failure with det ...

Including:

• Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in Early Buddhism
• Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
• Brahmavihara - Literature

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A Pratyeka Buddha (Sanskrit pratyekabuddha; Pali pacceka-buddha) is one of three types of enlightened beings according to some schools of Buddhism (the others being the śrāvakas and Samyaksam-Buddhas). They are said to achieve enlightenment on their own, without the use of teachers or guides, by contemplating the principle of dependent arising. They are said to arise only in ages where the Buddhist teachings, or dhamma, are lost, and many may arise at a single time. Unlike Supreme Buddhas (se ...

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Buddhism is generally regarded as a non-theistic religion. Although it does teach the existence of “gods” (devas), these are merely heavenly beings who temporarily dwell in celestial worlds of great happiness. Such beings, however, are not eternal in that incarnational form and are subject to death and eventual rebirth into lower realms of existence. However, a distinction needs to be drawn between the seemingly non-deistic and non-theistic teachings of the Buddha in the Pāli Canon and the “agamas”, and the mystically-hued id ...

Including:

• God in Buddhism - The God Idea in Early Buddhism
• God in Buddhism - Mahayana and Tantric Mystical Doctrines
• God in Buddhism - Literature

Read more here: » God in Buddhism: Encyclopedia - God in Buddhism

Nirvana Sutra or Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (Chinese: Niepan Jing (涅槃經); Japanese: Nehankyō (涅槃経)) is one of the major texts of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Note that this is one of two Buddhist texts having approximately the same title, the other being part of the Pali Canon. However, both for historical reasons and for the sake of clarity, the former is generally referred to by its Sanskrit title, Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (or simply "Nirvana Sutra"), and the latter by its Pali title, Mahaparinib ...

Including:

• Nirvana Sutra - Overview
• Nirvana Sutra - Versions
• Nirvana Sutra - Quotations from the Nirvana Sutra
• Nirvana Sutra - Textual history
• Nirvana Sutra - English edition

Read more here: » Nirvana Sutra: Encyclopedia - Nirvana Sutra

The two truths doctrine in Buddhism differentiates between two levels of truth in Buddhist discourse, a low, or commonsense truth, and a high, or "ultimate" truth or between a relative and an absolute truth. It is used to avoid confusion between doctrinally accurate statements about the true nature of reality (e.g., there is no "self") and practical statements that make reference to things that, while not expressing the true nature of reality, are necessary in order to communicate easily and help people achieve enlightenment (e.g.< ...

Including:

• Two truths doctrine - Canonical use
• Two truths doctrine - Theravāda commentarial tradition
• Two truths doctrine - Further developments in Nikaya Buddhism
• Two truths doctrine - Madhyamaka

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Atman is a Sanskrit word, normally translated as 'soul' or 'self' (also ego). In Buddhism, the concept of Atman is the prime consequence of ignorance, – itself the cause of all misery - the foundation of Samsara itself. In a number of sutras of Mahayana Buddhism, as well as in certain Buddhist Tantras, however, the term "Atman" is used in a dual sense, in some instances denoting the impermanent, mundane ego (attachment to which needs to be overcome), and on other occasions explicitly referring to the ultimately real, p ...

Including:

• Atman Buddhism - The need for Buddhists to understand Atman
• Atman Buddhism - The definition of Atman in Buddhism
• Atman Buddhism - The ontological status of Atman in Buddhism
• Atman Buddhism - Atman in Nikaya
• Atman Buddhism - The abandonment of Atman in later Buddhist metaphysics
• Atman Buddhism - Positive teachings on the Atman in Mahayana Buddhism

Read more here: » Atman Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Atman Buddhism