One of the Buddhist Tripitikas, dealing with the religious or doctrinal aspects of Buddhism. The commentaries on Abhidharma are called vibhasa.
Buddha:
According to Vajrayana Buddhism, the highest God was Vajradhana, also known as Adi Buddha, the primordial monotheistic diety, who is the embodiment of the Shunya from who even the Dhyani Buddhas originated.
Agama:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
A general term for denoting scriptures used by all religious sects of India. The Jain sacred texts are also known as Agamas.
Ajlvikas:
Followers of the doctrine of immutability or pre-determined belonging to the religious order or sect founded by Gosala Marikhaliputta, a senior contemporary of Buddha and Mahavira. The basic theme of Ajlvikism is the doctrine of Niyati or Destiny. The main source of information on Ajlvikism is Bhagwati Sutra.
Ajnanavada:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The Jain doctrine of agnosticism or scepticism. The Jain texts mention 67 kinds of Ajnanavada.
Alvar:
South Indian devotional Saint poets who popularised the Vaishnav concept of love and devotion between the 6th and 9th centuries A.D. Twelve such Alvar Saints are known first three being Poykai, Bhutattar and Peyalvar.
Arhat:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
A person having to his credit sufficient merits so as to reach a particular stage of sanctification, a spiritual fulfilment according to Buddhism and Jainism.
Atman:
The self or the inner reality, which is in the form of pure consciousness and is manifested in every being. The Upanishads identified this Self or Soul with Brahman which is the all pervasive reality, underlying all things.
Avadanas:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Sanskrit version of Pali Apadana literature. Like the Jatakas the Avadanas are also a kind of sermon in the form of interesting tales. Prominent among these are Avadana shataka and Divyavadana.
Avalokitesvara:
The Mahayana Buddhist deity, also known as Padmapani (The holder of lotus, he is famous in the Mahayana pantheon as Bodhisattva, and a spiritual off-spring of the Dhyani Buddha.
Bhagavata:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In specific term denotes the worshippers of Vasudeva Krishna, but later on the worshippers of Shiva also came to call themselves as Shivablmgavatas. It appears that the followers of devotional (Bhakti) monotheism, in which the supreme God is conceived of in terms of personal God, were known as Bhagavatas.
Bhairava:
The deity which figures in Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain mythology. He is believed to have been born of Shiva’s blood and particularly a fierce form of Shiva.
Bodhi: Buddhist term for enlightenment.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Bodhisattva: According to the Hlnayanists in his previous births Buddha was known as Bodhisattva. The last existence of Bodhisattva was as Gautam Buddha. The Mayanist believes that the worldly beings could also become great like a Buddha. According to the Mayayanist belief Bodhisattvas were future Buddhas. The Mayayanist texts describe the powers and virtues of several Bodhisattvas such as Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, etc.
Chaturvarga:
Also known as Purusartha chatustayas – the four basic objectives of human life – Dharma (moral or ethical duties), Artha (material pleasures of life), Kama (sex as conjugal necessity) and moksha (salvation).
Dhammapada:
The best known of the Buddhist canonical texts containing 423 sayings of the Buddha in verses. These sayings have been taken from other books of Pali canon.
Dhyani Buddhas:
A creation of Tantric Buddhism. They arc five in number and are considered the embodiment of the five primordial elements
(Pancha Skandhas). The five Dhyani Buddhas are: Amitabha, Aksobhya, Vairochana, Amoghasiddhi and Ratnasambhava, who represent five Buddhist Cosmic elements.
Dlgha Nikaya:
Collection of long sermons of Buddha also known as Dighagama or Dighasamgaha.
Hemachandra:
One of greatest Jain scholars of the 12th century A.D. who flourished in the court of Kumarpala, the Calukyan king of Gujarat. He composed a large number of works and earned the ‘title of Kalikalasarvajna or all knower of the Kali age. His Laghu Arthanltishastra is a treatise on the Rajadharma or the science of polity.
Heretics:
There were several heretical sects, such as Buddhists, Jains, Charvakas and others who did not acknowledge the authority of the Vedas. Manu describes heretical sects as haitukas because of their insistence on reasoning. Buddhist texts mention 62 heretic sects.
HTnayana:
(Smaller Vehicle) One of the two major Buddhist sects, which was coined by the Mahayanists on the ground that Mahayana is meant for those superior beings who achieve their own salvation without another’s help and who help others to attain it. Hinayanist differs from Mahayana on points relating to the deification of Buddha, on the concept of bodhisattva-hood and concept of Shunyavada.
Jaimini:
Founder of the Purvamimamsa School of philosophy and the author of Mimamsasutra which forms the foundation of MJmamsa philosophy.
Jain Canonical Literature:
The Jain Canonical literature Comprises of 12 Aiigas, 12 Upafigas, 10 Prakirnakas, 6 Chedasutras , 4 Mulasutras and two individual texts. Among the Chedasutras the Kalpasutras of Bhadrabahu and among Mulasutras the Uttaradhyana Sutra are most important.
Jalakas:
Stories of the previous lives of the Buddha, which are more than 500 in number and varied in their contents.
Jina: One who has conquered the internal enemies and impurities of the soul-one who has attachment and hatred. The religion of the followers of Jina has been named Jaina.
Kalamukha:
An extremist Shaiva sect similar to Kapalikas.
Kalpasutras:
One of the Canonical works of the Svetambaras. This is one of the earliest texts of the Jainas, ascribed to 300 B.C.
Kanada: A great exponent of Nyaya School of philosophy and author of Vais’csika Sutra.
Kapalika:
Tantric offshoot of Pashupat Shaivism. They had no faith in patriarchal and authoritarian social values, or caste system. They wore’ ornaments of human bones, eat food in skulls, smear their bodies with the ashes of pyre and worshipped Jsiva and Devi, whom t. propitiated by offering wine and blood. The traditional founder of the Sankhya school of philosophy and the author of Sankhya Sutra
Karma:
The doctrines of Karma or actions according to which all actions good or bad produce their proper consequences in the life of the individual who acts. The doctrine of Karma forms the basis of Brahmanism, Buddhism and Jainism and is in blended with the doctrines of transmigration of soul.
At the sophisticated level, however, karma is regarded as a blind unconscious principle governing the whole universe. The ethics of the law of karma or actions is that every deed must produce its natural effect in the world and as such also leaves an impression on the mind.
Karttikeya:
The Brahmanical deity identified with the South Indian God Subrahmanya. The images of Kartikeya, riding on a peacock, have been found in various forms.
Karuna: The Mahayanist concept of compassion. In Mahayana, Sunyata and Karuna are two basic principles. In Vajrayana, Sunyata has been identified with Prajna or Knowledge and Karuna or Compassion with upaya or means to attain perfect knowledge. Karuna is symbolised in the form of Avalokitesvara the great compassionate Bodhisattva.
Kashmir Shaivism:
A sect of Shaivism which flourished in Kashmir in about 9th century A.D. It believes that the manifestation of the universe is effected through the Sakti of the realisation of identity with Shiva is the way to become free from wordly fetters.
Kassapa:
A Buddhist scholar who composed the Pali text Anagatvamsa, history of the future Buddhas, which form sequel to the Buddha- vamsa.
Khuddaka Nikaya:
The fifth Nikaya of the Buddhists containing a number of works such as Dhammapada, Jatakas, Sutta Nipata (the section of discourses), Petavatthu (suffering after death), Thera and Therigathas (Collection of poems composed by monks and nuns etc.)
Lokayat:
The Indian materialist school of philosophy which holds that world is a spontaneous growth promoted by the chance combination of material elements, and no intervention of God is needed in creation. The existence of God is a myth and it is, therefore, foolish to perform religious rites. They also do not believe in the concepts of the next world or paraloka. The greatest exponent of this philosophy was Carvaka whose followers were divided into various sects such as Sushikshita, Vitandavadins, Dhiirta, etc.
Lokottarvada:
A branch of the Mahasanghikas which believed in the super mundane (Lokottar) character of Buddha, which was later on accepted and elaborated upon by the Mahayanists.
Mahabodhivamsa:
A Buddhist text written by the Buddhist monk Upatissa, giving a brief account of previous Buddhas, life of Gautama Buddha, holding of three Buddhist Councils, landing of Mahendra in Sri Lanka for the propogation of Buddhism, etc.
Mahasahghika:
A Buddhist sect which is the fore – runner of Mahayanism, founded after the second Buddhist council. They deified the Buddha, introduced the Bodhisattva concept and the ideal from Arhat-hood to Buddha-hood.
Mahavastu:
Also known as Mahavastu Avadana, dealing with the main subjects relating to Vinaya and the biography of Buddha with his supra- mundane characteristics is its main content. It virtually a treasure-house of the Jatakas and other such narrative
Mahayana:
(Bigger Vehicle) One of the two broad two sects of Buddhism born at the fourth Buddhist Council. Mahayana believes in the deification of the Buddha, the ideal of the Bodhisattva-hood, salavation of the fellow beings and the Doctrine of Shunyavada or Vacuity as the reality behind all phenomena.
Majjhima Nikaya:
Collection of medium length suttas dealing with the discourses of Buddha. It throws great deal of information on aspects of Buddhist religion.
Majjhima Patipada: The middle path or a moderate way of life, which is the essence of the Buddhist way of life.
Maya:
Avidya (ignorance), unreality or illusion, according to the Advaita or Vedanta school of philosophy, which deals with the concept of Brahma and Maya.
Moksha:
Salvation, emancipation, liberation, the absolute bliss, etc. According to the Jain concept when a Jiva is freed from the bondage of Karmas and has passed for ever beyond the possibility of rebirth, it is said to have attained moksha or liberation. Various schools of Indian philosophy have proposed individual concepts of moksha. The Nyaya-Vaishesikas hold that moksha is liberation from pain or suffering.
According to the Sankhya, the moksha or liberation means just the clear recognition of the self as a reality which is beyond time and space and also body and mind. According to the Advaita Vedanta, realization of the identity between the Self (Atman) and the Brahman is moksha or liberation from bondage.
Navagraha:
Literally the nine planets, also known as Jyotiska Devas. They have been adopted in the Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain pantheon. According to the Brahmanical and Jaina concepts they are like the Dikpalas, and are named: Aditya, Chandra, Mahgala, Budha, Brhaspati, Sukra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu.
Nirvana:
In Buddhism the term is used in the context of cessation of suffering. It is not extinction of existence, but the extinction of misery and of the causes of rebirth.
Pancharatra:
A form of ritualistic Vaishnavism, which lays supreme emphasis on Bhakti or devotion.
Pancharatra:
A vaishnvite concept which believes that Vishnu manifested Himself into your forms, namely, Vasudeva, Sarikarsana, Pradumna and Aniruddha. The supreme godhead was reckoned to possess six distinct powers. The entire Pancharatra creed was based on the worship of Vasudeva family.
Panchayatana:
A kind of worship in which all the principal deities of the five approved Brahmanical Hindu cults of Vis’nu, Jsiva, Sakti, Surya and Ganpati are a single object of worship.
Paramita:
The six or ten virtues of perfections which a Bodhisattva is supposed to attain. The religious practices on the cultivation of the paramitas have been discussed in the Prajnaparamita texts. The Buddhist goddess Prajnaparamita was the embodiment of spritual knowledge.
Pasljupata:
A sect of Shaivism which was systematised by Lakulisa in the 2nd century A.D. In the sect the individual is known as Pashu, who suffers owing to his failure to recognise pat/or Siva as the creator, preserver and destroyer, owing to his failure to free himself from the worldly pasa or fetters.
Prajna.The female concept ofTantric Buddhism, the union of which with Upaya (the male principle) produces great bliss or Mahasukh.
Prajnaparamita:
The Mahayan Sutras of wisdom or perfection. There are numerous Prajnaparamita texts.
Sadhanmata:
An extremely valuable work on Buddhist iconography. It furnishes important details about the deities. It throws valuable light on Vajrayana Buddhism, which flourished form the 7th to 13th centuries A.D.
Sahajayana:
An offshot of Vajrayana sect of Buddhism, which considers the human body itself as the seat of all human experience including that of sahajmaliasukha (the highest bliss).
Samgha:
The Buddhist monastic order which was organised on the democratic lines. In Buddhism Samgha became a technical term and was given the same significance as Buddha and Dhamma.
Saraswati:
Also known as Vacha, VagadevT, Sharda, Maheshwari, BhartT, etc., is a goddess of learning and wisdom in the Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jaina pantheon. In the Mahabharta, she is hailed as ‘Mother of the Vedas’
Shaivism:
The origin of Shaivism may be traccd to the Harappan civilisation. The concept of Rudra- Shiva is found in the Vedic literature. In the Shveta- vatara Upanishad Shiva is raised to the status of the Supreme Being. A distinct sectarian and popular form of cult of Shiva was propounded by the Pashupatas, in which Shiva was worshipped in various forms.
Shaktism:
Its origin is to be traced to the pre-historic concept of Mother Goddess the cosmic concp of the female deity as the first expression in the Devimahatmya section Markandaya Purana.
Shunyavada:
The source of the Madhyamika philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism, which was founded’ by the greatest Mahayanist scholar Nagarjuna. This school teaches that there is nothing real as everything is devoid of its innate or independent nature. The doctrine rejects all sorts of impositions.
Skanda-Karttikeya:
An agricultural deity. In south India he is worshipped as Subrahmanya – as a God of vegetation and fertility.
Sthaviravada: The earliest form of monastic Buddhism, also known as Theravada.
Surya Cult: The Vedic Sun Gods, such as Mitra, Surya, Savitra and others, were responsible for the introduction of Sun cult in India sauras or Sun worshipper form component of Panchopasana or one of the five major Brahmanic cults.
Syadavada:
The Jain concept of logic. It begins with the assertion that every judgement expresses one aspect of reality and is, therefore, relative and subject to certain condition. Syad stands for ‘may be’.
Tara : Most important goddess of Buddhist pantheon. She was regarded as the consort of Advalokitesvara.
Tathagata:
The usual expression by which Gautama Buddha is referred to.
Theravada:
A Buddhist Canon, which was compiled by the senior monks at the Buddhist Council held at Rajagriha and is considered to be the most orthodox. Its followers are known as Theravadins.
Trimoorti:
Manifestation of the Supreme Being in three forms Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and (the destroyer).
Tripitaka:
The most sacred Buddhist texts comprising of Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma.
Uposatha:
Fasting days in a month of the Buddhists. The Buddhist monks used to assemble on these days.
Vaishnavism:
A composite religion of which the most important constituent is the Vedic God Vishnu. The earliest constituents of the religion relate to the worship of the Vrsni hero Vasudeva hero Vasudeva v Krishna, and Saiikarsana Vaishnavism is the monotheistic and its principal deities are equated – with the Supreme Being Vishnu.
The early form of Vaishnavism was solely based upon the doctrine of Bhakti-devotion to one personal God, identified with Vasudeva Krishna and sometimes Narayana. Vishnu was worshipped in five forms-para (the Supreme Being, Vyuha (emanatery process), Vibhava (incarnation or avatara), antaryamin (all knower) and archa (cult image).
Later forms of Vaishnavism, however, based themselves squarely on the Vedanta, Vishnu being identified with Brahman – the highest cosmic principle and ultimate reality.
The exponents of medieval Bhakti movements interpreted its doctrines in terms of love and devotion, liberalism and social justice. Vajrayana (the diamond Vehiclc): A Tantric form of Buddhism, which introduced the theory of the five Dhyani Buddhas as the five Skandhas or cosmic elements. It also introduced the cult of Prajna or Shakti.
Vihara:
Sahgharams or monastries for the residence of Buddhist monks and nuns. Vinayapitaka: One of the Tri-Pitakas, which deals with the disciplinary rules and instructions for the Buddhist monks and nuns.
Some of the important texts comprising of Vinayapitaka are : Patimokha (giving a list of rules discipline together with atonements for transgressing them); Sutta Vibhanga (explanations of rules and the list of offences for the monks and nuns); Sutta Vibhanga (rules for admission to the Buddhist order), etc.
Virashaivism:
Also known as Lingayat, which was an extreme form of Shaivism? It became popular in Karnataka in about 12th century A D under the leadership of Basava. Virashaism was a socio- religious movement which does not believe in caste, opposes smoking and drinking, believes in the equality of men and women, supports female education, widow remarriage, upholds the dignity of labour and insists upon social welfare. All Virashaivites, irrespective of sex carry a small Shivalinga on the body.
Yakshas:
Semi-divine deities believed to be sacred in Brahrpanism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Brahmanic mythology Kuber, the Lord of wealth and his attendants Yakshas are associated with riches, who were also worshipped as city deities. Yakshas and Yakshinis found an honourable place in the Buddhist and Jain mythologies. Their images formed an essential part of Buddhist art.
In Jainism the Yakshas and YakshinTs are shown in the traditional composition to the right and left of their respective Jinas. Other indentical deities belonging to the Yaksha group were Dikpalas (the Guardians of eight directions) Nag, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, Apsaras, etc., who are equally associated with Brahmanism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Yama:
The God of deaths is first mentioned in the Rigveda. In the Puranas he has been made the arbiter of moral enstinies, swaying over the numerous hells in which the wicked suffer. Yama has been called by many names such as Dharmaraj, (Lord of Righteousness or Justice) Kal, (the time), Dandadhara (The wielder of rod or punisher), etc.