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Mandarin Chinese information.
Old Wade-Giles romanization used only in Taiwan.
Japanese information.
Buddhist definition. Note: May not apply to all sects.
 Definition may be different outside of Buddhism.

There are 58 total results for your Buddha Way search.

Characters Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

see styles

    fo2
fo
 hotoke
    ほとけ

More info & calligraphy:

Buddhism / Buddha
Buddha; Buddhism (abbr. for 佛陀[Fo2tuo2])
(surname) Hotoke
Buddha, from budh to "be aware of", "conceive", "observe", "wake"; also 佛陀; 浮圖; 浮陀; 浮頭; 浮塔; 勃陀; 勃馱; 沒馱; 母馱; 母陀; 部陀; 休屠. Buddha means "completely conscious, enlightened", and came to mean the enlightener. he Chinese translation is 覺 to perceive, aware, awake; and 智 gnosis, knowledge. There is an Eternal Buddha, see e.g. the Lotus Sutra, cap. 16, and multitudes of Buddhas, but the personality of a Supreme Buddha, an Ādi-Buddha, is not defined. Buddha is in and through all things, and some schools are definitely Pan-Buddhist in the pantheistic sense. In the triratna 三寳 commonly known as 三寳佛, while Śākyamuni Buddha is the first "person" of the Trinity, his Law the second, and the Order the third, all three by some are accounted as manifestations of the All-Buddha. As Śākyamuni, the title indicates him as the last of the line of Buddhas who have appeared in this world, Maitreya is to be the next. As such he is the one who has achieved enlightenment, having discovered the essential evil of existence (some say mundane existence, others all existence), and the way of deliverance from the constant round of reincarnations; this way is through the moral life into nirvana, by means of self-abnegation, the monastic life, and meditation. By this method a Buddha, or enlightened one, himself obtains Supreme Enlightenment, or Omniscience, and according to Māhāyanism leads all beings into the same enlightenment. He sees things not as they seem in their phenomenal but in their noumenal aspects, as they really are. The term is also applied to those who understand the chain of causality (twelve nidānas) and have attained enlightenment surpassing that of the arhat. Four types of the Buddha are referred to: (1) 三藏佛the Buddha of the Tripiṭaka who attained enlightenment on the bare ground under the bodhi-tree; (2) 通佛the Buddha on the deva robe under the bodhi-tree of the seven precious things; (3) 別佛the Buddha on the great precious Lotus throne under the Lotus realm bodhi-tree; and (4) 圓佛the Buddha on the throne of Space in the realm of eternal rest and glory where he is Vairocana. The Hīnayāna only admits the existence of one Buddha at a time; Mahāyāna claims the existence of many Buddhas at one and the same time, as many Buddhas as there are Buddha-universes, which are infinite in number.

佛道

see styles
fó dào
    fo2 dao4
fo tao
 butsudō

More info & calligraphy:

Buddha Way
The way of Buddha, leading to Buddhahood; intp. as bodhi, enlightenment, gnosis.

勤求

see styles
qín qiú
    qin2 qiu2
ch`in ch`iu
    chin chiu
 gongu
    ごんぐ

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Buddha Seeking
inquiring the Buddha way
To seek diligently (after the good).

如來


如来

see styles
rú lái
    ru2 lai2
ju lai
 nyorai
    にょらい

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Tathagata
tathagata (Buddha's name for himself, having many layers of meaning - Sanskrit: thus gone, having been Brahman, gone to the absolute etc)
(out-dated kanji) Tathagata; perfected one (suffix of high-ranking Buddhist deities)
tathāgata, 多陀阿伽陀 q. v.; 怛他揭多 defined as he who comes as do all other Buddhas; or as he who took the 眞如 zhenru or absolute way of cause and effect, and attained to perfect wisdom; or as the absolute come; one of the highest titles of a Buddha. It is the Buddha in his nirmāṇakāya, i. e. his 'transformation' or corporeal manifestation descended on earth. The two kinds of Tathāgata are (1) 在纏 the Tathāgata in bonds, i. e. limited and subject to the delusions and sufferings of life, and (2) 出纏 unlimited and free from them. There are numerous sutras and śāstras bearing this title of 如來 rulai.

實道


实道

see styles
shí dào
    shi2 dao4
shih tao
 jitsudō

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True Religion / Buddha Truth
The true way, the true religion, absolute Buddha-truth.

法門


法门

see styles
fǎ mén
    fa3 men2
fa men
 hōmon

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Dharma Gate
gate to enlightment (Buddhism); Buddhism; way; method; (old) south gate of a palace
dharmaparyāya. The doctrines, or wisdom of Buddha regarded as the door to enlightenment. A method. Any sect. As the living have 84,000 delusions, so the Buddha provides 84,000 methods法門of dealing with them. Hence the法門海 ocean of Buddha's methods.

渴法

see styles
kě fǎ
    ke3 fa3
k`o fa
    ko fa
 katsuhō

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Thirst for Truth
To thirst for the truth, or for the Buddha-way.

神道

see styles
shén dào
    shen2 dao4
shen tao
 shintou(p); shindou / shinto(p); shindo
    しんとう(P); しんどう

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Shinto
Shinto (Japanese religion)
Shinto; Shintoism; (surname) Jindō
The spirit world of devas, asuras, and pretas. Psychology, or the doctrines concerning the soul. The teaching of Buddha. Shinto, the Way of the Gods, a Japanese national religion.

行道

see styles
xíng dào
    xing2 dao4
hsing tao
 yukimichi
    ゆきみち

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Walk in the Way
route (when going somewhere); way (to get somewhere); (surname, given name) Yukimichi
To walk in the way, follow the Buddha-truth; to make procession round an image, especially of the Buddha, with the right shoulder towards it.

釋迦牟尼


释迦牟尼

see styles
shì jiā móu ní
    shi4 jia1 mou2 ni2
shih chia mou ni
 Shakamuni

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Shakyamuni / The Buddha
Shakyamuni (Sanskrit for "the Sage of the Shakyas", i.e. the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama)
釋迦文 (釋迦文尼); 釋伽文 Śākyamuni, the saint of the Śākya tribe. muni is saint, holy man, sage, ascetic monk; it is: intp. as 仁 benevolent, charitable, kind, also as 寂默 one who dwells in seclusion. After '500 or 550' previous incarnations, Śākyamuni finally attained to the state of Bodhisattva, was born in the Tuṣita heaven, and descended as a white elephant, through her right side, into the womb of the immaculate Māyā, the purest woman on earth; this was on the 8th day of the 4th month; next year on the 8th day of the 2nd month he was born from her right side painlessly as she stood under a tree in the Lumbinī garden. For the subsequent miraculous events v. Eitel. also the 神通遊戲經 (Lalitavistara), the 釋迦如來成道記, etc. Simpler statements say that he was born the son of Śuddhodana, of the kṣatriya caste, ruler of Kapilavastu, and Māyā his wife; that Māyā died seven days later, leaving him to be brought up by her sister Prājapati; that in due course he was married to Yaśodharā who bore him a son, Rāhula; that in search of truth he left home, became an ascetic, severely disciplined himself, and finally at 35 years of age, under a tree, realized that the way of release from the chain of rebirth and death lay not in asceticism but in moral purity; this he explained first in his four dogmas, v. 四諦 and eightfold noble way 八正道, later amplified and developed in many sermons. He founded his community on the basis of poverty, chastity, and insight or meditation, ad it became known as Buddhism, as he became known as Buddha, the enlightened. His death was probably in or near 487 B.C., a few years before that of Confucius in 479. The sacerdotal name of his family is Gautama, said to be the original name of the whole clan, Śākya being that of his branch, v. 瞿, 喬.; his personal name was Siddhārtha, or Sarvārthasiddha, v. 悉.


see styles
bei
    bei5
pei
 bai
    ばい
modal particle indicating lack of enthusiasm; modal particle indicating that things should only or can only be done a certain way
song; (surname) Bai
pāṭha; pāṭhaka; read, recite, intone, chant, hymns in praise of Buddha; 唄匿 is erroneously said to transliterate the Sanskrit root vi-ne and to be the same as 婆陟 (or 婆師), but these are bhāṣa.


see styles

    di4
ti
 tai
    たい
to examine; truth (Buddhism)
{Buddh} satya; truth; (given name) Tai
To judge, examine into, investigate, used in Buddhism for satya, a truth, a dogma, an axiom; applied to the āryasatyāni, the four dogmas, or noble truths, of 苦, 集, 滅, and 道 suffering, (the cause of its) assembly, the ( possibility of its cure, or) extinction, and the way (to extinction), i.e. the eightfold noble path, v. 四諦 and 八聖道. There are other categories of 諦, e.g. (2) 眞 and 俗 Reality in contrast with ordinary ideas of things; (3) 空, 假 and 中 q.v. (6) by the 勝論宗; and(8) by the 法相宗.; Two forms of statement: (a) 俗諦 saṃvṛti-satya, also called 世諦, 世俗諦, 覆俗諦, 覆諦, meaning common or ordinary statement, as if phenomena were real; (b) 眞諦 paramartha-satya, also called 第一諦, 勝義諦, meaning the correct dogma or averment of the enlightened. Another definition is 王法 and 佛法, royal law and Buddha law.

一遍

see styles
yī biàn
    yi1 bian4
i pien
 ippen
    いっぺん
one time (all the way through); once through
(n,adv) (1) (kana only) (See 一遍に・1) once; one time; (suffix noun) (2) (kana only) (after a noun) (See 正直一遍,義理一遍) exclusively; only; alone; (given name) Ippen
Once, one recital of Buddha's name, or of a sūtra, or magic formula; style of 智眞 Zhizhen, founder of the 時宗 Ji-shū (Japan)..

三乘

see styles
sān shèng
    san1 sheng4
san sheng
 minori
    みのり
(surname) Minori
Triyāna, the three vehicles, or conveyances which carry living beings across saṁsāra or mortality (births-and-deaths) to the shores of nirvāṇa. The three are styled 小,中, and 大. Sometimes the three vehicles are defined as 聲聞 Śrāvaka, that of the hearer or obedient disciple; 緣覺Pratyeka-buddha, that of the enlightened for self; these are described as 小乘 because the objective of both is personal salvation; the third is 菩薩Bodhisattva, or 大乘 Mahāyāna, because the objective is the salvation of all the living. The three are also depicted as 三車 three wains, drawn by a goat, a deer, an ox. The Lotus declares that the three are really the One Buddha-vehicle, which has been revealed in three expedient forms suited to his disciples' capacity, the Lotus Sūtra being the unifying, complete, and final exposition. The Three Vehicles are differently explained by different exponents, e.g. (1) Mahāyāna recognizes (a) Śrāvaka, called Hīnayāna, leading in longer or shorter periods to arhatship; (b) Pratyeka-buddha, called Madhyamayāna, leading after still longer or shorter periods to a Buddhahood ascetically attained and for self; (c) Bodhisattva, called Mahayana, leading after countless ages of self-sacrifce in saving others and progressive enlightenment to ultimate Buddhahood. (2) Hīnayāna is also described as possessing three vehicles 聲, 緣, 菩 or 小, 中, 大, the 小 and 中 conveying to personal salvation their devotees in ascetic dust and ashes and mental annihilation, the 大 leading to bodhi, or perfect enlightenment, and the Buddha's way. Further definitions of the Triyāna are: (3) True bodhisattva teaching for the 大; pratyeka-buddha without ignorant asceticism for the 中; and śrāvaka with ignorant asceticism for the 小. (4) (a) 一乘 The One-Vehicle which carries all to Buddhahood: of this the 華嚴 Hua-yen and 法華 Fa-hua are typical exponents; (b) 三乘法 the three-vehicle, containing practitioners of all three systems, as expounded in books of the 深密般若; (c) 小乘 the Hīnayāna pure and simple as seen in the 四阿合經 Four Āgamas. Śrāvakas are also described as hearers of the Four Truths and limited to that degree of development; they hear from the pratyeka-buddhas, who are enlightened in the Twelve Nidānas 因緣; the bodhisattvas make the 六度 or six forms of transmigration their field of sacrificial saving work, and of enlightenment. The Lotus Sūtra really treats the 三乘. Three Vehicles as 方便 or expedient ways, and offers a 佛乘 Buddha Vehicle as the inclusive and final vehicle.

三福

see styles
sān fú
    san1 fu2
san fu
 mifuku
    みふく
(place-name, surname) Mifuku
The three (sources of) felicity: (1) The 無量壽經 has the felicity of (a) 世福 filial piety, regard for elders, keeping the ten commandments; (b) 戒福 of keeping the other commandments; (c) 行福 of resolve on complete bodhi and the pursuit of the Buddha-way. (2) The 倶舍論 18, has the blessedness of (a) 施類福 almsgiving, in evoking resultant wealth; (b) 戒類福 observance of the 性戒 (against killing, stealing, adultery, lying) and the 遮戒 (against alcohol, etc.), in obtaining a happy lot in the heavens; (c) 修類福 observance of meditation in obtaining final escape from the mortal round. Cf. 三種淨業.

不二

see styles
bù èr
    bu4 er4
pu erh
 funi
    ふに
the only (choice, way etc); undivided (loyalty)
{Buddh} advaitam (non-duality); (surname, female given name) Fuji
advaya. No second, non-duality, the one and undivided, the unity of all things, the one reality、 the universal Buddha-nature. There are numerous combinations, e. g. 善惡不二 good and evil are not a dualism: nor are 有 and 空 the material and immaterial, nor are 迷 and 悟 delusion and awareness— all these are of the one Buddha-nature.

五悔

see styles
wǔ huǐ
    wu3 hui3
wu hui
 gokai
The five stages in a penitential service. Tiantai gives: (1) confession of past sins and forbidding them for the future; (2) appeal to the universal Buddhas to keep the law-wheel rolling; (3) rejoicing over the good in self and others; (4) 廻向 offering all one's goodness to all the living and to the Buddha-way; (5) resolve, or vows, i. e. the 四弘誓. The Shingon sect 眞言宗 divides the ten great vows of Samantabhadra 普賢 into five 悔, the first three vows being included under 歸命 or submission; the fourth is repentance; the fifth rejoicing; the sixth, seventh, and eighth appeal to the Buddhas; the ninth and tenth, bestowal of acquired merit.

六慧

see styles
liù huì
    liu4 hui4
liu hui
 rokue
The six kinds of wisdom. Each is allotted seriatim to one of the six positions 六位 q. v. (1) 聞慧 the wisdom of hearing and apprehending the truth of the middle way is associated with the 十住; (2) 思慧 of thought with the 十行; (3) 修慧 of observance with the 十廻向; (4) 無相慧 of either extreme, or the mean, with the 十地; (5) 照寂慧 of understanding of nirvana with 等覺慧; (6) 寂照慧 of making nirvana illuminate all beings associated with 佛果 Buddha-fruition. They are a 別教 Differentiated School series and all are associated with 中道 the school of the 中 or middle way.

制門


制门

see styles
zhì mén
    zhi4 men2
chih men
 seimon
The way or method of discipline, contrasted with the 化門, i. e. of teaching, both methods used by the Buddha, hence called 化制二門.

十問


十问

see styles
shí wèn
    shi2 wen4
shih wen
 jūmon
The ten questions to the Buddha, put into the mouth of Vajrapāṇi, which, with the answers given, form the basis of the 大日經. What is (or are) (1) the nature of the bodhi-mind? (2) its form or forms? (3) the mental stages requisite to attainment? (4) the difference between them? (5) the time required? (6) the character of the merits attained? (7) the activities or practices necessary? (8) the way of such practices? (9) the condition of the uncultivated and cultivated mind? (10) the difference between it and that of the follower of Yoga?

十地

see styles
shí dì
    shi2 di4
shih ti
 juuji / juji
    じゅうじ
{Buddh} dasabhumi (forty-first to fiftieth stages in the development of a bodhisattva); (place-name) Jūji
daśabhūmi; v. 十住. The "ten stages" in the fifty-two sections of the development of a bodhisattva into a Buddha. After completing the十四向 he proceeds to the 十地. There are several groups. I. The ten stages common to the Three Vehicles 三乘 are: (1) 乾慧地 dry wisdom stage, i. e. unfertilized by Buddha-truth, worldly wisdom; (2) 性地 the embryo-stage of the nature of Buddha-truth, the 四善根; (3) 八人地 (八忍地), the stage of the eight patient endurances; (4) 見地 of freedom from wrong views; (5) 薄地 of freedom from the first six of the nine delusions in practice; (6) 離欲地 of freedom from the remaining three; (7) 巳辨地 complete discrimination in regard to wrong views and thoughts, the stage of an arhat; (8) 辟支佛地 pratyeka-buddhahood, only the dead ashes of the past left to sift; (9) 菩薩地 bodhisattvahood; (10) 佛地 Buddhahood. v. 智度論 78. II. 大乘菩薩十地 The ten stages of Mahāyāna bodhisattva development are: (1) 歡喜地 Pramuditā, joy at having overcome the former difficulties and now entering on the path to Buddhahood; (2) 離垢地 Vimalā, freedom from all possible defilement, the stage of purity; (3) 發光地 Prabhākarī, stage of further enlightenment; (4) 焰慧地 Arciṣmatī, of glowing wisdom; (5) 極難勝地 Sudurjayā, mastery of utmost or final difficulties; (6) 現前地 Abhimukhī, the open way of wisdom above definitions of impurity and purity; (7) 遠行地 Dūraṁgamā, proceeding afar, getting above ideas of self in order to save others; (8) 不動地 Acalā, attainment of calm unperturbedness; (9) 善慧地 Sādhumatī, of the finest discriminatory wisdom, knowing where and how to save, and possessed of the 十力 ten powers; (10) 法雲地 Dharmamegha, attaining to the fertilizing powers of the law-cloud. Each of the ten stages is connected with each of the ten pāramitās, v. 波. Each of the 四乘 or four vehicles has a division of ten. III. The 聲聞乘十地 ten Śrāvaka stages are: (1) 受三歸地 initiation as a disciple by receiving the three refuges, in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; (2) 信地 belief, or the faith-root; (3) 信法地 belief in the four truths; (4) 内凡夫地 ordinary disciples who observe the 五停心觀, etc.; (5) 學信戒 those who pursue the 三學 three studies; (6) 八人忍地 the stage of 見道 seeing the true Way; (7) 須陀洹地 śrota-āpanna, now definitely in the stream and assured of nirvāṇa; (8) 斯陀含地 sakrdāgāmin, only one more rebirth; (9) 阿那含地 anāgāmin, no rebirth; and (10) 阿羅漢地 arhatship. IV. The ten stages of the pratyekabuddha 緣覺乘十地 are (1) perfect asceticism; (2) mastery of the twelve links of causation; (3) of the four noble truths; (4) of the deeper knowledge; (5) of the eightfold noble path; (6) of the three realms 三法界; (7) of the nirvāṇa state; (8) of the six supernatural powers; (9) arrival at the intuitive stage; (10) mastery of the remaining influence of former habits. V. 佛乘十地 The ten stages, or characteristics of a Buddha, are those of the sovereign or perfect attainment of wisdom, exposition, discrimination, māra-subjugation, suppression of evil, the six transcendent faculties, manifestation of all bodhisattva enlightenment, powers of prediction, of adaptability, of powers to reveal the bodhisattva Truth. VI. The Shingon has its own elaborate ten stages, and also a group 十地十心, see 十心; and there are other groups.

四依

see styles
sì yī
    si4 yi1
ssu i
 shi e
The four necessaries, or things on which the religious rely. (1) 行四依 The four of ascetic practitioners— rag clothing; begging for food; sitting under trees; purgatives and diuretics as moral and spiritual means; these are also termed 四聖種. (2) 法四依 The four of the dharma: i. e. the truth, which is eternal, rather than man, even its propagator; the sutras of perfect meaning i. e. of the 道實相 the truth of the 'middle' way; the meaning, or spirit, not the letter; wisdom 智, i.e. Buddha-wisdom rather than mere knowledge 識. There are other groups. Cf. 四事.

四等

see styles
sì děng
    si4 deng3
ssu teng
 shitō
The four virtues which a Buddha out of his infinite heart manifests equally to all; also called 四無量 q. w. They are: 慈悲喜捨 maitrī, karuṇā, muditā, upekṣā, i. e. kindness, pity, joy and indifference, or 護 protection. Another group is 字語法身, i. e. 字 that all Buddhas have the same title or titles; 語 speak the same language; 法 proclaim the same truth; and 身 have each the threefold body, or trikāya. A third group is 諸法 all things are equally included in the bhūtatathatā; 發心 the mind-nature being universal, its field of action is universal; 道等 the way or method is also universal; therefore 慈悲 the mercy (of the Buddhas) is universal for all.

大事

see styles
dà shì
    da4 shi4
ta shih
 daiji
    だいじ
major event; major political event (war or change of regime); major social event (wedding or funeral); (do something) in a big way; CL:件[jian4],樁|桩[zhuang1]
(adjectival noun) (1) important; serious; crucial; (adjectival noun) (2) valuable; precious; (3) (See 大事・おおごと) serious matter; major incident; matter of grave concern; crisis; (4) great undertaking; great enterprise; great thing; (adjectival noun) (5) (Tochigi dialect) (See だいじょうぶ・1) safe; OK
(因緣) For the sake of a great cause, or because of a great matter―the Buddha appeared, i.e. for changing illusion into enlightenment. The Lotus interprets it as enlightenment; the Nirvana as the Buddha-nature; the 無量壽經 as the joy of Paradise.

小乘

see styles
xiǎo shèng
    xiao3 sheng4
hsiao sheng
 shōjō
Hinayana, the Lesser Vehicle; Buddhism in India before the Mayahana sutras; also pr. [Xiao3 cheng2]
Hīnayāna 希那衍. The small, or inferior wain, or vehicle; the form of Buddhism which developed after Śākyamuni's death to about the beginning of the Christian era, when Mahāyāna doctrines were introduced. It is the orthodox school and more in direct line with the Buddhist succession than Mahāyānism which developed on lines fundamentally different. The Buddha was a spiritual doctor, less interested in philosophy than in the remedy for human misery and perpetual transmigration. He "turned aside from idle metaphysical speculations; if he held views on such topics, he deemed them valueless for the purposes of salvation, which was his goal" (Keith). Metaphysical speculations arose after his death, and naturally developed into a variety of Hīnayāna schools before and after the separation of a distinct school of Mahāyāna. Hīnayāna remains the form in Ceylon, Burma, and Siam, hence is known as Southern Buddhism in contrast with Northern Buddhism or Mahāyāna, the form chiefly prevalent from Nepal to Japan. Another rough division is that of Pali and Sanskrit, Pali being the general literary language of the surviving form of Hīnayāna, Sanskrit of Mahāyāna. The term Hīnayāna is of Mahāyānist origination to emphasize the universalism and altruism of Mahāyāna over the narrower personal salvation of its rival. According to Mahāyāna teaching its own aim is universal Buddhahood, which means the utmost development of wisdom and the perfect transformation of all the living in the future state; it declares that Hīnayāna, aiming at arhatship and pratyekabuddhahood, seeks the destruction of body and mind and extinction in nirvāṇa. For arhatship the 四諦Four Noble Truths are the foundation teaching, for pratyekabuddhahood the 十二因緣 twelve-nidānas, and these two are therefore sometimes styled the two vehicles 二乘. Tiantai sometimes calls them the (Hīnayāna) Tripiṭaka school. Three of the eighteen Hīnayāna schools were transported to China: 倶舍 (Abhidharma) Kośa; 成實 Satya-siddhi; and the school of Harivarman, the律 Vinaya school. These are described by Mahāyānists as the Buddha's adaptable way of meeting the questions and capacity of his hearers, though his own mind is spoken of as always being in the absolute Mahāyāna all-embracing realm. Such is the Mahāyāna view of Hīnayāna, and if the Vaipulya sūtras and special scriptures of their school, which are repudiated by Hīnayāna, are apocryphal, of which there seems no doubt, then Mahāyāna in condemning Hīnayāna must find other support for its claim to orthodoxy. The sūtras on which it chiefly relies, as regards the Buddha, have no authenticity; while those of Hīnayāna cannot be accepted as his veritable teaching in the absence of fundamental research. Hīnayāna is said to have first been divided into minority and majority sections immediately after the death of Śākyamuni, when the sthāvira, or older disciples, remained in what is spoken of as "the cave", some place at Rājagṛha, to settle the future of the order, and the general body of disciples remained outside; these two are the first 上坐部 and 大衆部 q. v. The first doctrinal division is reported to have taken place under the leadership of the monk 大天 Mahādeva (q.v.) a hundred years after the Buddha's nirvāṇa and during the reign of Aśoka; his reign, however, has been placed later than this by historians. Mahādeva's sect became the Mahāsāṅghikā, the other the Sthāvira. In time the two are said to have divided into eighteen, which with the two originals are the so-called "twenty sects" of Hīnayāna. Another division of four sects, referred to by Yijing, is that of the 大衆部 (Arya) Mahāsaṅghanikāya, 上座部 Āryasthavirāḥ, 根本說一切有部 Mūlasarvāstivādaḥ, and 正量部 Saṃmatīyāḥ. There is still another division of five sects, 五部律. For the eighteen Hīnayāna sects see 小乘十八部.

成道

see styles
chéng dào
    cheng2 dao4
ch`eng tao
    cheng tao
 joudou / jodo
    じょうどう
to reach illumination (Buddhism)
(n,vs,vi) completing the path to becoming a Buddha (by attaining enlightenment); (personal name) Narumichi
To attain the Way, or become enlightened, e.g. the Buddha under the bodhi tree.

教法

see styles
jiào fǎ
    jiao4 fa3
chiao fa
 kyouhou / kyoho
    きょうほう
teaching method; teachings; doctrine
(1) teachings of Buddha; (2) teaching method; way of teaching
doctrine

智門


智门

see styles
zhì mén
    zhi4 men2
chih men
 chimon
Wisdom gate; Buddha-wisdom and Buddha-pity are the two gates or ways through which Buddhism expresses itself: the way of enlightenment directed to the self, and the way of pity directed to others.

直道

see styles
zhí dào
    zhi2 dao4
chih tao
 chokudou / chokudo
    ちょくどう
straight path (that people should take); straight road; (given name) Naomichi
The direct way (to nirvana and Buddha-land).

貧道


贫道

see styles
pín dào
    pin2 dao4
p`in tao
    pin tao
 hindou / hindo
    ひんどう
poor Taoist
(1) {Buddh} imperfect (Buddhist) training; imperfection in one's (Buddhist) training; incomplete training; poor training; (pronoun) (2) (humble language) (used by Buddhist monks) I; me
The way of poverty, that of the monk and nun; also, a poor religion, i.e. without the Buddha-truth.

逆緣


逆缘

see styles
nì yuán
    ni4 yuan2
ni yüan
 gyakuen
Resisting accessory cause; as goodness is the 順 or accordant cause so evil is the resisting cause of the Buddha way.

道果

see styles
dào guǒ
    dao4 guo3
tao kuo
 dōka
The result of the Buddha-way, i.e. nirvāṇa.

道流

see styles
dào liú
    dao4 liu2
tao liu
 michiru
    みちる
(female given name) Michiru
The stream of Truth; the flow, or progress, of Buddha, truth; the spread of a particular movement, e.g. the Chan school.

道眼

see styles
dào yǎn
    dao4 yan3
tao yen
 dōgen
The eye attained through the cultivation of Buddha-truth; the eye which sees that truth.

道芽

see styles
dào yá
    dao4 ya2
tao ya
 dōge
The sprouts, or seedlings, of Buddha-truth.

道行

see styles
dào héng
    dao4 heng2
tao heng
 michiyuki
    みちゆき
skills acquired through religious practice; (fig.) ability; skill; Taiwan pr. [dao4 hang5]
(irregular okurigana usage) (1) going down the road; travelling; traveling; (2) lyric composition describing scenery a traveler sees on the way (traveller); (3) eloping; (surname, given name) Michiyuki
Conduct according to Buddha-truth; the discipline of religion.

一佛乘

see styles
yī fó shèng
    yi1 fo2 sheng4
i fo sheng
 ichibutsu jō
The Mahāyāna, or one-Buddha vehicle, especially the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.; The one Buddha-yāna. The One Vehicle, i.e. Mahāyāna, which contains the final or complete law of the Buddha and not merely a part, or preliminary stage, as in Hīnayāna. Mahāyānists claim it as the perfect and only way to the shore of parinirvāṇa. It is especially the doctrine of the 法華經 Lotus Sūtra; v. 大乘.

三界眼

see styles
sān jiè yǎn
    san1 jie4 yan3
san chieh yen
 sangai gen
The trailokya eye, i.e. Buddha, who sees all the realms and the way of universal escape.

中道宗

see styles
zhōng dào zōng
    zhong1 dao4 zong1
chung tao tsung
 Chūdō Shū
The third period of the Buddha's teaching, according to the 法相宗, giving the via media between the two extremes, the absolute as not confined to the phenomenal or the noumenal; also called 中道教.

五種性


五种性

see styles
wǔ zhǒng xìng
    wu3 zhong3 xing4
wu chung hsing
 goshu shō
The five germ-natures, or roots of bodhisattva development: (1) 習種性 the germ nature of study of the 空 void (or immaterial), which corrects all illusions of time and space; it corresponds to the 十住 stage; (2) 性種性 that of ability to discriminate all the 性 natures of phenomena and transform the living; the 十行 stage; (3) 道種性(the middle-) way germ-nature, which attains insight into Buddha-laws; the 十廻向; (4) 聖種性 the saint germ-nature which produces holiness by destroying ignorance; the 十廻向 which the bodhisattva leaves the ranks of the 賢 and becomes 聖; (5) 等覺種性 the bodhi-rank germ-nature which produces Buddhahood, i. e. 等覺.

仏の道

see styles
 hotokenomichi
    ほとけのみち
(exp,n) way of the Buddha; Buddha's teachings

修伽陀

see styles
xiū gā tuó
    xiu1 ga1 tuo2
hsiu ka t`o
    hsiu ka to
 shugada
Sugata, one who has gone the right way, one of a Buddha's titles; sometimes intp. as well-come (Svāgata). Also 修伽多; 修伽度; 修揭多 (or 蘇揭多); 沙婆揭多; 莎伽 (莎伽陀).

大生主

see styles
dà shēng zhǔ
    da4 sheng1 zhu3
ta sheng chu
 Daishōshu
Mahāprajāpatī 摩訶波闍婆提, great "lady of the living", the older translation being 大愛道 the great way (or exemplar) of love; also 衆主 head of the community (of nuns), i.e. Gautami the aunt and nurse of Śākyamuni, the first nun. She is to be reborn as a Buddha named Sarvasattvapriyadarśanā.

得佛道

see styles
dé fó dào
    de2 fo2 dao4
te fo tao
 toku butsudō
attains the buddha-way

曼荼羅


曼荼罗

see styles
màn tú luó
    man4 tu2 luo2
man t`u lo
    man tu lo
 mandara
    まんだら
(Buddhism) (loanword from Sanskrit) mandala
mandala; Buddhist visual schema of the enlightened mind; (given name) Mandara
曼怛羅; 曼特羅; 曼陀羅; 曼拏羅; 蔓陀囉; 滿荼邏 maṇḍala, a circle, globe, wheel ring; "any circular figure or diagram" (M.W.); a magic circle; a plot or place of enlightenment; a round or square altar on which buddhas and bodhisattvas are placed; a group of such, especially the garbhadhātu and vajradhātu groups of the Shingon sect; these were arranged by Kōbō Daishi to express the mystic doctrine of the two dhātu by way of illustration, the garbhadhātu representing the 理 and the 因 principle and cause, the vajradhātu the 智 and the 果 intelligence (or reason) and the effect, i.e. the fundamental realm of being, and mind as inherent in it; v. 胎 and 金剛. The two realms are fundamentally one, as are the absolute and phenomenal, e.g. water and wave. There are many kinds of maṇḍalas, e.g. the group of the Lotus Sutra; of the 觀經; of the nine luminaries; of the Buddha's entering into nirvana, etc. The real purpose of a maṇḍala is to gather the spiritual powers together, in order to promote the operation of the dharma or law. The term is commonly applied to a magic circle, subdivided into circles or squares in which are painted Buddhist divinities and symbols. Maṇḍalas also reveal the direct retribution of each of the ten worlds of beings (purgatory, pretas, animals, asuras, men, devas, the heavens of form, formless heavens, bodhisattvas, and buddhas). Each world has its maṇḍala which represents the originating principle that brings it to completion. The maṇḍala of the tenth world indicates the fulfilment and completion of the nine worlds.

無上道


无上道

see styles
wú shàng dào
    wu2 shang4 dao4
wu shang tao
 mujō dō
The supreme way, or truth, that of Buddha.

無礙人


无碍人

see styles
wú ài rén
    wu2 ai4 ren2
wu ai jen
 muge nin
The unhindered one, the Buddha, who unbarred the way to nirvāṇa, which releases from all limitations; the omnipresent one; the one who realizes nirvāṇa-truth.

知道者

see styles
zhī dào zhě
    zhi1 dao4 zhe3
chih tao che
 chidōsha
The one who knows the path to salvation, an epithet of the Buddha.

胎藏界

see styles
tāi zàng jiè
    tai1 zang4 jie4
t`ai tsang chieh
    tai tsang chieh
 taizō kai
Garbhadhātu, or Garbhakośa-(dhātu), the womb treasury, the universal source from which all things are produced; the matrix; the embryo; likened to a womb in which all of a child is conceived— its body, mind, etc. It is container and content; it covers and nourishes; and is the source of all supply. It represents the 理性 fundamental nature, both material elements and pure bodhi, or wisdom in essence or purity; 理 being the garbhadhātu as fundamental wisdom, and 智 acquired wisdom or knowledge, the vajradhātu. It also represents the human heart in its innocence or pristine purity, which is considered as the source of all Buddha-pity and moral knowledge. And it indicates that from the central being in the maṇḍala, viz. the Sun as symbol of Vairocana, there issue all the other manifestations of wisdom and power, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, demons, etc. It is 本覺 original intellect, or the static intellectuality, in contrast with 始覺 intellection, the initial or dynamic intellectuality represented in the vajradhātu; hence it is the 因 cause and vajradhātu the 果 effect; though as both are a unity, the reverse may be the rule, the effect being also the cause; it is also likened to 利他 enriching others, as vajradhātu is to 自利 enriching self. Kōbō Daishi, founder of the Yoga or Shingon 眞言 School in Japan, adopted the representation of the ideas in maṇḍalas, or diagrams, as the best way of revealing the mystic doctrine to the ignorant. The garbhadhātu is the womb or treasury of all things, the universe; the 理 fundamental principle, the source; its symbols are a triangle on its base, and an open lotus as representing the sun and Vairocana. In Japan this maṇḍala is placed on the east, typifying the rising sun as source, or 理. The vajradhātu is placed west and represents 智 wisdom or knowledge as derived from 理 the underlying principle, but the two are essential one to the other, neither existing apart. The material and spiritual; wisdom-source and intelligence; essence and substance; and similar complementary ideas are thus portrayed; the garbhadhātu may be generally considered as the static and the vajradhātu as the dynamic categories, which are nevertheless a unity. The garbhadhātu is divided into 三部 three sections representing samādhi or quiescence, wisdom-store, and pity-store, or thought, knowledge, pity; one is called the Buddha-section, the others the Vajra and Lotus sections respectively; the three also typify vimokṣa, prajñā, and dharmakāya, or freedom, understanding, and spirituality. There are three heads of these sections, i. e. Vairocana, Vajrapāṇi, and Avalokiteśvara; each has a mother or source, e. g. Vairocana from Buddha's-eye; and each has a 明王 or emanation of protection against evil; also a śakti or female energy; a germ-letter, etc. The diagram of five Buddhas contains also four bodhisattvas, making nine in all, and there are altogether thirteen 大院 or great courts of various types of ideas, of varying numbers, generally spoken of as 414. Cf. 金剛界; 大日; 兩部.

開道者


开道者

see styles
kāi dào zhě
    kai1 dao4 zhe3
k`ai tao che
    kai tao che
 kaidōsha
The Way-opener, Buddha; anyone who opens the way, or truth.

阿彌陀


阿弥陀

see styles
ā mí tuó
    a1 mi2 tuo2
a mi t`o
    a mi to
 Amida
    あみだ
(out-dated kanji) (1) (Buddhist term) Amitabha (Buddha); Amida; (2) (kana only) (abbreviation) ghostleg lottery; ladder lottery; lottery in which participants trace a line across a lattice pattern to determine the winner; (3) (kana only) (abbreviation) wearing a hat pushed back on one's head
(阿彌) amita, boundless, infinite; tr. by 無量 immeasurable. The Buddha of infinite qualities, known as 阿彌陀婆 (or 阿彌陀佛) Amitābha, tr. 無量光 boundless light; 阿彌陀廋斯Amitāyus, tr. 無量壽 boundless age, or life; and among the esoteric sects Amṛta 甘露 (甘露王) sweet-dew (king). An imaginary being unknown to ancient Buddhism, possibly of Persian or Iranian origin, who has eclipsed the historical Buddha in becoming the most popular divinity in the Mahāyāna pantheon. His name indicates an idealization rather than an historic personality, the idea of eternal light and life. The origin and date of the concept are unknown, but he has always been associated with the west, where in his Paradise, Suikhāvatī, the Western Pure Land, he receives to unbounded happiness all who call upon his name (cf. the Pure Lands 淨土 of Maitreya and Akṣobhya). This is consequent on his forty-eight vows, especially the eighteenth, in which he vows to refuse Buddhahood until he has saved all living beings to his Paradise, except those who had committed the five unpardonable sins, or were guilty of blasphemy against the Faith. While his Paradise is theoretically only a stage on the way to rebirth in the final joys of nirvana, it is popularly considered as the final resting-place of those who cry na-mo a-mi-to-fo, or blessed be, or adoration to, Amita Buddha. The 淨土 Pure-land (Jap. Jōdo) sect is especially devoted to this cult, which arises chiefly out of the Sukhāvatīvyūha, but Amita is referred to in many other texts and recognized, with differing interpretations and emphasis, by the other sects. Eitel attributes the first preaching of the dogma to 'a priest from Tokhara' in A. D.147, and says that Faxian and Xuanzang make no mention of the cult. But the Chinese pilgrim 慧日Huiri says he found it prevalent in India 702-719. The first translation of the Amitāyus Sutra, circa A.D. 223-253, had disappeared when the Kaiyuan catalogue was compiled A.D. 730. The eighteenth vow occurs in the tr. by Dharmarakṣa A.D. 308. With Amita is closely associated Avalokiteśvara, who is also considered as his incarnation, and appears crowned with, or bearing the image of Amita. In the trinity of Amita, Avalokiteśvara appears on his left and Mahāsthāmaprāpta on his right. Another group, of five, includes Kṣitigarbha and Nāgārjuna, the latter counted as the second patriarch of the Pure Land sect. One who calls on the name of Amitābha is styled 阿彌陀聖 a saint of Amitābha. Amitābha is one of the Five 'dhyāni buddhas' 五佛, q.v. He has many titles, amongst which are the following twelve relating to him as Buddha of light, also his title of eternal life: 無量光佛Buddha of boundless light; 無邊光佛 Buddha of unlimited light; 無礙光佛 Buddha of irresistible light; 無對光佛 Buddha of incomparable light; 燄王光佛 Buddha of yama or flame-king light; 淸淨光佛 Buddha of pure light; 歡喜光佛 Buddha of joyous light; 智慧光佛 Buddha of wisdom light; 不斷光佛 Buddha of unending light; 難思光佛 Buddha of inconceivable light; 無稱光佛Buddha of indescribable light; 超日月光佛 Buddha of light surpassing that of sun and moon; 無量壽 Buddha of boundless age. As buddha he has, of course, all the attributes of a buddha, including the trikāya, or 法報化身, about which in re Amita there are differences of opinion in the various schools. His esoteric germ-letter is hrīḥ, and he has specific manual-signs. Cf. 阿彌陀經, of which with commentaries there are numerous editions.

七種無上


七种无上

see styles
qī zhǒng wú shàng
    qi1 zhong3 wu2 shang4
ch`i chung wu shang
    chi chung wu shang
 shichi shumujō
The seven peerless qualities of a Buddha:―his body 身 with its thirty-two signs and eighty-four marks; his way 道 of universal mercy; his perfect insight or doctrine 見; his wisdom 智; his supernatural power 神 力; his ability to overcome hindrances 斷障, e.g. illusion, karma, and suffering; and his abiding place 住 i.e. Nirvana. Cf. 七勝事.

三種悔法


三种悔法

see styles
sān zhǒng huǐ fǎ
    san1 zhong3 hui3 fa3
san chung hui fa
 sanshu kehō
(or 三種懺法) Three modes of repentance: (a) 無生悔 to meditate on the way to prevent wrong thoughts and delusions; (b) 取相悔 to seek the presence of the Buddha to rid one of sinful thoughts and passions; (c) 作法懺 in proper form to confess one's breach of the rules before the Buddha and seek remission.

佛性中道

see styles
fó xìng zhōng dào
    fo2 xing4 zhong1 dao4
fo hsing chung tao
 busshō chūdō
Middle Way of Buddha-nature

皆成佛道

see styles
jiē chéng fó dào
    jie1 cheng2 fo2 dao4
chieh ch`eng fo tao
    chieh cheng fo tao
 kai jō butsudō
all accomplish the buddha-way

三七日思惟

see styles
sān qī rì sī wéi
    san1 qi1 ri4 si1 wei2
san ch`i jih ssu wei
    san chi jih ssu wei
 sanshichi nichi shiyui
The twenty-one days spent by the Buddha, after his enlightenment, in walking round the bo-tree and considering how to carry his Mahāyāna way of salvation to the world; v. 法華經,方便品.

天帝生驢胎

see styles
tiān dì shēng lǘ tāi
    tian1 di4 sheng1 lv2 tai1
t`ien ti sheng lü t`ai
    tien ti sheng lü tai
Lord of devas, born in the womb of an ass, a Buddhist fable, that Indra knowing he was to be reborn from the womb of an ass, in sorrow sought to escape his fate, and was told that trust in Buddha was the only way. Before he reached Buddha his life came to an end and he found himself in the ass. His resolve, however, had proved effective, for the master of the ass beat her so hard that she dropped her foal dead. Thus Indra returned to his former existence and began his ascent to Buddha.

有空中三時


有空中三时

see styles
yǒu kōng zhōng sān shí
    you3 kong1 zhong1 san1 shi2
yu k`ung chung san shih
    yu kung chung san shih
 u kū chū sanji
The 法相宗 Dharmalakṣaṇa school divides the Buddha's teaching into three periods, in which he taught (1) the unreality of the ego, as shown in the 阿含 Āgamas, etc.; (2) the unreality of the dharmas, as in the 船若 Prajñāpāramitā, etc.; and (3) the middle or uniting way, as in the 解深密經 Sandhinimocana-sūtra, etc., the last being the foundation text of this school.

Entries with 2nd row of characters: The 2nd row is Simplified Chinese.

This page contains 58 results for "Buddha Way" in Chinese and/or Japanese.



Information about this dictionary:

Apparently, we were the first ones who were crazy enough to think that western people might want a combined Chinese, Japanese, and Buddhist dictionary.

A lot of westerners can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese - and there is a reason for that. Chinese characters and even whole words were borrowed by Japan from the Chinese language in the 5th century. Much of the time, if a word or character is used in both languages, it will have the same or a similar meaning. However, this is not always true. Language evolves, and meanings independently change in each language.

Example: The Chinese character 湯 for soup (hot water) has come to mean bath (hot water) in Japanese. They have the same root meaning of "hot water", but a 湯屋 sign on a bathhouse in Japan would lead a Chinese person to think it was a "soup house" or a place to get a bowl of soup. See this: Japanese Bath House

This dictionary uses the EDICT and CC-CEDICT dictionary files.
EDICT data is the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, and is used in conformance with the Group's license.

Chinese Buddhist terms come from Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms by William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodous. This is commonly referred to as "Soothill's'". It was first published in 1937 (and is now off copyright so we can use it here). Some of these definitions may be misleading, incomplete, or dated, but 95% of it is good information. Every professor who teaches Buddhism or Eastern Religion has a copy of this on their bookshelf. We incorporated these 16,850 entries into our dictionary database ourselves (it was lot of work).



Combined, these cover 1,007,753 Japanese, Chinese, and Buddhist characters, words, idioms, names, placenames, and short phrases.

Just because a word appears here does not mean it is appropriate for a tattoo, your business name, etc. Please consult a professional before doing anything stupid with this data.

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No warranty as to the correctness, potential vulgarity, or clarity is expressed or implied. We did not write any of these definitions (though we occasionally act as a contributor/editor to the CC-CEDICT project). You are using this dictionary for free, and you get what you pay for.

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