Vajrayana meditation on a deity in order to develop his or her qualities.
What is deity yoga?
100
Cyclic existence; the continual round of birth, death, and rebirth.
What is samsara?
100
The monastic community; more broadly, a Dharma community.
What is Sangha?
100
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
What is Triple Gem ?
100
The teachings and laws for conduct given by the Buddha.
What is Dharma (Pali: Dhamma)?
200
Insight. A meditation technique for developing insight into dukkha, anicca, and anatta.
What is vipassana ?
200
Ancient Buddhist scriptures written in Pali and considered authoritative.
What is Pali Canon ?
200
Discomfort, suffering, frustration, disharmony.
What is dukkha?
200
A question used by Zen teachers to boggle the student’s mind and thus liberate direct awareness.
What is a koan?
200
The remaining orthodox school of Buddhism, which adheres to the earliest scriptures.
What is Theravada ?
300
A high Vajrayana teacher.
What is a lama?
300
Sitting meditation, in Zen schools.
What is zazen ?
300
A monk or nun who renounces worldliness for the sake of following the path of liberation and whose simple physical needs are met by lay supporters.
What is a bhikshu? (Pali: bhikku; feminine: bhikshuni or bhikkuni)
300
A branch of Mahayana Buddhism practiced in the Tibetan diaspora that incorporates deity yoga, mantras, mudras (hand gestures), and mandalas to achieve awakening.
What is Vajrayana ?
300
The principle that there is no eternal self.
What is anatman? (Pali:anatta)
400
The doctrine of voidness, emptiness.
What is sunyata ?
400
Liberation from mental afflictions, suffering, and rebirth.
What is nirvana?
400
A Chinese and Japanese school emphasizing that all things have Buddha-nature, which can only be grasped when one escapes from the intellectual mind.
What is Zen?
400
A “worthy one” who has followed the Buddha’s path to liberation.
What is arhant? (Pali: arhat or arahat)
400
Monument containing Buddhist relics or images.
What is stupa ?
500
A sudden experience of enlightened awareness.
What is kensho?
500
extra credit: What was the Buddha's name initially?
Siddharta Gautama
500
Actions; the law of cause and effect.
What is karma (Pali: kamma)?
500
The “Great Vehicle,” the Buddhist school that stresses the altruistic wish to become perfectly awakened in order to free all living beings from suffering.