Getting The Buddha Mind 139

Glossary

• AMITABHA BUDDHA: the Buddha of the Western Paradise of the Pure Land sect. See "Pure Land."
• AMITABHA SUTRA: the principle scripture on which the Pure Land sect is based. See "Pure Land."
• ARHAT: ("noble one") In Buddhist tradition, especially Theravadin, the arhat has completed the course of Buddhist practice, and has attained full liberation, or Nirvana. As such the arhat is no longer subject to rebirth and death. The Mahayana tradition regards the arhat as a less than perfect ideal, in comparison to that of the bodhisattva who vows to postpone his own liberation until all sentient beings are delivered. See "BODHISATTVA."
• AVATAMSAKA SUTRA: a massive Mahayana Buddhist sutra translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the fifth century, seventh century, and early ninth century. The sutra became quite popular among Chinese Buddhists and eventually became the basis of the Hua-yen philosophical school. The Ch'an school has always held it in especially high regard.

• BHIKSU: a fully ordained Buddhist monk.
• BHIKSUNI: a fully ordained Buddhist nun.
• BODHI-MIND: (Sanskrit: bodhicitta, "mind of awakening") in the Mahayana tradition, the aspiration for enlightenment in behalf of all sentient beings. Giving rise to the Bodhi-mind is the first step in establishing oneself on the bodhisattva path.
• BODHISATTVA: the role model in the Mahayana tradition. The bodhisattva is a being who vows to remain in the world life after life, postponing his own full liberation until all other living beings are delivered.
• BUDDHA DHARMA: the truths and teaching of Buddhism; the Dharma as taught by the Buddha. See "Dharma."

• CH'AN: (Japanese: zen) the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word dhyana. Generally, the term refers to the cultivation or experience of meditative states as means for attaining enlightenment. Specifically, the term refers to the school of Chinese Buddhism known as "Ch'an." In this context Ch'an also refers to the direct experience of prajna, or insight. Being within the Mahayana tradition, the Ch'an school, while emphasizing meditation, took the bodhisattva ideal as the realization of Buddhist practice. In Japan, the practice and school became known as "Zen."

• DHARMA: Dharma has two basic meanings. On the one hand, it means the Buddhist "Law" or "Teaching." On the other hand dharma simply refers to a "thing" or "object, " a physical or mental phenomenon. See "Three Jewels."
• DHYANA: a Sanskrit term designating certain states of meditative absorption cultivated by Buddhist practitioners as a technique for attaining enlightenment. See "Ch'an."
• DIAMOND SUTRA: (Sanskrit: Vajracchedika sutra) A sutra belonging to the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) system of literature, which expounds on the ultimate truth of emptiness. With the Heart Sutra, it is one of the most important scriptures in the Ch'an (and Zen) schools.

• HINAYANA: the "lesser vehicle" of the sravakas (hearers of Buddha's teaching) and arhats who strive mainly for their own personal liberation. In contrast, Mahayana, or the "great vehicle, " is the broader teaching of the bodhisattva who, out of compassion, puts his own salvation last and uses all available means to save sentient beings. (Hinayana is sometimes used to refer to Theravada, the form of Buddhism practiced in Southeast Asian countries.)
• HUA-T'OU: (Japanese: wato) literally, the source of the words (before they are uttered), a method used in the Ch'an school to arouse the doubt sensation. The practitioner meditates on such baffling questions as: "What is Wu?" "Where am I?" or "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" He does not rely on experience, logic, or reasoning. Often, these phrases are taken from kung-ans, at other times, they are spontaneously generated by the practitioner. The term "hua-t'ou" is often used interchangeably with "kung-an." See "KUNG-AN."