Buddhist textsBuddhist texts are religious texts that belong to, or are associated with, Buddhism and its traditions. There is no single textual collection for all of Buddhism. Instead, there are three main Buddhist Canons: the Pāli Canon of the Theravāda tradition, the Chinese Buddhist Canon used in East Asian Buddhist tradition, and the Tibetan Buddhist Canon used in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.
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MantraSacred utterance or sound used in meditation, often repeatedElder women performing spell (Mantra) to break the evil eyeClockwise from upper left: Om (an ancient Vedic mantra used in Hinduism and Buddhism); the Ṇamōkāra mantra (the most important mantra in Jainism); the Vajrayana Buddhist E-VAM mantra, known as the Kalachakra "Tenfold Powerful One"; the Hare Krishna mantra in a modern concert setting; Om mani padme hum (a popular Buddhist mantra) in Tianjin Temple (Ranjana script).A mantra ( ; Pali: mantra) or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language such as Sanskrit or Avestan) that practitioners believe to have religious, magical or spiritual powers.
Lotus SutraPopular sutra in Mahāyāna BuddhismJapanese illustration depicting white lotuses in Chapter 25: "Universal Gateway" of the Lotus Sūtra. Text inscribed by Sugawara Mitsushige, Kamakura period, c. 1257, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: सद्धर्मपुण्डरीक सूत्रम्, IAST: Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit.
Heart SutraThe Heart Sūtra is a popular sūtra in Mahāyāna Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the title Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya translates as "The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom". It is traditionally associated with the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (commonly known in East Asian Buddhism as Guanyin), who is the interlocutor of the sūtra. The sūtra famously states, "Form is emptiness (śūnyatā), emptiness is form."
Mahayana sutrasThe Mahayana sutras are Buddhist texts that are accepted as canonical and authentic buddhavacana in Mahayana Buddhist sanghas. These include three types of sutras: Those spoken by the Buddha; those spoken through the Buddha's blessings; and those spoken through mandate. They are largely preserved in Sanskrit manuscripts, and in translations such as the Tibetan Buddhist canon, and Chinese Buddhist canon.
TantraTantra (; Sanskrit: तन्त्र, lit.'loom'), is an esoteric yogic tradition. It was developed in the Indian subcontinent, beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE; initially within Shaivism and Shaktism practices, and subsequently in Buddhism and Vaishnavism. Tantra presents complex cosmologies, viewing the body as divine and typically reflecting the union of Shiva and Shakti.
Merit (Buddhism)Concept considered fundamental to Buddhist ethicsMerit, demerit and its retributions at the level of the individual. Based on Spiro.Merit (Sanskrit: puṇya; Pali: puñña) is a concept considered fundamental to Buddhist ethics. It is a beneficial and protective force which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts, or thoughts.
PaliMiddle Indo-Aryan languagePāli (; IAST: Pāḷi) is a Middle Indo-Aryan language that is widely studied as the sacred language of Theravada Buddhism and the language of the Tipiṭaka. Pali was designated a classical language of India by the Government of India on 3 October 2024. Origin and developmentEtymologyThe word 'Pali' is used as a name for the language of the Theravada canon.TheravadaTheravāda (Pali: 𑀣𑁂𑀭𑀯𑀸𑀤, Theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद, Sthaviravāda) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed Theravādins (anglicized from Pali theravādī, 𑀣𑁂𑀭𑀯𑀸𑀤𑀻), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over two millennia.
BulguksaBulguksa (Korean: 불국사) is a Buddhist temple on Tohamsan, in Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and contains six National Treasures, including the Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo (Blue Cloud Bridge), and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha. The temple is classified as a Historic Site by the South Korean government.
SanskritAncient Indo-Aryan language of South AsiaSanskrit (; stem form संस्कृत; nominal singular संस्कृतम्, saṃskṛtam,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age.
Siddhaṃ scriptSiddhaṃ (Sanskrit pronunciation: [sidːʱɐ̃]) (also known as Kutila) is an Indic script used in India from the 6th century to the 13th century. Also known in its later evolved form as Siddhamātṛkā, Siddham is a medieval Brahmic abugida, derived from the Gupta script and ancestral to the Nāgarī, Eastern Nagari, Tirhuta, Odia and Nepalese scripts.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.