Buddhist cuisine is an Asian cuisine that is followed by monks and many believers from areas historically influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. It is vegetarian or vegan,and it is based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (non-violence). Vegetarianism is common in other Dharmic faiths such as Hinduism,Jainism and Sikhism,as well as East Asian religions like Taoism. While monks,nuns and a minority of believers are vegetarian year-round,many believers follow the Buddhist vegetarian diet for celebrations.
Guanyin is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara. Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin,which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World". Due to sociogeographical factors,Guanyin can be historically depicted as genderless or adorning an androgynous apprentice. On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month,Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated. Guanyin has been appropriated by other religions,including Taoism and Chinese folk religion.
Namu MyōhōRenge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華経) are Japanese words chanted within all forms of Nichiren Buddhism. In English,they mean "Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra" or "Glory to the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra".
In Buddhism,Avalokiteśvara,also known as Lokeśvara and Chenrezig,is a tenth-level bodhisattva associated with great compassion (mahakaruṇā). He is often associated with Amitabha Buddha. Avalokiteśvara has numerous manifestations and is depicted in various forms and styles. In some texts,he is even considered to be the source of all Hindu deities.
The Nianfo,alternatively in Japanese as 念仏,Korean: 염불;RR: yeombul,or in Vietnamese:niệm Phật,is a Buddhist practice central to the East Asian Buddhism. The Chinese term nianfo is a translation of Sanskrit buddhānusmṛti,which is a classic Buddhist mindfulness (smṛti) practice.
A woodblock is a small slit drum made from a single piece of wood. The term generally signifies the Western orchestral instrument,but may also refer to the Chinese woodblock. Alternative names sometimes used in ragtime and jazz are clog box and tap box. In orchestral music scores,woodblocks may be indicated by the French bloc de bois or tambour de bois,German Holzblock or Holzblocktrommel,or Italian cassa di legno.
Kṣitigarbha is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually depicted as a Buddhist monk. His name may be translated as "Earth Treasury","Earth Store","Earth Matrix",or "Earth Womb". Kṣitigarbha is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya,as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied. He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings,as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children and aborted fetuses in Japanese culture.
Buddhist symbolism is the use of symbols to represent certain aspects of the Buddha's Dharma (teaching). Early Buddhist symbols which remain important today include the Dharma wheel,the Indian lotus,the three jewels and the Bodhi tree.
Buddhist culture is exemplified through Buddhist art,Buddhist architecture,Buddhist music and Buddhist cuisine. As Buddhism expanded from the Indian subcontinent it adopted artistic and cultural elements of host countries in other parts of Asia.
Ōbaku Zen or the Ōbaku school is one of three main schools of Japanese Zen Buddhism,in addition to the Sōtōand Rinzai schools. The school was founded in Japan by the Chinese monk Ingen Ryūki,who immigrated to Japan during the Manchu conquest of China in the 17th century.
Buddhist music is music created for or inspired by Buddhism and includes numerous ritual and non-ritual musical forms. As a Buddhist art form,music has been used by Buddhists since the time of early Buddhism,as attested by artistic depictions in Indian sites like Sanchi. While certain early Buddhist sources contain negative attitudes to music,Mahayana sources tend to be much more positive to music,seeing it as a suitable offering to the Buddhas and as a skillful means to bring sentient beings to Buddhism.
Ākāśagarbha is a bodhisattva in Chinese,Japanese and Korean Buddhism who is associated with the great element (mahābhūta) of space (ākāśa).
Buddhist liturgy is a formalized service of veneration and worship performed within a Buddhist Sangha community in nearly every traditional denomination and sect in the Buddhist world. It is often done one or more times a day and can vary amongst the Theravada,Mahayana,and Vajrayana sects.
Dharanis,also known as (Skt.) vidyās and paritas or (Pal.) parittas,are lengthier Buddhist mantras functioning as mnemonic codes,incantations,or recitations,and almost exclusively written originally in Sanskrit while Pali dharanis also exist. Believed to generate protection and the power to generate merit for the Buddhist practitioner,they constitute a major part of historic Buddhist literature. Most dharanis are in Sanskrit written in scripts such as Siddhaṃas can be transliterated into Chinese,Korean,Japanese,Vietnamese,Sinhala,Thai and other regional scripts. They are similar to and reflect a continuity of the Vedic chants and mantras.
A khakkhara,sometimes referred to in English as a pewter staff,is a staff topped with metal rings traditionally carried by Buddhist monks,particularly in East Asian Buddhism.
Devotion,a central practice in Buddhism,refers to commitment to religious observances or to an object or person,and may be translated with Sanskrit or Pāli terms like saddhā,gārava or pūjā. Central to Buddhist devotion is the practice of Buddhānussati,the recollection of the inspiring qualities of the Buddha. Although buddhānussati was an important aspect of practice since Buddhism's early period,its importance was amplified with the arising of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Specifically,with Pure Land Buddhism,many forms of devotion were developed to recollect and connect with the celestial Buddhas,especially Amitābha.
This is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism,including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries. Within definitions,words set in boldface are defined elsewhere in the glossary.
Bonshō,also known as tsurigane or ōgane are large bells found in Buddhist temples throughout Japan,used to summon the monks to prayer and to demarcate periods of time. Rather than containing a clapper,bonshō are struck from the outside,using either a handheld mallet or a beam suspended on ropes.
Templestay (Korean: 템플스테이) is a cultural program offered in numerous South Korean Buddhist temples. Templestay allows participants to experience the life of Buddhist practitioners and learn the various aspects of Korean Buddhist culture and history through stories told by monks. The Templestay program has been operating since the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Buddhist coin charms are a category of Chinese,Japanese,Korean,and Vietnamese numismatic charms that depict Buddhist religious imagery or inscriptions. These coin charms often imitate the design of Chinese cash coins,but can exist in many different shapes and sizes. In these countries similar numismatic charms existed for Confucianism and Taoism,and at times Buddhist coin charms would also incorporate symbolism from these other religions.
