A living glossary of Buddhist terms. Key concepts from Tiantai, Tendai, and broader Mahayana practice, defined in plain language for daily study. New terms are added regularly.
A
Adhimukti (勝解) Firm resolve or confident understanding that supports deep practice and vows.
Ajāta (不生) “Unborn” — expressing the ultimately unproduced nature of reality; used in non-arising contemplations.
Ālayavijñāna (阿賴耶識) The “storehouse consciousness” in Yogācāra thought, where karmic seeds are stored; sometimes discussed in Tiantai to explain continuity of mind.
Amitābha (阿彌陀佛) The Buddha of Infinite Light; Tendai integrates nembutsu within a Lotus-centered path.
Anātman [Anattā] (無我) Non-self; the absence of a permanent, independent essence within beings or phenomena.
Anutpattikadharmakṣānti (無生法忍) The patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas — a profound bodhisattva realization.
Anuttarā Samyaksambodhi The unsurpassed, proper, and equal, right enlightenment. Representing the clean and perfect awakening of a Buddha or Boddhisattva.
Arhat (阿羅漢) A “Worthy One” who has attained personal liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Revered in early Buddhism, but in Mahāyāna regarded as a stage on the way to complete Buddhahood.
Avalokiteśvara (觀音, Guanyin) The Bodhisattva of Compassion, “One who perceives the cries of the world.” Central figure of devotion in Tiantai and East Asian Buddhism.
B
Bhūmi (地) The ten bodhisattva stages of development toward Buddhahood.
Bodhicitta (菩提心) The mind of awakening — the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
Bodhisattva (菩薩) One who vows to realize Buddhahood and to guide all beings to liberation before entering Nirvāṇa themselves.
Brahmā Net Sutra (梵網經) A Mahāyāna scripture on Bodhisattva precepts; foundational for Saichō’s ordination reforms on Mount Hiei.
Buddha (佛) “Awakened One.” One who has fully realized wisdom and compassion, having completely awakened to the true nature of reality.
Buddha-nature (佛性) The inherent potential for awakening present in all beings — the basis of Tiantai’s teaching that “a single thought contains the ten realms.”
Burning House Parable (火宅喩) A central parable of the *Lotus Sutra* illustrating how the Buddha uses skillful means (upāya) to lead beings to safety and enlightenment.
C
Causes and Conditions (因緣) The doctrine that all things arise through interdependent factors; essential to Tiantai’s view of reality as dynamic and relational.
Calming and Contemplation (止觀, Zhiguan) The Tiantai method of meditative practice combining calming (śamatha) and insight (vipaśyanā) to cultivate stillness and wisdom together.
Chan–Tendai syncretism (禪天台融通) Historical blending of meditation methods and doctrinal lenses in East Asian practice communities.
Compassion (karuṇā) The wish and effort to relieve the suffering of others; in Mahāyāna, inseparable from wisdom.
Contemplation of the Mind (觀心) A Tiantai meditative approach of observing the arising and passing of mental states to perceive their empty, provisional, and middle natures.
Contemplation of True Nature (真性觀) Seeing all dharmas as empty/provisional/middle simultaneously — Tiantai’s hallmark contemplation.
D
Dependent Origination (緣起) The principle that all phenomena exist only through mutual dependence; the structural truth behind emptiness.
Dharma (法) The teaching of the Buddha; also, the truth or law that underlies all phenomena.
Dhāraṇī (陀羅尼) Mnemonic/ritual formulas used for protection, dedication, and focus; common in Tendai liturgy.
Dharmadhātu-interpenetration (法界圓融) The total field of reality as mutually containing and unhindered — basis for “one thought, three thousand.”
Dharma Realm (法界) The totality of existence seen as one interdependent reality; in Tiantai, all realms interpenetrate without obstruction.
Dhyāna (禪那, Chan/Zen) Meditative absorption or concentration; the root of the word “Zen.”
Doctrinal Classification (判教, Panjiao) Tiantai’s method of organizing the Buddha’s teachings into chronological and hierarchical frameworks (e.g., Five Periods, Eight Teachings).
E
Eight Negations (八不) Neither arising nor ceasing, permanent nor impermanent, identical nor different, coming nor going — a Middle Way formula inherited via Nāgārjuna.
Eight Teachings (八教) Tiantai’s didactic classification: Four by method (sudden, gradual, secret, indeterminate) and Four by content (Tripiṭaka, Shared, Distinct, Perfect).
Eightfold Path (八正道) The Buddha’s practical path to liberation: right view, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
Ekayāna (一乘, One Vehicle) The “single vehicle” to Buddhahood taught in the *Lotus Sutra* — all paths and teachings ultimately lead to enlightenment.
Emptiness (空, Śūnyatā) The absence of inherent self-nature in all things; the basis for interdependence and compassion.
F
Five Flavors (五味) Milk → cream → curds → butter → ghee: a Lotus metaphor for the maturation of the Buddha’s teachings.
Five Periods (五時) Zhiyi’s classification of the Buddha’s teaching career into five sequential stages culminating in the *Lotus Sutra* and *Nirvāṇa Sutra*.
Five Periods and Eight Teachings (五時八教) Tiantai’s grand hermeneutical schema combining chronological and doctrinal classification.
Four Noble Truths (四聖諦) The core of the Buddha’s teaching: (1) suffering exists, (2) it has a cause, (3) it can cease, and (4) there is a path leading to its cessation.
Four Reliances (四依法) Rely on the Dharma, not the person; rely on meaning, not words; rely on definitive meaning, not provisional; rely on wisdom, not consciousness.
Four Samādhis (四種三昧) Tiantai meditation cycles balancing walking, sitting, mixed, and neither-walking-nor-sitting practice — the structure of continuous cultivation.
Four Siddhāntas (四悉檀) Four pedagogical aims: worldly benefit, tailored guidance, countering attachments, definitive teaching.
Four Teachings (四教) Tiantai’s classification of doctrinal depth: the Tripiṭaka, Shared, Distinct, and Perfect Teachings — with the *Lotus Sutra* representing the Perfect.
Fourfold Sameness (四一) Tiantai’s teaching that all Buddhas share one body, one wisdom, one activity, and one liberation.
G
Goma (護摩) Tendai esoteric fire ritual for purification and vow-making, integrated from Vajrayāna streams.
Guanyin (觀音) The Chinese name for Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion; one of the most venerated figures in East Asian Buddhism.
H
Hongaku (本覺, Original Enlightenment) Later Tendai doctrine emphasizing innate enlightenment and its dynamic manifestation (acquired enlightenment).
Hossō–Tiantai debate (法相天台論) Classical East Asian disputes on consciousness-only vs. perfect-sudden frameworks.
Huisi (慧思) Zhiyi’s teacher and the second patriarch of Tiantai; transmitter of the *zhiguan* (calming and contemplation) method.
I
Ichinen Sanzen (一念三千) “One thought contains three thousand worlds” — Tiantai’s insight that every single moment of consciousness contains the entirety of existence.
Indeterminate Teaching (不定教) A teaching that yields different realizations depending on the listener’s capacities; part of Tiantai’s “Four by method.”
Indra’s Net (因陀羅網) A metaphor for universal interdependence: each jewel in Indra’s net reflects all others, symbolising mutual interpenetration.
Insight into the Middle (中道觀智) Direct cognition of the non-dual identity of emptiness and provisional truth.
J
J jewel in the robe (衣裏明珠) Lotus parable: the treasure has always been present; we awaken to what we already carry.
K
Kaihōgyō (回峰行) Ascetic mountain circumambulation practice on Mount Hiei; a demanding Tendai training embodying vow and compassion in motion.
Kalpa (劫) An eon — a vast cosmic period used to describe the timescale of Buddhist cosmology and practice.
Kanjin (觀心, introspective seeing) Tiantai/Tendai practice of “observing the mind” to realize the Threefold Truth in the present thought.
Karma (業) Action and its moral consequence. Intentional deeds of body, speech, and mind create effects experienced in this or future lives.
L
Lotus Repentance (法華懺法) A ritual/meditative program of confession and renewal grounded in the Lotus’ vision of universal Buddhahood.
Lotus Samādhi (法華三昧) Meditative absorption focusing on the truths of the *Lotus Sutra*; often recited or contemplated in Tiantai and Tendai retreats.
Lotus Samādhi Repentance (法華三昧懺儀) Structured liturgy combining sutra recitation, prostrations, visualization, and vows.
Lotus Sutra (法華經) The central scripture of Tiantai and Tendai Buddhism. Teaches that all beings possess the potential for Buddhahood and that all paths are expressions of the One Vehicle.
Lotus Sutra’s Five Parables (法華五喩) Key teaching parables: the Burning House, the Prodigal Son, the Herbs, the Phantom City, and the Jewel in the Robe — each illustrating stages of awakening.
M
Mahāyāna (大乘) “The Great Vehicle” — a broad tradition of Buddhism emphasizing universal compassion and the Bodhisattva ideal.
Makashikan (摩訶止觀) Japanese reading of *Mohe Zhiguan*; foundational Tendai meditation manual on the Four Samādhis.
Mandala (曼荼羅) Ritual diagrams (e.g., **Taizōkai** Womb World & **Kongōkai** Vajra World) used in Tendai esoteric cultivation.
Mantra (真言) A sacred sound or phrase used in meditative recitation, particularly within Tendai’s esoteric (Mikkyō) tradition.
Middle Way (中道) The insight that transcends the extremes of existence and nonexistence, pleasure and pain; in Tiantai, expressed through the Threefold Truth.
Mikkyō (密教) “Esoteric teaching.” Tendai’s integration of Vajrayāna-style ritual, mantra, and mandala practice with its Lotus-centered doctrine.
Middle Contemplation (中觀) A Tiantai method of perceiving the unity of emptiness and provisional existence: the Middle as simultaneous truth.
Mohe Zhiguan (摩訶止觀) Zhiyi’s *Great Calming and Contemplation*, a foundational Tiantai meditation text combining doctrine and practice.
Mutual Possession of the Ten Realms (十界互具) Each realm contains the other nine; even delusion holds the seed of Buddhahood — basis for compassionate view of self/other.
N
Nāgārjuna (龍樹) Indian philosopher (c. 150–250 CE), founder of the Madhyamaka school, whose doctrine of emptiness influenced Tiantai thought.
Nembutsu (念佛) Recitation of the Buddha’s name, especially Amitābha’s; integrated into Tendai as one of many paths to cultivate mindfulness of the Buddha.
Nembutsu Samādhi (念佛三昧) Mindfulness of the Buddha integrated as contemplation/recitation within Tiantai/Tendai curricula.
Nirvāṇa (涅槃) The state of liberation from suffering and rebirth — peace beyond conceptual grasping.
Non-obstruction (無礙) Reality’s facets interpenetrate without hindrance; doctrine of unhindered interfusion (事事無礙, 理事無礙).
O
One Vehicle (一乘, Ekayāna) The Lotus’ teaching that all expedient paths converge in Buddhahood — Tiantai’s Perfect Teaching.
Ordination Platform for Mahāyāna Precepts (大乘戒壇) Saichō’s vision of a bodhisattva-precepts-based ordination on Mount Hiei.
P
Pañcavidyā (五明) The “five sciences” — traditional fields of knowledge supporting bodhisattva activity.
Perfect and Sudden (圓頓) Tiantai’s apex mode: teaching/practice revealing completeness and immediacy in every dharma.
Phantom City (化城喩) Lotus parable: provisional resting place to encourage weary travelers. A metaphor for expedient means.
Prajñā (般若) Wisdom — direct insight into emptiness and interdependence; often paired with compassion.
Prajñā-pāramitā (般若波羅蜜多) The Perfection of Wisdom; the realization of emptiness and compassionate action.
Precepts (戒) Ethical guidelines forming the foundation of Buddhist practice; in Tendai, the Bodhisattva precepts became central to ordination.
Provisional (假) In Tiantai’s Threefold Truth, the recognition that phenomena, though empty, have functional existence within interdependence.
R
Reading the Three Truths in One Thought (一心三觀) Experiencing emptiness, provisionality, and the middle simultaneously in the very mind that seeks.
Remonstration (諫暁) Compassionate correction — guiding others away from harmful views or practices.
S
Saichō (最澄) Founder of the Japanese Tendai school on Mount Hiei (767–822); transmitted Tiantai teachings from China and emphasized comprehensive practice.
Samādhi (三昧) A meditative absorption or unification of mind; deep concentration leading to insight and tranquility.
Samantabhadra (普賢菩薩) Bodhisattva of practice and vows, often paired with Mañjuśrī (wisdom) and appearing in the closing chapters of the *Lotus Sutra*.
Śamatha (觀) “Calm abiding”. A practice to quiet the mind and develop deep concentration by focusing on a single object, typically the breath. Pair with Vipaśyanā (insight) meditation.
Samaya (三昧耶) Tantric vow/commitment; in Tendai, ethical/ritual fidelity within esoteric practice.
Samsāra (輪迴) The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth conditioned by karma and ignorance.
Secret Teaching (秘密教) Teaching given such that only select listeners understand — one of Tiantai’s “Four by method.”
Separate vs. Perfect (別教 / 圓教) Tiantai’s distinction between advanced but partial teachings (Separate) and fully integrated insight (Perfect).
Six Identities (六即) From innate Buddhahood to ultimate realization: name, contemplation, resemblance, partial realization, full cultivation, ultimate attainment.
Skillful Means (方便, Upāya) The Buddha’s compassionate method of teaching according to the capacities of beings; a central theme of the *Lotus Sutra*.
Six Identities (六即) Tiantai’s explanation of six degrees of potential and actual enlightenment, from inherent Buddhahood to ultimate realization.
Śrāvaka (聲聞) A “hearer” disciple who attains liberation through hearing and practicing the Buddha’s teachings; contrasted with the Bodhisattva path.
Suchness (真如) The ultimate reality of all phenomena — things as they truly are, beyond conceptual fabrication.
Sudden Teaching (頓教) Direct, immediate pointing to truth; contrasted with gradual cultivation — both are harmonized in Tiantai.
Śūnyatā (空) Emptiness; the absence of independent essence in all phenomena — key to understanding interdependence.
T
Ten Modes of Contemplation (十乘觀法) A Tiantai ladder of investigatory methods (e.g., contemplating arising/ceasing, causes/conditions, the ten suchnesses) leading into the Middle.
Ten Realms (十界) Ten states of existence — from hells to Buddhahood — each containing all others, expressing the mutual interpenetration of all life.
Ten Subtleties (十妙) Tiantai schema detailing subtle aspects of reality/practice (e.g., opening/merging, subtle wisdom, subtle realm, subtle practice).
Ten Suchnesses (十如是) A Tiantai framework describing the dynamic nature of existence: appearance, nature, entity, power, activity, cause, condition, effect, retribution, and ultimate consistency.
Tendai (天台宗) The Japanese branch of Tiantai, founded by Saichō, known for integrating esoteric ritual, meditation, and study.
Three Contemplations in One Mind (一心三觀) Tiantai’s simultaneous contemplation of emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle truth.
Three Thousand Worlds in One Thought (一念三千) A single moment of mind includes the ten realms × their mutual possession × the ten suchnesses × three realms — totality within the instant.
Threefold Contemplation (一心三觀) Tiantai meditation simultaneously contemplating emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle — seeing them as three aspects of one reality.
Threefold Karma (三業) Actions of body, speech, and mind — purified through precepts, meditation, and wisdom.
Threefold Truth (空假中) Tiantai’s core doctrine: emptiness (all phenomena lack fixed nature), provisional existence (they function provisionally), and the Middle (their inseparable unity).
Tiantai (天台) The Chinese Buddhist school founded by Zhiyi, emphasizing the Lotus Sutra and the integration of doctrine, meditation, and ethics.
Trikāya (三身) The three bodies of the Buddha: Dharma Body (truth), Reward Body (enlightened wisdom), and Emanation Body (active compassion).
Tripiṭaka (三藏) The “Three Baskets” of Buddhist scriptures: Sūtra (discourses), Vinaya (monastic discipline), and Abhidharma (analytical doctrine).
Tripiṭaka vs. Shared vs. Distinct vs. Perfect (藏通別圓) The four content-teachings in Tiantai’s doctrinal classification.
U
Upadeśa (論, instruction) Exegetical or instructional treatises used to unpack sutra meaning and guide practice.
Upāya (方便) Skillful means — compassionate adaptation of teachings to fit the listener’s capacity; fundamental to Tiantai’s view of the Buddha’s diverse teachings.
Uposatha (布薩日) Regular observance days for purification, reflection, and renewed commitment to precepts — traditionally at the full and new moon.
V
Vairocana (毘盧遮那佛) Cosmic Buddha central in esoteric systems; represented in Tendai’s dual mandalas (Womb/Vajra Worlds).
Vipaśyanā (觀) Insight meditation — clear seeing into the nature of reality; paired with śamatha (calming) in Tiantai’s *zhiguan* practice.
Vow (願, Praṇidhāna) Heart-direction of practice; fuels bodhisattva conduct and the integration of precepts/meditation/wisdom.
W
Wonderful Enlightenment (妙覺) The consummate stage of Buddhahood; in Tiantai, “wonderful” signals the inexhaustible, interpenetrating nature of awakening.
Z
Zhiguan (止觀) “Calming and Contemplation” — Tiantai’s integrated meditative path of śamatha and vipaśyanā.
Zhiyi (智顗) Founder of the Tiantai school (538–597), synthesizing meditation and doctrine into a comprehensive path of insight and compassion.
Zhiguan (止觀) “Calming and Contemplation” — Tiantai’s meditative system uniting stillness and insight in a single practice.
Zōgaku / Engaku (增覺 / 圓覺) “Augmented/Perfect Enlightenment” — terms used in classificatory schemes to describe maturation toward Buddhahood.
Rituals, Liturgies & Common Practices
B
Bell and Mokugyō (鐘・木魚) Instruments used in chanting and recitation: the bell marks transitions or emphasis; the *mokugyō* (fish drum) keeps rhythmic continuity, symbolising wakefulness.
Bowing (禮拝) Physical gesture of reverence expressing humility and unity of body–speech–mind; ranges from half-bows to full prostrations.
C
Chanting (誦経) Recitation of sutras, mantras, or names of Buddhas/Bodhisattvas. In Tiantai/Tendai, often includes the *Lotus Sutra*, *Heart Sutra*, and *Nembutsu*.
Chōka (朝課) Morning service; includes offerings of incense, recitation of sutras, and dedication of merit.
D
Dharani (陀羅尼) Long mantra-like formulae conveying meaning through sound; recited for protection, purification, or dedication.
Dedicating Merit (廻向) Concluding act of transferring one’s cultivated virtue to benefit all beings — a core Mahāyāna ethic.
E
Esoteric Rite (密教法) Tendai integrates Vajrayāna-style rituals, mandalas, and initiations (abhiṣeka) into its comprehensive practice.
G
Gasshō (合掌) Hands pressed together at heart level, symbolising unity of dualities — wisdom and compassion, self and other.
Goma Fire Offering (護摩) Tendai esoteric purification ritual: symbolic burning of afflictions, dedicating offerings to the Buddhas.
K
Kaidan (戒壇) Ordination platform; Saichō established a Mahāyāna precepts platform on Mount Hiei focused on bodhisattva vows rather than monastic Vinaya.
Kaji (加持) “Empowerment” or spiritual blessing generated through mantra and meditation; mutual resonance between practitioner and Buddha.
L
Lamp Offering (供灯) Lighting lamps or candles before the Buddha to dispel ignorance and express gratitude.
Lotus Repentance Ceremony (法華懺儀) Structured service combining confession, sutra recitation, and vows for renewal and harmony with all beings.
M
Mantra (真言) Sacred syllables representing enlightened energy; in Tendai, part of daily ritual and meditation (e.g., *Amitābha*, *Vairocana* mantras).
Morning and Evening Services (朝暮課) Regular devotions that anchor daily life in recollection of the Buddha’s teaching.
N
Nembutsu (念仏) Recitation of the Buddha’s name — usually “Namu Amida Butsu” — to cultivate mindfulness of the Buddha and gratitude for awakening.
O
Offering (供養) Acts of giving — incense, flowers, food, time — to honour the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).
P
Precepts Ceremony (受戒) Formal taking or renewing of moral vows; in Tiantai/Tendai, often the Bodhisattva Precepts of the *Brahmā Net Sutra*.
R
Recitation Hall (念佛堂) Space dedicated to chanting, walking meditation, or nembutsu — often adjoining the main hall (hondō).
S
Samaya Offering (三昧耶供) Esoteric ritual offering symbolising harmony of vow and wisdom.
Service Book (経本, Kyōhon) Booklet of liturgical texts and chants used during services and ceremonies.
Shōmyō (声明) Tendai Buddhist chant style blending Indian tonal roots and Japanese aesthetics.
T
Tenfold Dedication (十廻向) Series of Mahāyāna dedication formulas directing virtue toward universal awakening.
Walking Meditation (経行) Practised between sittings to unify body and breath; one of the Four Samādhis.
Parables of the Lotus Sutra (法華七喩)
1. Parable of the Burning House (火宅喩) A father entices his children out of a burning house with three kinds of carts, then grants them one grand cart. Theme: Illustrates how the Buddha employs skillful means, offering different teachings suited to beings’ capacities (the “three vehicles”) even though ultimately all lead to the one true path (the One Vehicle).
2. Parable of the Prodigal Son (窮子喩) A son, having run away, wanders in poverty for 50 years and fails to recognise his wealthy father. Gradually, he is drawn in to more honourable work until he learns his true identity Theme: Symbolises how disciples may not initially recognise their own innate buddha-nature, but through gradual guidance and renamed roles, the Buddha leads them to confidence and full awakening.
3. Parable of the Medicinal Herbs (薬草喩) Rain falls equally on all plants, though each absorbs what it can, according to it’s nature. Theme: The Buddha’s teachings (the Dharma) is universal and impartial, but beings respond in varied ways depending on their readiness and capacity.
4. Parable of the Phantom (Illusory) City (化城喩) A conjured city offers rest and disappears before travellers reach the real treasured land. Theme: Provisional teachings or temporary goals (e.g. small-vehicle’s teachings, temporary nirvana) serve only to sustain and encourage practitioners, but the ultimate destination is full Buddhahood, which must be pursued after the “rest” is over.
5. Parable of the Jewel in the Robe / Hidden Jewel (衣裏明珠喩) A friend secretly sews a jewel into poor, drunk man’s robe. When he wakes, he eventually discovers the treasure he possessed. Theme: Beings already possess inherent buddha-nature (the “treasure”) but often fail to recognise it due to ignorance and heedlessness. Awakening is uncovering what is already there.
6. Parable of the Gem in the Topknot (The Hidden Sutra) (頂上珠喩) The Buddha keeps his final jewel in his top knot to bestow only when his disciples are ready. Theme: The Lotus Sutra is the hidden, ultimate teaching that the Buddha withheld until the time was right. It is the deepest truth beyond conventional teachings.
7. Parable of the Excellent Physician (The Medicine King) (良医喩) A doctor feigns his own death so his sons will take the medicine to save themselves, revealing he is alive only after they take it. Theme: The Buddha may employ shocking or apparently puzzling expedient (even sometimes “self-concealment” or feigned death) so that beings wake up and take the remedy of the Dharma. It underscores the compassion and cunning of his invaluable methods.