A young Buddhist called Hivin welcomes TrueTube to his Vihara in West London. We’re given the full tour while learning about Buddhist beliefs and worship, and even get to see the monks who live there.
A fully ordained Buddhist monk in the Theravada tradition. A man who has taken a vow to follow the Buddha’s teaching and to live within a community of fellow monks.
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Bhikku can be used as a title for a monk (like “Mister”)and can go before or after his name. For example, Bhikku Bodhi, or Thanissaro Bhikku.
A fully ordained Buddhist nun in the Theravada tradition. A woman who has taken a vow to follow the Buddha’s teaching and to live within a community of fellow nuns.
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According to Buddhist tradition, the order of nuns (Bhikkunis) was started by the Buddha when it was requested by his aunt and foster mother.
This literally means ‘The Awakened One’ or ‘Enlightened One’. The Buddha was a human being – he did not claim to be a god or prophet – who became ‘enlightened’, which means that, through his own efforts, he came to understand what life was all about. In Mahayana Buddhism there are many Buddhas. For them, the word ‘Buddha’ can also refer to the way things really are as opposed to the way things seem to be to human perception.
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Along with the Dhamma and the Sangha, the Buddha is one of the ‘three jewels’ of Buddhism that followers depend upon for their lasting happiness. A Mahayana temple might contain images of several different Buddhas.
Buddhism is a religion (followers prefer the term “spiritual path”) of around 500 million people, who follow the teachings that began with the Buddha, a man who lived in ancient India around the 5th Century BCE.
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Buddhist texts were written in many different languages. Pali is the language of the texts of the Theravada school, whilst Sanskrit is used for general Mahayana texts. Although Japanese, Chinese and Tibetan texts are important too, we have just provided Pali words first and Sanskrit where there is an alternative.
A popular collection of the Buddha’s sayings in 423 verses. It contains practical and ethical advice as well as guidance about the workings of the human mind.
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The Dhammapada is the Buddhist text most often found in a Theravada Buddhist home.
This usually refers to the community of ordained monks or nuns, especially where Theravada Buddhism is practised, but Mahayana Buddhists may use the word ‘Sangha’ to refer to the whole Buddhist community.
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Along with the Buddha and the Dhamma, the Sangha is one of the ‘three jewels’ of Buddhism that followers depend upon for their lasting happiness.
This literally means ‘The Way of the elders’. The Theravada is a principal school of Buddhism, established in Sri Lanka and South East Asia. It is also found in the West.
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Theravada Buddhism includes lots of different traditions including the Thai Forest Tradition and the Vipassana meditation movement.
The vihara is a place where monks or nuns live and work, and often a place where non-ordained (or “lay”) Buddhists may meet for meditation or learning.