Glossary
- Ajnata-Kaundinya: one of the five ascetics who were companions of the Buddha
- arhat: personal awakening
- bodhisattva: or “buddha-to-be,” one who is dedicated to the liberation of all beings and is thus an embodiment of compassion
- Brahma: the Hindu god of creation
- Devadatta: Shakyamuni’s (the Buddha’s) cousin
- Dharma: a complex concept that can refer to the basic principles of the cosmos or to a person’s duty to follow a virtuous path
- Indra Devendra: title given to the Hindu god Indra
- Maitreya: a bodhisattva who is to appear on the earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma
- Manjushri: the bodhisattva of wisdom
- nirvana: the extinction of suffering and escape from the cycle of reincarnation
- pratyekabuddha: a “solitary Buddha,” or one who achieves awakening on his or her own, without reliance on the words or teachings of others
- Sagara: a dragon king
- Shakyamuni: Siddhartha Gautama, or the historical Buddha
- Shariputra: one of the Buddha’s principal...
