Buddhism: An Overview Introduction Buddhism (Sanskrit: बुद्धधर्म, Buddhadharma; also बौद्ध धर्म, Bauddha Dharma; Pāli: Buddhasāsana) is a family of teachings and practices that began in northern India and spread across Asia over more than two thousand years. It centers on the awakening (bodhi, enlightenment) realized by the historical Buddha—Siddhārtha Gautama (Pāli: Siddhattha Gotama; Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ […]
Siddhārtha Gautama (the Buddha): History, Teachings, and Legacy Introduction Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama), known as Śākyamuni (Sanskrit: शाक्यमुनि, “sage of the Śākyas”) and commonly called “the Buddha” (“the Awakened One”), is the historical figure whose teachings became the foundation of Buddhism. Modern scholarship places him in North India and the Himalayan […]
Bodhisattva: The Awakening-Being Introduction A bodhisattva (Sanskrit: बोधिसत्त्व, bodhisattva; Pāli: bodhisatta; Chinese: 菩薩 púsà; Japanese: 菩薩 bosatsu; Tibetan: byang chub sems dpa’) is an “awakening-being” — a person who seeks Buddhahood not only for oneself but for the welfare and liberation of all sentient beings. The term appears in early Buddhist literature to describe the […]
The Bodhi Tree (Bodhivṛkṣa) The Bodhi Tree (Sanskrit: bodhivṛkṣa, बोधिवृक्ष; Pali: bodhirukkha)—also called the Bo tree or sacred fig—refers to the Ficus religiosa at Bodh Gaya, India, under which Siddhārtha Gautama is held to have attained awakening (bodhi). In Buddhist sources and later usage, “Bodhi tree” also names ritually propagated descendants planted at pilgrimage sites […]
In Tibetan Buddhism, Bardo denotes transitional states, especially the postmortem interval up to forty‑nine days. Traditions map phases of dying, reality, and becoming, guided by rituals like the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and relate bardos to dreaming and meditation.