Glossary

This glossary provides definitions for key Buddhist terms, concepts, and practices referenced throughout the Middle Way Education Curricular Framework. Terms are drawn from multiple Buddhist traditions and include both original language words (Sanskrit, Pali, Japanese, Tibetan) and English translations. Each definition aims to be accessible while maintaining accuracy to traditional meanings.

The glossary serves as a reference tool for educators and students engaging with Buddhist concepts across the framework’s five domains. Definitions emphasize practical understanding and application rather than purely academic interpretation, supporting the framework’s inquiry-based approach to learning.

Terms marked with asterisks (*) indicate transliterated words from original Buddhist languages. Cross-references appear in parentheses where relevant concepts connect to other glossary entries.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Faith
Trust or confidence in the path, the teachings, and the possibility of awakening. In Buddhism, faith is not blind belief but a supportive quality that arises from reflection and experience, leading to deeper engagement with practice.
Fangsheng/Tshethar
Life release; the practice of saving animals destined for slaughter and setting them free. This compassionate act is rooted in the wish to protect life and accumulate merit, and is often performed with prayers for the well-being of all beings.
Fearlessness
The quality of being free from fear, especially fear rooted in ego-clinging, impermanence, or change. In Buddhist teachings, fearlessness arises through insight, compassion, and letting go of attachment to self.
Five Aggregates
The five skandhas or components that make up a being: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. These are the basis of what we conventionally call a "self," and recognizing their impermanent and conditioned nature is key to understanding no-self.
Five Precepts
The basic ethical guidelines for lay practitioners: to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication. These precepts support a life of mindfulness, compassion, and responsibility.
Form
One of the five aggregates; refers to the physical aspect of existence, including the body and external objects. Form is subject to change and dependent on conditions, like all other phenomena.
Four Attachments
A teaching that helps identify obstacles to authentic practice: attachment to this life, to samsara, to self-centered motivation, and to fixed views. Letting go of these attachments supports progress on the path.
Four Immeasurables
Four boundless qualities cultivated in Buddhist practice: loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These are antidotes to self-centeredness and support genuine connection with others.
Four Noble Truths
The foundation of the Buddha's teachings: the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering.