Shasta Abbey, headquartered on Mt. Shasta in northern California, follows the Soto Zen tradition of Japan, although it is not formally affiliated with any Japanese organization. The 16-acre property includes 17 buildings, America’s first Buddhist cemetery, and a large garden where the community grows most of its food.

The Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) is the institutional name of Jodo Shinshu or “True Pure Land” Buddhism in the U.S. This Buddhism of Japanese immigrants regards the chanting of the name of Amida as the most appropriate form of practice in the current degenerate age. From 1899, when the first True Pure Land temple was established in San Francisco, until World War II, the American branch of this organization was known as the Buddhist Mission of North America. The adoption of the name Buddhist Churches of America occurred in 1942 as part of the assimilative effort by Japanese Americans to... Read more about Buddhist Churches of America

The gohonzon is the mandala (sacred circle of power) designed by Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282). It is composed of the Japanese characters that make up the title of the Lotus Sutra. Namu Myoho Rengekyo. For those of the Nichiren Buddhist tradition (such as the American members of SGI: Soka Gakkai International) the gohonzon is enshrined behind an altar in an individual’s home so that they may chant on a daily basis.

Mahayana, the “Great Vehicle,” is a form of Buddhism the originated in India and spread to Central and East Asia, encompassing schools in Tibet, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Its primary characteristics include a more supernatural view of the Buddha; the compassion of the bodhisattva ideal; an emphasis on universal salvation; and a more elastic view of the scriptural canon. Major Mahayana schools include Pure Land and Zen. The Vajrayana tradition of Tibet is also considered a form of Mahayana.

Satori is the term used in Japanese Zen for the intuitive realization of the true nature of reality, in contra-distinction to an intellectual, logical understanding of the world as grasped by a dualistic mind. It constitutes a new, holistic point of view for looking at things. All conditions of satori are naturally in the mind, merely waiting for maturation. Since the experience of satori can be communicated to others only if they have already experienced it themselves, the instruction of Zen can at best suggest or show the way so that one’s attention may be directed toward the goal.

Tulku is the Tibetan term for nirmanakaya, the “Transformation Body of the Buddhas,” manifestations of which appear in whatever form necessary to aid others. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the term is reserved for those lamas (enlightened teachers) who have consciously taken rebirth for the benefit of those still caught in the wheel of samsara. Appended to the name of a tulku will be the honorific “rinpoche,” which means “precious jewel.” The Dalai Lama is the best known of the tulkus, but they exist in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Buddha hall is the main sanctuary of a Buddhist temple in which there are images of one or more Buddhas. Major ceremonies take place here. For meditation, however, there will often be a separate chamber away from the clamor of other temple activities.

Foguang (“Buddha’s Light”) Buddhism is a humanistic Buddhist movement with its headquarters in Taiwan and over 100 branch temples on five continents. Founded by Master Hsing Yun in the 1960s, the movement is devoted to creating a Pure Land on earth. Its main temple in the United States is Hsi Lai Temple, located in Hacienda Heights near Los Angeles. Foguang organizations can also be found in Nevada, Texas, Kansas, Florida, New York, and Connecticut.

(also: Lin-chi Ch'an; Rinzai Zen; Rinzai) The Linji school of Zen Buddhism first developed in 9th century China, when the monk Yixuan devised a meditational technique in which the only guidance was to come from the subtle hint of a raised eyebrow, the sudden jolt of an unexpected slap, or the teacher’s direct questioning on the meaning of a gongan (koan). In the late 12th century the monk Eisai brought the tradition to Japan, where it soon became a major school known as Rinzai Zen.

In Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, rinpoche, meaning “precious jewel,” is the honorific title for highly respected lamas (teachers), especially tulkus (enlightened teachers who have consciously taken rebirth for the benefit of others).

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was one of the first American intellectuals to take an interest in Buddhism and is said to have translated part of the Lotus Sutra from French.

A bodhisattva is one who has dedicated his or her life to the attainment of enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. The bodhisattva vows to postpone enlightenment in order to help all sentient beings realize liberation. In some cases, the bodhisattva is assumed to have already attained enlightenment, yet remains on this earth out of his or her boundless compassion. In its broadest sense, the term bodhisattva refers to anyone who aspires toward universal Buddhahood or Enlightenment, i.e. any Mahayana Buddhist.

The Japanese monk Dogen (1200-1253) spent two years in China studying Tendai (Tiantai) Buddhism. Disappointed by the intellectualism of the school, he was about to return to Japan when the monk Rujing explained that the practice of Chan simply meant “dropping off both body and mind.” Dogen suddenly realized that the very act of sitting in meditation, so that such conceptions as “body” and “mind” do not arise, is itself enlightenment. After Dogen returned to Japan, the Soto school which he founded developed into one of the preeminent Zen traditions.

A koan (also: kong-an; kung-an) is a paradoxical question given to students by Zen masters to meditate upon as a means of cutting through reliance on analytical, discursive thinking and thereby aid in attaining realization. This technique is especially associated with the Linji school of Chan (Zen) in China, the Chogye school in Korea and the Rinzai Zen school in Japan.

The Patimokkha is the Theravada Buddhist code of monastic rules.