BUDDHISM

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Buddhism mean? 

• BUDDHISM (noun)
  The noun BUDDHISM has 2 senses:

1. a religion represented by the many groups (especially in Asia) that profess various forms of the Buddhist doctrine and that venerate Buddha

2. the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth

  Familiarity information: BUDDHISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BUDDHISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A religion represented by the many groups (especially in Asia) that profess various forms of the Buddhist doctrine and that venerate Buddha

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("Buddhism" is a kind of...):

faith; organized religion; religion (an institution to express belief in a divine power)

Meronyms (members of "Buddhism"):

Buddhist (one who follows the teachings of Buddha)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Buddhism"):

Zen; Zen Buddhism (school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith; China and Japan)

Mahayana (a major school of Buddhism teaching social concern and universal salvation; China; Japan; Tibet; Nepal; Korea; Mongolia)

Hinayana (a major school of Buddhism teaching personal salvation through one's own efforts)

Tantrism (movement within Buddhism combining elements of Hinduism and paganism)

Derivation:

Buddhist (one who follows the teachings of Buddha)

Buddhistic (of or relating to or supporting Buddhism)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("Buddhism" is a kind of...):

faith; religion; religious belief (a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny)

Domain member category:

samsara ((Hinduism and Buddhism) the endless cycle of birth and suffering and death and rebirth)

enlightenment; nirvana ((Hinduism and Buddhism) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation; characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering and individual consciousness)

guru (a Hindu or Buddhist religious leader and spiritual teacher)

Lamaist ((Buddhism) an adherent of Lamaism)

Kuan Yin; Kwan-yin ((Buddhism) a female Bodhisattva; often called goddess of mercy and considered an aspect of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara; identified with Japanese Kwannon)

mandala (any of various geometric designs (usually circular) symbolizing the universe; used chiefly in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation)

karma ((Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation)

ahimsa (a Buddhist and Hindu and especially Jainist doctrine holding that all forms of life are sacred and urging the avoidance of violence)

mantra ((Sanskrit) literally a 'sacred utterance' in Vedism; one of a collection of orally transmitted poetic hymns)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Buddhism"):

Mahayana; Mahayana Buddhism (one of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing a common search for universal salvation especially through faith alone; the dominant religion of China and Tibet and Japan)

Theravada; Theravada Buddhism (one of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing personal salvation through your own efforts; a conservative form of Buddhism that adheres to Pali scriptures and the non-theistic ideal of self purification to nirvana; the dominant religion of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand and Laos and Cambodia)

Lamaism; Tibetan Buddhism (a Buddhist doctrine that includes elements from India that are not Buddhist and elements of preexisting shamanism)

Zen; Zen Buddhism (a Buddhist doctrine that enlightenment can be attained through direct intuitive insight)

Shingon (a form of Buddhism emphasizing mystical symbolism of mantras and mudras and the Buddha's ideal which is inexpressible)

Tantra; Tantrism (doctrine of enlightenment as the realization of the oneness of one's self and the visible world; combines elements of Hinduism and paganism including magical and mystical elements like mantras and mudras and erotic rites; especially influential in Tibet)

Derivation:

Buddhist (one who follows the teachings of Buddha)

Buddhistic (of or relating to or supporting Buddhism)