ཉན་ཐོས། | Glossary of Terms

Usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it known to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking nirvāṇa.

Based on the verb “to hear,” the Sanskrit term śrāvaka is used in reference to followers of the non-Mahāyāna traditions of Buddhism, in contrast to the bodhisattvas who follow the Mahāyāna path.

A “listener” or direct disciple of the Buddha. Often used to denote the non-Mahāyāna monastic community.

Primarily referring to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self-liberation, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle, who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings. It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.”

This term, based on the verb to hear, means “disciple,” and is used in that general way, as well as for those who were followers of the non-Mahāyāna tradition of Buddhism, in contrast to the bodhisattvas.

Hīnayāna practitioner of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realizes the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focuses on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering disturbing emotions, he liberates himself, attaining first the stage of stream enterer at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returner who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returner who will no longer be reborn into saṃsāra. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

The word, based on the verb “to hear,” means disciple, and is used in that general way, as well as for those who were followers of the non-Mahāyāna tradition of Buddhism, in contrast to the bodhisattvas.

Those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self-liberation. The term is usually defined as “one who hears the Dharma from the Buddha and makes it heard by others.”

A follower of the early teachings of the Buddha, focusing on the monastic lifestyle. Also translated as “listener.”

The disciples of the Buddha who followed the Lesser Vehicle (Hīnayāna). A śrāvaka is explained as someone who hears the teachings and then proclaims them to others.

Followers, literally “hearers,” of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle, who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

A “listener” or direct disciple of the Buddha. Often used to denote the non-Mahāyāna monastic community.

A “hearer” or “listener,” someone who first hears the Dharma from another. It primarily refers to the non-Mahāyāna disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat.

A disciple of the Buddha, usually used to refer to those who are not followers of the Great Vehicle.

Primarily referring to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self liberation. It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.”

A “hearer” or “listener,” someone who first hears the Dharma from another. This refers to the disciples of the Buddha who sought the enlightenment of an arhat, that is, their own liberation from cyclic existence.

A “hearer” or “listener,” someone who first hears the Dharma from another. This refers to the disciples of the Buddha who sought the enlightenment of an arhat, that is, their own liberation from cyclic existence.

Someone who practices according to the vehicle of the hearers (those who hear the teachings from others) or someone who has heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle who seek awakening for the sake of all beings.

See “disciple.”

It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self liberation and nirvāṇa.

Disciples who heard the Buddha’s doctrine from his own lips; followers of the Hīnayāna school in general.

A term used specifically for the disciples of the Buddha associated with his early monastic community, and more generally for practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma. The term is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.”

A “hearer” or “listener,” someone who first hears the Dharma from another. This refers to the disciples of the Buddha who sought the awakening of an arhat, that is, their own liberation from cyclic existence. In Mahāyāna literature, the term śrāvaka is often used to contrast with a bodhisattva, a person intent on attaining complete buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

Someone who practices according to the Vehicle of the Hearers (those who hear the teachings from others); or, someone who heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

A personal disciple of the Buddha who later disseminates the teachings himself.

The word, based on the verb “to hear,” means “disciple” in general, and is more specifically applied to the followers of the non-Mahāyāna traditions of Buddhism.

A disciple of the Buddha; in the sūtras, this term refers to the followers of the Hīnayāna, or the Lesser Vehicle.

Someone who practices according to the Vehicle of the Hearers (those who hear the teachings from others); or, someone who heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

A practitioner of the common vehicle who strives to attain the level of an arhat.

The disciples of the Buddha who are on the path to arhathood.

Also translated here as “listener.”

The name of the disciples of the Buddha who follow the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle.

Someone who practices according to the Vehicle of the Hearers (“those who hear” the Buddha's teaching, i.e., his disciples). In a Mahāyāna context it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat.

Someone who practices according to the Vehicle of the Hearers (those who hear the teachings from others); or, someone who heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

Someone who practices according to the Vehicle of the Hearers (those who hear the teachings from others); or, someone who heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

The term is most simply interpreted as “those who hear" the Buddha's teaching, i.e. his disciples, but the additional element that they then "make it heard" by others is often present in canonical glosses. In a Mahāyāna context it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat, and not to embark on the path of a bodhisattva (with buddhahood as its ultimate goal).

A disciple of the Buddha; in the Mahāyāna sūtras this term refers to the followers of the Hīnayāna, or the Lesser Vehicle.

A “hearer” or “listener,” someone who first hears the Dharma from another, or, alternatively causes others to hear the Dharma. This refers to the disciples of the Buddha who seek the awakening of a worthy one (arhat), rather than the awakening of a buddha.

Someone who practices according to the vehicle of the hearers (those who hear the teachings from others); or, someone who heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

Derived from the Sanskrit verb “to hear,” the term is used in reference to followers of the non-Great Vehicle traditions of Buddhism, in contrast to the bodhisattvas who follow the Great Vehicle path.

A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the bodhisattva vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

Early disciple of the Buddha.

One who listens to and hears the teachings from a buddha and strives to become a worthy one.

Typically, this word refers to followers of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle, who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings. While this distinction appears to be maintained in this sūtra, the śrāvakas are here said to both cultivate moral discipline and apprehend phenomena and dharmas as empty.

It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self liberation and nirvāṇa.

A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the bodhisattva vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

A person who practices according to the vehicle of the hearers, or the vehicle focusing on individual liberation from cyclic existence through attaining the state of a worthy one the monastic lifestyle and one’s own liberation from cyclic existence.

A term for someone who follows the Vehicle of the Hearers or those who “hear” the teachings from a Buddha.

A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

A follower of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the bodhisattva vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

The term is most simply interpreted as “those who hear” the Buddha’s teaching, i.e. his disciples, but the additional element that they then “make it heard” to others is often present in canonical glosses. In a Mahāyāna context it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat, and not to embark on the path of a bodhisattva (with buddhahood as its ultimate goal).

Followers, literally “hearers,” of those teachings of the Buddha that focus on the monastic lifestyle and liberating oneself from suffering, in contrast to followers of the Bodhisattva Vehicle who seek buddhahood for the sake of all beings.

Primarily referring to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of a worthy one by seeking personal liberation. The term is usually defined as a person who hears the teaching from the Buddha and makes it heard to others.

Someone who practices the teachings of the Hearers’ Vehicle to achieve liberation from saṃsāra through direct perception of the absence of a personal self.

Someone who practices according to the Vehicle of the Hearers (those who hear the teachings from others) or someone who heard the Dharma from the Buddha.

See also “Lesser Vehicle.”

It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self liberation and nirvāṇa.

The term is most simply interpreted as “those who hear” the Buddha’s teaching, i.e. his disciples, but the additional element that they then “make it heard” to others is often present in canonical glosses. In a Mahāyāna context it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of a worthy one (arhat), and not to embark on the path of a bodhisattva (with buddhahood as its ultimate goal).

One who listens to the Buddha’s teaching in order to reach liberation.

Primarily referring to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self-liberation. It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard by others.”

This term, based on the verb “to hear,” means disciple, and it originally referred to those direct disciples of the Buddha Śākyamuni who had actually heard the Buddha’s teachings. It is also used to refer to those who aspired to the state of an arhat, in contrast to the bodhisattvas. More generally, it refers to those who were followers of the non-Mahāyāna traditions of Buddhism.

See “saṅgha of hearers.”

The word, based on the verb “to hear,” originally referred to the immediate disciples of the Buddha who heard the teachings directly from him. The term is also applied in Mahāyāna sources to followers of non-Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions.

A term for the Buddha’s followers, those who heard his teachings and were responsible for preserving and spreading them. The term derives from the verb śru (“to hear”), and can thus mean “one who hears,” but it is also closely connected to the senses of “learning” (śravaṇa) and of “causing (something) to be heard” (śrāvaṇa). In these ways, the term has some similarities in the meaning and usage to the English word disciple, which derives from a Latin verb that means to learn. The term śrāvaka is used in some Buddhist texts, such as this sūtra, as distinct from and sometimes in opposition to the “solitary buddha” (pratyekabuddha) and the bodhisattva.

Primarily referring to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat by seeking self liberation. It is usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.”

Also rendered here as “listener,” and sometimes also called “hearers,” the term originally referred to direct disciples of Buddha Śākyamuni who had actually heard the Buddha’s teachings; now commonly refers to those Buddhists who strive for their own nirvāṇa. Their primary fields of practice are the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent origination (Rigzin 126).

Based on the verb “to hear,” the Sanskrit term śrāvaka is used in reference to followers of the non-Mahāyāna traditions of Buddhism, in contrast to the bodhisattvas who follow the Mahāyāna path.

A follower of the teachings of the Buddha who seeks to attain the state of an arhat.

See “disciple.”