Balaha

The horse that the merchant Samhala rescued and that embodied one of the former incarnations of the Buddha.

Balarama (बलराम)

The older brother of Krishna and avatar of Vishnu.

Bali (พาลี)

Thai. A king of the monkeys and a brother of the monkey king Sugriva who usurped his throne, in the Thai epic Ramakien. In the Ramayana he is known by his Sanskrit name Vali and in Thai his name is pronounced 'Phali'.

Bana

An asura that struggled with Krishna and is a son of Bali.

bansuri (बांसुरी)

Hindi. Name for an ancient, northern Indian style, transverse flute associated with cowherds and with the love story of Krishna, who was a master of this simple musical instrument, with which he is often portrayed. It consists of a single length of bamboo with open finger holes. The Hindi name has its roots in the Sanskrit words vamza meaning both 'flute' and 'bamboo' or 'bamboo cane', and svara meaning 'musical note'. Krishna's flute is also referred to by the name vamsi.

banyan tree

Sacred tropical tree with many aerial roots that develop into additional trunks. Its name often refers specifically to the species ficus bengalensis, though the term has been generalized to include all figs that share this unique life cycle and are known by the informal name of strangler fig. The name banyan comes from the Gujarati word bania, meaning 'trader' or 'merchant', and refers to the Indian merchants that would meet underneath this tree to conduct their business and sell their goods, as it provided a shaded place. In Hinduism it is the tree under which the god Vishnu was born, and in Buddhism it is known as the tree under which the Buddha stayed for seven days, after gaining Enlightenment. It is often confused with the bodhi tree, the tree under which the Buddha sat at the moment he attained bodhiyan or Enlightenment. In Thailand the base of a banyan tree is also used to dispose of old or damaged spirit houses.

Ba Xian (八仙)

The Eight Immortals from Chinese mythology, worshipped by most Chinese. They are usually depicted together on a raft crossing the ocean from their home in the Taoist paradise to worship Xi Wangmu, Queen Mother of the West and mother of the Jade Emperor, after attaining their Enlightenment. The mother of the supreme god is also the guardian of the Peaches of Immortality, an attribute often accompanying the Eight Immortals. They are known by the names: Chung-li Chuan, Li Tieh-kuai, Lu Tong-pin, Chang Kuo Lao, Ho Hsien-ku, Lan Tsai-ho, Han Hsiang Tzu and Tsao Kuo-chiu. In iconography they often hold an attribute for recognition.

Benyagai

Sanskrit. Demon daughter of Phiphek, the chief astrologer of Longka, and Drichada, in the Thai Ramakien. She has learned magical powers from her father, and with these she changes herself, at Totsakan's urging, into Sida. According to the plot she has to play dead near the monkey camp of Phra Ram, hoping that the latter would cease his quest for his beloved and end the battle against the demons. Benyagai visits the captured Sida to study her appearance before changing herself into her. But, the plan fails nonetheless thanks to the sharp attentiveness of Hanuman, and Benyagai is sent back to Longka.

Bhadeshvara

Khmer-Sanskrit. Name under which the followers of Shivaism from the 5th century AD in Cambodia worshiped the Hindu god Shiva. The king himself would bring honor to special ceremonies in which a sacred mountain was climbed at night and a rite was performed in which, according to rumours of Chinese inhabitants at Angkor, human sacrifices were also involved.

Bhadra (भद्र)

Sanskrit. Name of one of the eighteen arahats, who was a cousin of the Buddha and one of his great disciples. His Sanskrit name has many meanings, including 'auspicious', 'kind', 'gracious', 'blessed', 'skillful', etc. It is said that he was a proficient preacher, who could expound in clear and simple language. According to legend, he spread Buddhism to the East Indies, thus fording many rivers and crossing several seas, reportedly sailing from India to the island of Java. He is commonly portrayed with a beard and a sack on a stick, worn over his shoulder and in which he bears the sutras. In Thai his name is pronounced Phatra, but he is also called Chatohloh. In Chinese he is known as the luohan Guo Jiang, literally 'To Pass Through a Large River'. In English he is referred to as the Oversea Lohan or the Arhat Who Crossed the River, a designation akin to the Jain leaders, who were called Tirthankara, meaning 'ford-makers' and a metaphor widely used for some exalted spiritual state. Bhadra is also known by the name Bodhidurma, a name reminiscent of the Sanskrit word Bauddhadharma which means 'Buddhism', and a compound of bodhi meaning 'perfect knowledge', and druma, meaning 'tree', hence a bodhi tree. Some sources assert that this disciple was born underneath such a tree, the same as under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment, though it is likely that the name (also) is an allegory for his steadfastness in the Buddhist faith, like a tree (druma) of perfect knowledge (bodhi).

Bhadrakali (भद्रकाली)

1. Sanskrit. 'Blessed Kali' or 'auspicious Kali'. Hindu goddess who is the consort of Virabhadra, who was created along with her. She arose from the wrath of Devi after Daksha mocked and dishonored a statue of Shiva, resulting in the suicide of Sati, another form of Devi. 2. Sanskrit. Tantric goddess who is the consort of Bhairava.

Bhagavad Gita (भगवद्गीता)

Sanskrit. 'Song of the divine Lord', revealed by Krishna in the Mahabharata. Hindu religious text prescribing a moral and ethical code of behavior emphasizing the merit of selfless service and devotion. The text is in the form of a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna, taking place just before the battle of Kurukshetra.

Bhairava (भैरव)

Sanskrit. 'Terrible'. The Hindu god Shiva in his more fearful appearance as a ten armed creature wearing a bone necklace, and a skull as a hair ornament.

Bhairavi

Sanskrit. 'Terror'. One of the evil forms of Devi, consort of Shiva.

Bhaisajyaguru

Thai. Name of a buddha from Mahayana Buddhism who attained Enlightenment before the historical Sakyamuni Buddha of whom he represents the healing aspect. He is therefore also known as the Master of Healing or Medicine Buddha. When he was still a bodhisattva he made twelve vows to always help all living beings to be free from illness once he would attain Enlightenment and thus became the embodiment of the wish to free all beings from all illnesses, both physically, mentally and spiritually. In Chinese tradition he is often depicted together with the Sakyamuni and Amitabha Buddhas, a representation known as the trinity Buddhas. His full name, Bhaisajyaguru Vaiduryaprabha, means 'Medicine Guru Lapis Lazuli Light' or 'Medicine Teacher whose Light is that of Lapis Lazuli'. Lapis Lazuli is the name of a semi-precious stone of an intense blue colour and it refers here to Bhaisajyaguru's complexion which is dark blue. In China he is called Yaoshifo.

Bharadvaja (भारद्वाज)

Sankrit-Thai. Name given to the arahat Pindola, leader of the Eighteen Arahats, often to distinguish him from one of the candidates for inclusion as the 17th or 18th arahat, who is also named Pindola. In the Sutta he is referred to as having a voice like the lion’s roar. The Sanskrit name Bharadvaja, pronounced bhāradvāja and commonly spelled or transcribed Bharadvajo, Bharadwaja or Bharadhvaja, is said to mean 'one bearing vigour', and if so might rather be spelled Bharatvaja and pronounced bharatvāja, a compound of bharat which derives from bharata and means 'to bear', and vaja meaning 'vigour'. The name Bharadvaja is also used for another arahat, i.e. Kanaka Bharadvaja, as well as for one of the great sages (rishi) whose accomplishments are detailed in the Purana. However, though the name of the latter is usually pronounced bhāradvāja, the same as above, it may also be pronounced bharadvāja which has a different spelling in Sanskrit. In Thai pronounced Pintohn Pharathawat.

Bharata (भरत)

1. Sanskrit. 'Being maintained'. Half-brother of Rama in the Indian epic Ramayana. 2. Sanskrit. 'Being maintained'. One of the names of Agni, the Hindu god of fire.

Bhattara-Guru

A popular Javanese appearance of Shiva as a fat ascetic with a beard and plaited hair. His attributes can be a jar, rosary, or a fly whisk. At some stage worshiped in Java as the rishi Agastya.

Bhavani (भाविनी)

Sanskrit. 'Provider of life'. The female creator, one of the benevolent forms of Devi, consort to Shiva.

Bhima (भीम)

Sanskrit. Important character and protagonist in the Indian epic the Mahabarata, famous for his strength and bravery. He belongs to the tribe of the Pandavas, involved in the battle of Kurukshetra. He is of enormous size and usually depicted carrying a club. He is the son of Vayu, the Vedic god of wind or air. Also called Bhimsena.

Bhimsena

Sanskrit. Son of Vayu, the Vedic god of wind or air. An important character in the Indian epic the Mahabarata, famous for his strength and bravery. He is of vast size and usually depicted carrying a club. He is also called Bhima.

Bhumidevi

Pali-Thai. 'Goddess of the earth'. One of Vishnu's two consorts in Hindu mythology. In Buddhism the goddess of the earth is Mae Phra Thoranee.

Bi Gan (比干)

Name of a Chinese wealth god. He was a faithful civilian official and the uncle of the tyrannical and concupiscent Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, for whom he took charge of the Imperial finances. Legend has it that to prove his loyalty he took out his heart and presented it to the Emperor by throwing it on the floor. But other sources say Bi Gan tried to rectify the Emperor who consequently killed him cruelly by taking his heart out to check if he perhaps was a saint, as it was believed that a saint’s heart has seven ventricles. Having no heart Bi Gan was impartial in the distribution of the Emperor’s wealth amongst the people and so became a Chinese civilian wealth deity. He is also called Wen Cai Shen, the 'formal god of wealth' who is also referred to as the 'true god of wealth'.

Bimba

Wife of prince Siddhartha with whom he had his son Rahula at the age of twenty nine. She was the daughter of Suprabuddha, prince of Devadaha castle and a brother of the deceased queen Maha Maya. Also known as Gopa and Yashodhara.

Bi Xie (辟邪)

Chinese. Name of a fierce but auspicious creature from Chinese mythology that resembles a winged lion. There is an ancient myth that tells the creature violated a celestial law and was consequently punished by the Jade Emperor by restricting its diet to gold. Besides this he also prevented the creature from defecating by sealing its anus. Thus it started a quest for the hard to get gold for survival. Since it can only absorb gold but not expel it Bi Xie is seen as a symbol of the acquisition and preservation of wealth. There are different types of Bi Xie: one without horns the others with either one or two horns. The one with one horn is called Pi Chen or Tian Lu and is in charge of wealth. The one with two horns is known as Bi Ya or Pi Ya and is considered to ward off evil. Bi Xie is also often transcribed as Pi Xie and Pi Xiu.

boar

One of the avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu, incarnated in the form of a boar, known as Varaha.

bodhidurma (बोधीद्रुम)

Sanskrit. 'Bodhi tree'. Name for the ficus religiosa, as well as a nickname for Bhadra, one of the eighteen arahats, who allegedly was born underneath such a tree.

bodhisatta

Pali. A buddha-to-be and one of the 550 incarnations that precede buddhahood, in Theravada Buddhism.

bodhisattva

Sanskrit. 'One whose essence is perfect knowledge'. A being who has attained Enlightenment or bodhi but has postponed buddhahood in order to help others reach that goal. In Mahayana Buddhism many bodhisattvas are personifications of divine qualities, such as compassion (Avalokitesvara) or wisdom (Manjushri) and are often depicted with multiple arms. In both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism the term is also applied to the earlier lives of the historical Buddha called chadok and to his last life as prince Siddhartha, before his Enlightenment. Also spelt bodhisatva and bodhisatwa. In Thai photisat and when referring to the Buddha before his Enlightenment or to his earlier lives, Phra Photisat (Phra Bodhisattva). In Tibetan Buddhism they are called lama and the Dalai Lama is considered an incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

bodhi tree

Sacred fig tree in Bodh Gaya with the scientific name ficus religiosa, also known as the 'tree of knowledge', under which the Buddha sat when he gained Enlightenment. Its leaves have the shape of a sacred lotus bud and are suspended upside down, that is with the tip of the leaf pointing almost straight downwards. Because of this the leaves actually function as a ventilating fan, causing a downward breeze when the wind blows through the treetop's foliage, so cooling the spot underneath it. It is supposed that this might have been a reason why Siddhartha chose to meditate under this particular tree. After the original bodhi tree was cut in 600 AD, cuttings were replanted wherever Theravada Buddhism was introduced and practiced. In literature it is often confused with a banyan tree, the tree to which the Buddha moved to stay, seven days after he had attained enlightenment. It is often seen in or near temples and often portrayed in art. In Sanskrit bodhidurma.

Brah Dhanari

Sanskrit. Goddess of the earth who witnessed the accumulated merits of the Buddha, during his confrontation with Mara, just before his Enlightenment. In Thailand known as Mae Phra Thoranee.

Brahma (ब्रह्मा)

Sanskrit. 'Prayer' or 'worship'. As the creator, he is one of the three prominent gods of the Trimurti, the Hindu pantheon, together with Shiva, the destroyer and Vishnu, the preserver. He is often described as the director of the universe, the balance between the opposing forces of Vishnu and Shiva. He is brought forth from the golden lotus which grows from the navel of Vishnu during his cosmic sleep, in order to begin each new round of creation. In art usually depicted with four heads and four arms, but may have as many as eight arms. His attributes are a disc, ladle, sceptre, a string of beads which he uses to keep track of the universe's time and symbolizes the substances used in the progress of creation, a bow, water jug, fly whisk and the Vedas. His mount is the Hamsa, a sacred swan, and his consort Sarasvati, the goddess of learning. In Buddhist art he is frequently depicted with one head and two arms along with Indra as an attendant of the Buddha. With a linga Brahma is symbolized in the cube shaped base. His symbol as the creator is the Ohm sign.

Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य)

Sanskrit. Practice in which a person dedicates his life to the quest for a personal realization of brahman, the Universal, absolute, eternal and pervading spirit in Hindu philosophy. This involves going to live with a spiritual teacher (acharya) under whom the apprentice practices a life of moral restraint and strict celibacy, whilst dedicating himself to the learning of the dharma. The Thai word for acharya is ajaan (achan), a word reminiscent of the Sanskrit word ajaani which means 'having no wife', whereas Brahmacharya is in Thai called Phrommachan, a term also used for celibacy. In Hindu tradition it is considered a stage of life known as the first ashram.

Brahma heavens

The sixteen heavens, without sensory perception, that exist above the six lower heavens in Buddhist mythology.

brahman (ब्राह्मण)

1. Sanskrit. Universal, absolute, eternal and pervading spirit in Hindu philosophy. It is the source of all creation, animate and inanimate, from which all things emanate and to which all return. The supreme divine Hindu reality. 2. Follower of Brahmanism prior to the development of Hinduism. 3. Hindi-Sanskrit. Highest social caste (varna) in Hinduism, and the only one from which a priest can come. In Hindi-Sanskrit pronounced brahmana. 4. A priest of Brahma.

Brahmanaspati

Sanskrit. A composite animal combining features of the mounts of the three main Hindu gods, thus having the beak of Vishnu's Garuda, the horns of Shiva's bull, and the wings of Brahma's hamsa. This creature depicted with Buddha mounted, represents the ascendancy of Buddhism over Hinduism.

brahman cord

Small white cord worn over the left shoulder by brahman priests, crossing their chest. Also seen in iconography, sometimes in the form of a snake.

Brahmanism

An early form of Hindu religion during the Vedic period in India, based on faith in Brahma. It was brought to India by the Aryan migrants during the second millennium BC and later Hinduism and Buddhism emanated from it.

Brihaspati

Sanskrit. 'Lord of prayer'. An Arian deity in the Vedic period. He was worshiped as a great sage and served as a teacher and model to other gods. He is associated with the planet Jupiter.

Budai (布袋)

Chinese. 'Cloth Bag'. According to tradition, Budai was a Chinese monk who lived during the Later Liang Dynasty (907 - 923 AD). He is represented as carrying a large purse (cloth sack or cloth bag) which never empties and is filled with precious items, as well as with the woes of the world which he removes. He is often depicted accompanied by children, whereof he is the patron. Besides this he is also the benefactor of the weak and the poor. In Chinese he is also known by the name is Huan Xi Fo which translates as happy buddha, also referred to as smiling buddha as well as the Loving One, the Friendly One, Maitreya or Mi Le Fo, and as the Budai Luohan, which associates him with Angaja or Ingada (อิงคท), one of the original eighteen arhats of Buddhism, who in Chinese art is often portrayed as Budai. Due to his benevolent nature he is often worshipped as an informal Chinese wealth god. In Thailand he is often confused with Phra Sangkatjaai. Sometimes transcribed Pu Tai or Pu-Tai and also pronounced Hotei.

Buddha (बुद्ध)

Sanskrit. 'The one who is enlightened' or 'the awakened one'. One who has achieved the highest knowledge of truth and is thereby freed from all further rebirth and has passed into nirvana. Name for the Shakyamuni or historical Buddha known as Siddhartha Gautama, who gained Enlightenment in 563 BC (544 BC according to Theravada doctrine - see BE) and founded Buddhism as a religion. He was born as a prince of the Shakya clan and his father Suddhodana ruled over the kingdom of Kapilavasthu in present day Nepal. The basis of his teachings are the Four Noble Truths of which the last one is the revelation of the Eightfold Path that results in nirvana. In Hinduism he is the ninth incarnation of Vishnu. His vehicle is a white ox and the four stages in his life are represented by four animals, i.e. an elephant, a lion, a bull and a horse.

buddha eye

A name sometimes given to a whorl of hair between the eyebrows of some deities and usually known as urna. It emits rays of light that illuminate the world and represent great wisdom. It is one of the signs of an enlightened being. In oriental iconography often indicated as a round mark, sometimes called a third eye.

Buddhapada

Sanskrit. 'Footprint of the Buddha'. According to legend these footprints actually show where the Buddha walked on earth. In Thailand they are called Phraphutthabaht and are found in temples all over the country where they are worshipped as a reminder of his doctrine. It is usually a large, horizontal sculpture resembling a footprint with iconographic symbols on its sole, which can also be seen on the bottom of some reclining Buddha images and represent the 108 signs of a buddha. The story relates the legend of a footprint of the Buddha found in Thailand. A group of Thai monks visiting Sri Lanka were surprised to learn from their Singhalese counterparts that, according to scriptures, a footprint of the Buddha existed in Thailand. They ordered a search and it was eventually found by a hunter. The hunter had chased a wounded deer that after drinking from a well was suddenly healed. On investigation the hunter found a pool in the shape of a footprint, filled with water. When he drank from it he also was miraculously cured from a skin disease.

Buddhavamsa

Sanskrit. Mythological chronicles relating the story of the 24 buddhas that preceded the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and announce the coming of the Maitreya Buddha.

Buddhism

Religion based on the dhamma or teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. It emphasizes compassion for all sentient beings, non-attachment, and release from suffering through the attainment of Enlightenment, which can be achieved by following the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. After the Buddha's death two main directions of Buddhism evolved: the school of Mahayana and the school of Theravada or Hinayana. In Sanskrit Bauddhadharma.

buffalo

Mount of the Vedic god Yama. Nondi, the mount of the god Ishana is said to be a buffalo although other sources mention Nondi as being a bull.

bull

Vahana or vehicle of the Hindu god Shiva known as Nandi, the symbol of male strength, virility, and potency. Also found in pre-Arian art of the Indus Valley civilization. Together with the elephant, the lion and the horse, it is one of the four animals, that represent the four stages in the life of the Buddha.