This dictionary was compiled by scholars working across the Buddhist traditions of South, Southeast, East and Central Asia specifically so that a single reference could define terms consistently across regions that are more often treated separately, which is a genuine editorial undertaking rather than a claim resting on its press. This record has not independently traced a documented history of corrections across its printings. It is a strong source for defining Buddhist terminology and identifying schools, including the named division into Theravada monastic lineages this atlas has drawn from it. It summarizes a field rather than arguing a position, so a live scholarly dispute about a specific school or text may need a more specialized study alongside it.
Facts
Citation
AuthorRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
PublisherPrinceton University Press
Publication Year2014
URLhttps://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691157863/the-princeton-dictionary-of-buddhism
Source Typereference
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
A single volume scholarly dictionary from a university press, written by two leading specialists in Buddhist studies, the standard current academic reference across Buddhist schools and traditions. NotesAuthoritative reference; added for Theravada nikayas, 2026-07-22.
Connections
Associated With
This source names Asia directly: "of South, Southeast, East and Central Asia specifically so that a single reference could define terms consistently across regions that are more often treated separately, which is a genuine editorial..."
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
This source names Theravada directly: "including the named division into Theravada monastic lineages this atlas has drawn from it."
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Claims Backed By This Source (3,858 claims)
This source backs 3,858 claims across the atlas. As facts: 2,582 well-attested, 27 scholarly debate, 1 open question. As cited relationships: 581 holds, 73 connected, 4 critiqued Here, 3 rejected Here, 24 held Differently. Plus 563 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Articles, 714 claims: 586 well-attested, 3 holds, 58 connected, 67 general references.
- Denominations, 524 claims: 285 well-attested, 3 scholarly debate, 179 holds, 7 connected, 2 critiqued Here, 3 rejected Here, 22 held Differently, 23 general references.
- Historical Figures, 375 claims: 254 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 1 open question, 64 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 54 general references.
- Deities, 359 claims: 277 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate, 30 holds, 50 general references.
- Figures, 332 claims: 260 well-attested, 9 scholarly debate, 31 holds, 32 general references.
- Alphabet Letters, 229 claims: 87 well-attested, 60 holds, 82 general references.
- Sacred Sites, 171 claims: 118 well-attested, 35 holds, 18 general references.
- Virtues, 119 claims: 79 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate, 16 holds, 6 connected, 14 general references.
- Doctrines, 111 claims: 41 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 36 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 2 held Differently, 30 general references.
- Practices, 100 claims: 79 well-attested, 10 holds, 11 general references.
- Mantras, 84 claims: 69 well-attested, 5 holds, 10 general references.
- Religious Offices, 68 claims: 43 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 17 holds, 7 general references.
- Rituals, 66 claims: 38 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 16 holds, 11 general references.
- Scriptures & Texts, 60 claims: 37 well-attested, 9 holds, 14 general references.
- Sacred Objects & Ritual Items, 59 claims: 40 well-attested, 9 holds, 10 general references.
- Religious Roles & Titles, 49 claims: 32 well-attested, 6 holds, 11 general references.
- Beliefs & Restrictions, 45 claims: 16 well-attested, 29 general references.
- Holidays & Festivals, 43 claims: 29 well-attested, 5 holds, 9 general references.
- Mudras, 42 claims: 32 well-attested, 10 general references.
- Organizations, 40 claims: 24 well-attested, 5 holds, 11 general references.
- Other Writings, 31 claims: 21 well-attested, 7 holds, 3 general references.
- Vices, 30 claims: 23 well-attested, 2 holds, 5 general references.
- Esoteric Texts, 23 claims: 12 well-attested, 2 holds, 9 general references.
- Observance Rules, 22 claims: 12 well-attested, 6 holds, 2 connected, 2 general references.
- Sacred Architecture, 18 claims: 4 well-attested, 7 holds, 7 general references.
- Sacred Art & Iconography, 18 claims: 14 well-attested, 3 holds, 1 general references.
- Subcategories, 13 claims: 10 well-attested, 3 general references.
- Pilgrimage Routes, 12 claims: 7 well-attested, 3 holds, 2 general references.
- Categories, 11 claims: 9 well-attested, 2 general references.
- Godai (Five Elements), 10 claims: 5 holds, 5 general references.
- Sources, 10 claims: 8 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Directions, 8 claims: 4 well-attested, 4 general references.
- Open Questions, 8 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
- Religions, 8 claims: 4 well-attested, 3 scholarly debate, 1 general references.
- Scholarly Disciplines, 8 claims: 6 well-attested, 2 general references.
- Calendars, 6 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.
- Councils and Synods, 6 claims: 1 well-attested, 3 holds, 2 general references.
- Religious Dress & Vestments, 6 claims: 5 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Scripture Portions, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate, 1 general references.
- Spread Events, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
- Mythical Creatures, 3 claims: 1 well-attested, 2 general references.
- Animals & Totems, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Empires & Polities, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Prayers, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Religious Events, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Well-attested
2,582Articles
Tsongkhapa's Reform, and the Primacy of StudyTurned Away in Kyoto, Welcomed by the Warrior CapitalTwenty Four Sacred Sites Mapped onto Real GeographyTwo Friends Set Out, One Finishes the JourneyTwo Lineages, Two MethodsTwo Mandalas, and This Body as It IsTwo Temples, One Split, and the State That Made ItUniversally Worthy: The Bodhisattva of PracticeVirtue, Concentration, UnderstandingWater Children and a Modern MemorialWelcoming the Dying: Seishi in Descent PaintingsWestern Zen And The Transmission Integrity DebateWhat Bad Restoration Cost, and the Earthquakes That Keep ComingWhat Is Named in Public and What Is NotWhat Is Sealed Inside a Korean PagodaWhere It Came from, Which Nobody KnowsWhere It Is NowWhere It Is NowWhere It Is NowWhere It Is NowWhere It Is NowWhere It Is NowWhere the Next Buddha WaitsWhere the Twenty-One Are Met and Where They Are NotWho Is Allowed to Wear the RobeWho Is Trained to Paint One, and What Makes It More Than a PictureWhose Inscription Is the True OneWhy This Is Not SinWisdom Given a BodyXuanzang's Version, and Jan Nattier's Argument About OriginsZen Priesthood, Temple Life, And Funeral RitesZen Sickness, and a Painter for FarmersZhiyi and the Lotus Synthesis Showing 451 to 500 of 794 entities carrying this claim.
Holds
581Showing 1 to 50 of 264 entities carrying this claim.
Connected
73Articles
A Church of England Child Reads the Diamond Sutra and Becomes a Buddhist at SixteenA Claim Not Shared Across the Schools Descended From NichirenA Collective Vow Before an Image Founds a Pure Land PracticeA Dance Carries a Doctrine Through Markets and BeachesA Founding Title Arrives After the Founder Is GoneA Hut, a Wall and a Near-Fatal Illness: How Bankei AwakenedA Ladder With Nine RungsA Life With No Temple: Ryokan's Hermit PoetryA Monk of Sogdian Descent States Interpenetration in Words With Indra's Net of JewelsA Place for Nuns: Ayya Khema's Institutional LegacyA Shrine Revelation Removes the Need for FaithA Translator's Own Conversion Founds a SchoolA Treasury Built to Outlast a Sect: Kongtrul and the Rime MovementA Zen Teacher Also Brings Home a Second LegacyAn Older Map That the Later Schools RedrewBefore Ajahn Amaro, an Eight Hundred Mile Walk to Prove ItBefore Ajahn Sumedho, a Navy Medic and a Peace Corps TeacherBefore North America, Chogyam Trungpa's Nine-Month Escape From TibetBefore Pema: Deirdre Blomfield-Brown's Path to the RobesBefore San Francisco, Shunryu Suzuki Trained Under Gyokujun So-on in JapanBefore the Nuns' Island, a Refugee Childhood and Wartime Internment Preceded MeditationBorn to a Bon Family, Kongtrul Is Sent to PalpungBuddha-Nature in Grass and Trees: Zhanran's Extension of Tiantai DoctrineCarrying the Forest Tradition to the WestFive Terraces for One Bodhisattva: Manjushri's Living Cult at Mount WutaiFounding the Caodong School With Caoshan BenjiFrom a Buddhism Class to Tassajara: Suzuki's American ZenFrom Chithurst to Abhayagiri: A Second Generation Crosses the AtlanticFrom Critic to Abbot: Ikkyu's Two CareersFrom Twelve Fruitless Years to the Teachings of TusitaGampo Abbey and the Work of ContinuationGenshin Founds a Society of Monks for Mutual Deathbed PracticeIn Old Age, Ikkyu Sojun Takes the Blind Singer Mori as His CompanionKensho, Seeing One's Own Nature in Rinzai DoctrineKshitigarbha's Vow for the Buddha-less AgeMahasi Sayadaw Serves as Chief Questioner at the Sixth Buddhist CouncilOne Sutra, One Chant: Nichiren's Declaration and Its CostOne Teaching Seat Becomes Eleven Across a PeninsulaRefuge Before Sect: Sangharakshita's Founding ChoiceRise and Fall: How the New Burmese Method SpreadRyokan and Teishin: The Nun Who Saved His PoemsSeongcheol Sits for Eight Years and Makes Visitors Bow Three Thousand TimesShunryu Suzuki's Class That Became a Zen CenterSudden and Sudden: Seongcheol's Direct Challenge to JinulTassajara, the First Zen Monastery Founded Outside AsiaTeaching in Plain Speech: Bankei and the UnbornTen Years at Nalanda and a Return to TranslationThe Cult of Kshitigarbha: From Jiuhua Shan to the Roadside ShrineThe Discipline and the History Daoxuan CompiledThe Mirror of the Seon School, Before the War Showing 1 to 50 of 70 entities carrying this claim.
General References
563Showing 1 to 50 of 520 entities carrying this claim.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.