Buddhism – 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, wisdom, and meditation) releases one from desire, suffering, and rebirth.
Enlightenment – A blessed state in which the individual is free from suffering, understands the nature of the mind and reality, and enjoys complete bliss, delight, and peace. The causes of enlightenment are: great compassion, wisdom (the realization of emptiness and insight through one-pointed calm abiding meditation), and the accumulation of great amounts of merit and wisdom.
Four Noble Truths: 1) The noble truth of suffering (and stress). 2) The noble truth of the origin of stress and suffering. 3) The noble truth of the cessation of suffering. 4) The noble truth of the way of practice to cease suffering.
Merit – the purification of past unwholesome deeds and the attunement of the mind to the stages of holiness by training in the “Six Perfections,” i.e., giving (generosity), moral conduct, patience, diligence (enthusiasm for performing virtuous deeds), meditation, and the perfection of wisdom.