Esoteric Buddhism 101

Merit transfer is also known as Spiritual Consolation when you offer it for a soul in the spiritual realm. Six Transcendent powers (abhijna) - supernatural abilities developed through Buddhist practice, can be thought of as the fruits of enlightenment. Obon - Japanese holiday where ancestors return from the spiritual realm for a few days in July or August.Ullambana - Buddhist service related to the above mentioned holiday. Maudgalyayana - buddhist monk in a story about the origination of the Merit Transfer Rite.

Bodhicitta - bodhi widsom, the aspiration to attain enlightenment. Ananda - one of Shakyamuni’s great disciples, known for intelligence and his great memory.

Samsara - the endless cycle of death and rebirth. 10 realms or existence - hell, hungry spirits, animals, fighting beings (ashuras), humans, celestial beings (these are the 6 lower realms into which you can transmigrate/reincarnate)pratyeka buddhas, shravakas, bodhisattvas, buddhas/tathagata (these are the 4 higher realms, no longer subject to reincarnation)sentient beings - any being that has life.

For our purposes, the 3 school of Buddhism will be Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana.Shrvakas - Hearers.Pratyeka Buddha - solitary awakened ones. Bodhisattva - others-focused buddha being that does not enter final nirvana until helping all sentient beings out of suffering. Japanese Esoteric Buddhist school - Shingon, Tendai, Shinnyoen.Abhiseka - Being initiated into esoteric rights, passing on esoteric teachings/enlightenment from master to disciple.

Karma is also known as the law of cause and effect - plant a good seed, get a good effect. Plant a bad seed, get a bad effect. You plant seeds with your thoughts, speech and actions (mind, mouth, body).You inherit karma from your ancestors/past lives and also create it yourself in this life!