Western media often portrays Buddhism as primarily about meditation. In reality, most lay Buddhists worldwide engage through merit-making, festivals, offerings, and ethical conduct. Meditation is traditionally a monastic specialty, though this is changing.

Generating positive karma through generosity (especially to monastics), ethical conduct, and devotional practices. Merit can be dedicated to deceased relatives or all beings. This is the most common form of lay Buddhist practice worldwide.

Traditionally, intensive meditation was primarily a monastic practice. Lay meditation movements are largely a modern development, growing significantly in the 20th century through figures like S.N. Goenka and Mahasi Sayadaw. Today, lay meditation is common but still not universal.

Don't confuse the Dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma, representing the Buddha's teaching) with the Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life/Becoming), which depicts the realms of samsara and the cycle of rebirth. Different wheels, different meanings.

Early Buddhist art often represented the Buddha through symbols (footprints, empty throne, bodhi tree) rather than human images. Scholars debate whether this was a deliberate doctrinal choice or simply artistic convention of the period. Human Buddha images became common from around the 1st-2nd centuries CE.

A modern movement applying Buddhist ethics to social, political, and environmental issues. Term coined by Thich Nhat Hanh. Practitioners argue that compassion requires addressing structural suffering, not just individual liberation.

Claims that Buddhism uniquely aligns with science often reflect 19th-20th century Buddhist modernizers (like Anagarika Dharmapala and D.T. Suzuki) who strategically presented Buddhism in scientific terms for Western audiences. Legitimate dialogue exists, but "quantum Buddhism" claims are generally not taken seriously by physicists or religious studies scholars.

These categories (from scholars like Jan Nattier and Charles Prebish) are useful but increasingly contested. They can obscure: Asian American converts, heritage Buddhists who also identify as secular, mixed communities, and problematic assumptions about race and "authentic" Buddhism.

Term coined by critic Ron Purser describing commodified mindfulness stripped of Buddhist ethical framework. Critics argue corporate mindfulness helps workers cope with exploitative conditions rather than questioning them—turning a liberative practice into a productivity tool.

Not a value judgment but a historical description. Buddhist reformers like Anagarika Dharmapala adopted Protestant emphases (scripture, individual piety, anti-ritualism) partly to defend Buddhism against missionary critique. Much Western Buddhism inherits these emphases, sometimes mistaking modern reforms for ancient tradition.

Perennialists (Aldous Huxley, Huston Smith) argue all mystics reach the same ultimate reality. Constructivists (Steven Katz) argue mystical experiences are shaped by tradition-specific training and expectations—a Buddhist and a Christian may have genuinely different experiences, not just different descriptions. Most scholars today take a nuanced position between these poles.