Signs for Buddhism

David Bar-Tzur

Created 30 July 2007, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

Here are some suggestions for how to convey Buddhist concepts in Sign Language. They use ASL expansion techniques and are not signs from the Deaf Buddhist community. I would be happy to add any suggestions from Deaf Buddhists in America. You can contact me at

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

anatman
CENTER-OF-BEING HAVE-NONE. Instead of signing CENTER so that it lands on the palm of the NDH, it lands in the center of the chest + (2h)[B], POs > signer are crossed slightly above the wrists, then uncross while passing the mouth which blows on it.

arhat (saint)
ENLIGHTENMENT FINISH, READY CYCLE"sta, sta, sta" ESCAPE.

asceticism
SELF DISCIPLINE.

atman
CENTER-OF-BEING. Some Christian Deaf people sign "soul" this way. I mean that instead of signing CENTER so that it lands on the palm of the NDH, it lands in the center of the chest.

attachment
ADDICTED HAVE THINGS.

bodhisattva
ENLIGHTENMENT FINISH, BUT STAY HELP OTHER.

Buddha
(1) There are many Buddhist countries, so in trying to find the most authentic sign for the Buddha, it made sense to use the sign for the city Lumbini, Nepal, where he was born and whose sign commemorates his birth: [loose C dot] is held in the palm of [loose C dot], close to body. (2) Like CONTACT, but DH is PO down, FO > NDS and NDH is PO up, FO > DS; the hands are close to the heart. From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0kPcOkXDSI (YouTube: Sign for Muslim & Buddha), which is no longer extant.

Buddhism
DH [1], PO away, FO up, moves away while brushing against the joined middle finger and thumb of NDH [8], PO > DS, FO up.

caste
SOCIETY HIERARCHY.

chant
SAY SAME-OLD-THING, where the second sign is (2h)[Y], POs down, FOs away, circle vertically and symmetrically in a plane parallel to the chest with a positive facial expression and closed eyes.

disciple
D-FOLLOWER.

dukkha
SUFFER CYCLE"sta, sta, sta".

enlightenment
(1) The DH has the shape and movement of SURPRISED or WAKE-UP but the hand is held at the center of the forehead. (< the "opening of the third eye") (2) [open 8], PO down, is held over head and twists at wrist while moving upwards. (< BEING~HIGHLY-ABLE.) (3) (2h)[O^], FOs up, are held together against the chest like a closed blossom and the hands open as if a flower were blooming.

indulgence
PLEASURE, HEAVY-INTO.

karma
(1) LIFE CYCLE"sta, sta, sta" LAW. (2) Sign starts out like BRIBE but the DH opens, then closes and returns to the chest, this time above the NDH and strikes the chest. (< what you give out comes back to you)

laity
REGULAR RELIGIOUS PEOPLE.

Mahayana
MAJORITY BUDDHISM.

meditate, meditation
(2h)[F or 8], POs up, are held at their respective sides with eyes closed and head held high.

moksha
LIFE CYCLE++ RELEASE, where the last sign is (2h)[F] interlinked open and separate.

monastic, monastery
[O^] changes to [5] while throwing the end of a monk's robe over the shoulder + PLACE. The first sign description is for a Buddhist monk.

monk
[O^] changes to [5] while throwing the end of a monk's robe over the shoulder.

Nirvana
LIFE CYCLE"sta, sta, sta" ESCAPE.

noble (Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path)
N-ATTITUDE.

Noble Eightfold Path
NOBLE EIGHT WAY++.

pilgrimage
VISIT HOLY PLACE WORSHIP.

priest [Hindu]
P-R-I-E-S-T.

rebirth
NOT-YET ENLIGHTENED, BORN AGAIN MUST.

sacrifice
OFFER-UP GOD.

samsara
LIFE CYCLE++, SUFFER.

sangha
[O^] changes to [5] while throwing the end of a monk's robe over the shoulder + COMMUNITY. The first sign description is for a Buddhist monk.

self-denial
PLEASURE, COMFORT, SET-ASIDE.

Theravada
OLD WISE THEIRS+.

Vedas, Vedic scriptures
V-E-D-A-S.

yoga
(2h)[Y] taps thumbs to shoulders like a yoke.

Zen
Z-E-N.

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