| The glossary below was prepared by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi to accompany his series of audio lectures "The Buddha's Teaching as it is" . Special Pāḷi characters: long vowels : Ā ā Ī ī Ū ū
cerebral consonant (like l in felt) : Ḷ ḷ
cerebral consonant (like a nasalised t) : Ṭ ṭ
cerebral consonant (like a nasalised d) : Ḍ ḍ
cerebral consonant (like a nasalised n) : Ṇ ṇ
palatal nasal (like ny in canyon) : Ñ ñ
gutteral nasal (like ng in ring) : Ṅ ṅ
niggahita consonant (pure nasal sound like ng in sang) : Ṃ ṃ
A abhūta - unoriginated
abyākata - undeclared, unexplained
abyāpāda - non-aversion
ācariya - teacher (may be same or different from upajjhāya)
āciṇṇakamma - habitual kamma
adīnāva - danger, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy
adosa - non-aversion (= loving-kindness)
agatigamana - evil motives (four) :-
chanda - desire, partiality
dosa - hatred
moha - delusion
bhaya - fear
ajāta - unborn
akata - uncreated
akusala - unwholesome
Ālāra Kālāma - the Bodhisatta's first meditation teacher
alobha - non-greed (= detachment)
amatadhātu - the deathless element
amatapada - the deathless state
amoha - non-delusion (= wisdom, understanding)
anāgāmimagga - path of non-returner
anāgāmiphala - fruit of non-returner
anāgāriya - homelessness
Ānanda - the Buddha's personal attendant
ānāpānassati - mindfulness of breathing
anattā - not self
anattaniya - not belonging to a self, not related to a self
anupadisesa nibbānadhātu - the nibbana element without residues remaining
anusaya - latent tendency
anuttara sammāsambodhi - supreme perfect enlightenment
appanāsamādhi - absorption concentration
apāyabhūmi - planes of misery
arahat - an accomplished one, one who has reached liberation while alive
arahattamagga - path of arahatship
arahattaphala - fruit of arahatship
ariya - noble; a noble person
ariyasangha - community of noble ones
ariya aṭṭhaṅgikamagga - the noble eightfold path
arūpadhātu - immaterial realm, formless realm
arūpa - formless meditative absorption or attainment (four)
ākāsānañcāyatana - sphere of infinite space
viññāṇañcāyatana - sphere of infinite consciousness
ākiñcaññāyatana - sphere of nothingness
n'evasaññānāsaññāyatana - sphere of neither perception nor non-perception
arūparāga - desire for immaterial existence
assāda - satisfaction, enjoyment
asaṅkhata - unconditioned
āsannakamma - death-proximate kamma
asura - titan, "anti-god"
attā - self
attahita - one's own welfare
attakilamathanuyoga - devotion to self-mortification
avasavattitā - not subject to the exercise of mastery
avihiṃsā (ahiṃsā) - non-injury
avijjā - ignorance
āyatana - sphere, realm B Bhagavā - the "Exalted One" (epithet of a Buddha)
Bhante - "venerable sir" (usual way of addressing the Buddha)
bhava - existence
kammabhava - kammically accumulative existence
upapattibhava - resultant existence
bhāvanā - development (of the noble eightfold path)
bhavaṅga - the life continuum
bhavataṇhā - craving for existence
bhikkhu - a fully ordained monk
bhikkhunī - a fully ordained nun
bhikkhunīsangha - the order of fully ordained nuns
bhikkhusangha - the order of fully ordained monks
Bodhisatta - one striving for complete Buddhahood
brahmacariya - the holy life, celibacy
Brahmā Sahampati - the high divinity who urged the Buddha to teach the Dhamma
brahmavihāra - sublime states, divine abodes (four) :-
mettā - loving-kindness
karuṇā - compassion
muditā - sympathetic joy
upekkhā - equanimity C cāga - generosity
cakkavattirājā - universal monarch
cakkhukaraṇi - leading to vision
cattāri ariyasaccāni - the four noble truths
cetanā - volition
chanda - desire (a neutral term, not necessarily bad)
citta - mind, thought moment, mental act
citt'ekaggatā - one-pointedness of mind
citt'uppāda - same as citta above
cittānupassanā - contemplation of states of mind
cittasantāna - the mental continuum
cīvara - the robes of a monk D dāna - giving
dasarājadhamma - ten royal virtues
dāna - generosity, giving
sīla - moral discipline
pariccāga - self-sacrifice
ajjava - justice
maddava - gentleness
tapa - austerity
akkodha - non-enmity
avihiṃsā - non-violence
khanti - patience
avirodha - non-opposition (to the will of the people)
dasasīla - the ten precepts (of a sāmaṇera)
dasasīlamātā - a ten precept-observing nun
dasasīla upāsikā - a woman observing the ten precepts
deva - god, heavenly being
Dhamma - the Buddha's teaching; the truth behind the teaching; the path
dhammacakka - the wheel of Dhamma
dhammacakkhu - eye of Dhamma, insight into truth
dhammānupassanā - contemplation of mind-objects
dhātu - element
dīpa - island
Dīpaṅkara - an ancient Buddha, the twenty sixth before Gotama
diṭṭhadhamma attha - the benefit pertaining to the present life
dosa - hatred, aversion
dukkha - unsatisfactoriness, suffering (sometimes untranslated)
dukkhadukkhatā - dukkha as ordinary suffering
dukkhanirodha - the cessation of suffering
dukkhanirodha ariyasacca - the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha
dukkhanirodhagāminīpaṭipadā - the way leading to the cessation of dukkha
dukkhanirodhagāminīpaṭipadā ariyasacca - the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha
dukkhasamudaya ariyasacca - the noble truth of the origin of dukkha
dvāra - door of action (= body, speech, mind) G gandhabba - the stream of consciousness ready to take rebirth
ganthadhura - the career of study
garukakamma - heavy kamma I idappaccayatā - conditionality J jarā - aging
jāti - birth
jhāna - (untranslated) meditative absorption
jhānaṅga - factor of absorption (five)
vitakka - initial application
vicāra - sustained application
pīti - rapture
sukha - happiness
citt'ekaggatā - one-pointedness of mind
jīvitindriya - the life-faculty K kāmadhātu - sense sphere realm
kāmataṇhā - craving for sense pleasures
kapilavatthu - the capital city of the Sakyans
kāmasukhallikānuyoga - devotion to indulging in sense pleasures
kamma - volitional action
kammabhava - kammically accumulative existence
kammaniyāma - the order of kamma, law of kamma
kammaṭṭhāna - meditation object
kammavaṭṭa - phase of kamma
kappa - an aeon, the lifespan of a world system
kasiṇa - disc-like object of concentration
kaṭattakamma - miscellaneous kamma
kaṭhina - the ceremony of robes-offering, following the end of the Vassa
kāyakamma - bodily action
kāyānupassanā - contemplation of the body
khandhaparinibbāna - the extinguishing of the aggregate-continuum
khaṇika - momentary
khaṇikasamādhi - momentary concentration
kilesa - defilement, a mental unwholesome state
kilesaparinibbāna - the extinguishment of defilements
kilesavaṭṭa phase of defilements
kiriya - the action of an arahat, not kamma
Koṇḍañña - the seniormost of the five ascetics; first monk-disciple of the Buddha
kusala - wholesome
Kusināra - the small town where the Buddha passed away L lobha - greed
lokadhātu - world system
lokiya - mundane
lokiyamagga - mundane path
lokuttara - transcendental, supramundane
lokuttaramagga - supramundane path M magga - path
maggaṅga - path factor
mahābhūta - primary elements (four)
paṭhavidhātu - the earth-element
āpodhātu - the water-element
tejodhātu - the heat-element
vayodhātu - the air-element
mahākaruṇā - great compassion
Mahāmāyā - Siddhattha's mother
Mahāpajāpati Gotamī - the Buddha's foster-mother, the first bhikkhuni
mahāpaññā - great wisdom
mahāthera - a senior bhikkhu (of twenty years or more seniority)
majjhimāpaṭipadā - the middle way
māna - conceit
manokamma - mental action
Māra - the Tempter, Buddhist personification of desire
maraṇa - death
moha - delusion
mūla - root N nāmarūpa - mentality-materiality
nāma - mentality (feelings, perceptions, mental formations)
rūpa - materiality (same as aggregate of material form)
ñāṇakaraṇi - leading to knowledge
nekkhamma - renunciation
nibbāna - (untranslated, Sanskrit nirvana) the unconditioned reality
niraya - hell
nirodha - cessation
nissaraṇa - release, escape P pabbajā - the "going forth", ceremony of initial ordination into the order
paccaya - condition
pada - state
pahāna - abandonment (of craving)
pañcanīvaraṇā - the five hindrances
kāmacchanda - sensual desire
byāpāda - ill will
thīnamiddha - dullness and drowsiness
uddhaccakukkucca - restlessness and worry
vicikicchā - doubt
pañcasīla - the five precepts
pañcupadānakkhandhā - the five aggregates of clinging
paññā - wisdom, understanding
paññākkhandha - group of wisdom
parahita - the welfare of others
pārājika - four rules leading to expulsion from order if violated
parama sukha - supreme happiness
paramattha - the ultimate benefit
pāramīs - sublime virtues perfected by a bodhisatta
pārima tīra - the further shore
parinibbāna - the final passing away (of a Buddha or an arahat)
pariññā - full understanding (of dukkha)
paritta - protective discourses recited by monks
pariyatti - the study of the Dhamma
pariyattidhamma - the study of scriptures
pariyuṭṭāna- manifestation (of defilements)
paṭicca samuppāda - dependent arising
pātimokkha - code of 227 rules binding on bhikkhus (core of the Vinaya)
paṭipāda - way
paṭipatti - the practice of the Dhamma
paṭipattidhamma - the practice of meditation
paṭisandhicitta - the relinking consciousness, rebirth consciousness
paṭivedha - penetration, realization of the Dhamma
pavāraṇa - the "invitation" to criticism, closing ceremony of the Vassa
peta - afflicted spirit, "hungry ghost"
phala - fruits of kamma
phassa - contact
piṇḍapāta - almsfood
punabbhava - repeated becoming, renewed existence
puthujjana - ordinary person; a worldling R rāgakkhaya dosakkhaya mohakkhaya - the destruction of greed, hatred and delusion
Rāhula - Siddhatha's son
rūpa - materiality (same as aggregate of material form)
rūpadhātu - fine material realm, realm of subtle materiality
rūpakkhandha - the aggregate of material form
rūparāga - desire for fine material existence S sa-upādisesa nibbānadhātu - the nibbana element with residue remaining
sacca - truth
sacchikaraṇa - realization (of nibbana)
sakadāgāmimagga - path of once-returner
sakadāgāmiphala - fruit of once-returner
sakkāya - the person, the individual
sakkāyadiṭṭhi - personality view, view of a self
Sakyamuni - the sage of the Sakyans (name for the Buddha Gotama)
Sakyans - a people of northeast India, among whom the bodhisattha was born
saḷāyatana - the six sense faculties
samādhi - concentration
samādhikkhandha - group of concentration
sāmaṇera - a novice monk
samatha - serenity
samathayāna - the vehicle of serenity
sambodhi - enlightenment
sammā ājīva - right livelihood
sammādiṭṭhi - right view
sammākammanta - right action
sammāsamādhi - right concentration
sammāsaṅkappa - right intention
sammāvācā - right speech
sammā sati - right mindfulness
sammā vāyāma - right effort
sammutisangha - the Sangha established by convention
samparāyika attha - the benefit pertaining to future lives
saṃsāra - the round of rebirths, cyclic existence
samuccheda - eradication, cutting off
samudaya - origin
saṃyojana - fetters
sangahavatthu - bases of popularity (four) :-
dāna - giving
peyyavajja - pleasant speech
atthacariyā - beneficial conduct
samānattatā - impartiality
Sanghamittā - daughter of King Asoka, established bhikkhuni sangha in Sri Lanka
saṅkhāra - volitional formations
saṅkhāradukkhatā - dukkha of conditioned formations
saṅkhārakkhandha - the aggregate of mental formations
saṅkhata - conditioned
saññākkhanda - the aggregate of perception
santi - peace
saraṇagamana - going for refuge
sāsana - the dispensation of the Buddha
sassatavāda - eternalistic view
satipaṭṭhāna - foundation of mindfulness, arousing of mindfulness
sāvakasangha - community of (noble) disciples
Siddhattha Gotama - the actual name of the Buddha
sīlabbataparāmāsa - clinging to rules and observances
sīlakkhanda - group of moral discipline
sotāpanna - stream enterer
sotāpattimagga - path of stream entry
sotāpattiphala - fruit of stream entry
Sumedha - name of the ascetic who eventually became the Buddha Gotama
Suddhodana - Siddhattha's father, king of the Sakyans T taṇhā - craving
taṇhākkhaya - the destruction of craving
Tathāgata - the "Perfect One" (epithet of a Buddha)
thera - a senior bhikkhu (of ten years or more seniority)
Theravāda - "school of the elders", the oldest continuous school of Buddhism
Therīgāthā - "verses of the arahat nuns", a book of the Sutta-pitaka
ṭhitassa aññatthatta- the transformation of that which endures
tilakkhaṇa - the three characteristics of existence
aniccatā - impermanence
dukkhatā - unsatisfactoriness, suffering
anattatā - selflessness, egolessness
Tipiṭaka - the three "baskets" or collections of Buddhist scriptures
Vinayapiṭaka - the collection of monastic disciplines
Suttapiṭaka - the collection of the Buddha's discourses and sermons
Abhidhammapiṭaka - the collection of psycho-philosophical treatises U ucchedavāda - annihilationist view
Udaka Rāmaputta - the Bodhisatta's second meditation teacher
upacārasamādhi - access concentration
upādāna - clinging
upādārūpa, upādāya rūpa - derivative material form
upajjhāya - preceptor
uppāda - arising
upapattibhava - resultant existence
upasama - peace
upasampadā - ceremony of full ordination as a bhikkhu
uposatha - observance day, held on full moon and new moon days V vacīkamma - verbal action
vasadhura - the career of meditation practice
vassa - the three month "rains residence" for bhikkhus, from July to October
vatthurūpa - the material basis of mind
vaya - passing away, destruction
vedanā - feeling
vedanākkhanda - the aggregate of feeling
vedanānupassanā - contemplation of feelings
vibhavataṇhā - craving for non-existence
vikkhambhana - suppression
vimutti - liberation
Vinaya - the monastic discipline
viññāṇa - consciousness
viññāṇakkhanda - the aggregate of consciousness
vipāka - results of kamma
vipākavaṭṭa - phase of resultants
vipallāsa - perversions
saññāvipallāsa - perversion of perception
cittavipallāsa - perversion of thought
diṭṭhivipallāsa - perversion of views
vipariṇāmadukkhatā - dukkha due to change
vipassanā - insight
vipassanāyāna - the vehicle of insight
virāga - dispassion
visuddhi - purity
vītikkama - transgression Y Yasodharā - wife of Siddhattha
yathābhūtañāṇadassana - knowing and seeing things as they really are
yoniso manasikāra - wise consideration Top |