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Small Pali-English Glossary of Buddhist Terms

Bhikkhu Bodhi

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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
                       
karuā - 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 sāmaera)
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

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Source: http://www.watthai.net 

Sincere thanks to Bhikkhu Kusalaguna Thien-Duc for correction of typing errors (Binh Anson, 01-2004).


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