Pāli Glossary

1

dāna

generosity

giving

2

sīla

ethics

virtue, morality

3

nekkhamma

renunciation

letting go

4

paññā

wisdom

knowledge, discernment, insight

5

viriya

energy

vigor, 

6

khanti

patience

forbearance

7

sacca

truthfulness

truth

8

adhiṭṭhāna

determination

persistence

9

mettā

lovingkindness

good will, friendliness, benevolence

10

upekkhā

equanimity

equilibrium,

1

Vinaya

Discipline

monastic code, discipline, law

2

Sutta

Discourses

scriptures

3

Abhidhamma

Analysis

analytical texts

1

anicca

impermanent

inconstant

2

dukkha

dissatisfaction

suffering, pain, distress, discontent

3

anattā

not-self

selflessness, ownerlessness [Never use “no self” unless a teacher is specifically using it (usually this will be with the purpose of discouraging the translation)]

1

lobha

attachment

grasping, greed, lust

2

dosa

aversion

hatred, ill-will, malevolence

3

moha

delusion

ignorance, confusion

1

Buddha

Buddha

Teacher, Blessed One, Realized One

2

Dhamma

Dhamma

Teachings, Truth, Way [Commonly used: Dharma (Skt)]

3

Saṅgha

Sangha

Community, Order [of monastics]

1

mettā

lovingkindness

good will, friendliness, benevolence

2

karuṇā

compassion

empathy

3

muditā

sympathetic joy

appreciation, empathic joy, celebration

4

upekkhā

equanimity

equilibrium,

1

kāya

body

physical form, physicality

2

vedanā

feelings

affect, charge

3

saṅkhāra

mind states

mental states, emotional states, mind

4

dhamma

qualities

mind-objects [often not translated: “dhammas”]

1

dukkha

dissatisfaction

suffering, pain, distress, discontent

2

taṇhā

craving

grasping, thirst (lit.)

3

nirodha

cessation

stilling, ceasing, stopping

4

magga

path

way

1

sotāpanna

stream-entry/enterer

stream-winner

2

sakadāgāmī

once-return/returner

3

anāgāmī

non-return/returner

4

arahant

arahant

Perfected One [generally not translated]

1

rūpa

form

body, appearance, physical phenomena

2

vedanā

feeling

affect, charge

3

saññā

perception

recognition, interpretation

4

saṅkhāra

formations

choices, volitional formations, kammic formations, conditioned phenomena

5

viññāṇa

consciousness

knowing, cognizance

1

Dīgha Nikāya

Long Discourses

2

Majjhima Nikāya

Middle Length Discourses

3

Saṃyutta Nikāya

Connected Discourses

Linked Discourses

4

Aṅguttara Nikāya

Numbered Discourses

Numerical Discourses

5

Khuddaka Nikāya

Minor Discourses

1

saddhā

faith

conviction

2

viriya

energy

persistence, effort

3

sati

mindfulness

memory, recollection

4

samādhi

concentration

immersion, integration

5

paññā

wisdom

knowing, cognizance

1

kāmacchanda

sensual desire

lust, grasping at sense pleasures

2

vyāpāda

ill-will

hatred, malevolence

3

thīna-middha

sloth and torpor

dullness, laziness

4

uddhacca-kukkucca

restlessness and worry

anxiety

5

vicikicchā

doubt

skeptical doubt

1

vitakka

aiming

thought, connecting, initial application

2

vicāra

sustaining

investigation, sustained application

3

pīti

rapture

joy, bliss

4

sukha

happiness

ease

5

ekaggatā

one-pointedness

single-pointedness

1

pāṇātipātā

not taking life

not killing

2

adinnādānā

not taking that which isn’t offered

not stealing

3

kāmesu-micchācāra

not committing sexual misconduct

not misusing sexuality/sexual energy, express sexual energy wisely [Alternate 3rd precept for retreat: celibacy, abstain from sexual expression, spiritual path (brahmacariya)]

4

musāvādā

not lying

speak the truth with kindness

5

surāmeraya-majjapamādaṭṭhānā

not misusing intoxicants that cloud the mind

abstain from…

1

niraya

hells

demonic

2

peta

hungry ghosts

ghost 

3

tiracchāna

animal

4

manussa

human

5

asura

jealous gods

titans, demons, 

6

deva

heavens

deities, spirits

1

cakkhu

eye, seeing

sight

2

sota

ear, hearing

sound 

3

ghāna

nose, smelling

smell

4

jivhā

tongue, tasting

taste

5

kāya

body, sensing

touch

6

mano

mind, thinking

cognition, thinking-feeling

1

sati

mindfulness

memory, recollection

2

dhamma-vicāya

investigation

Investigation of dhammas/experience 

3

viriya

energy

vigor

4

pīti

rapture

joy, bliss

5

passaddhi

tranquillity

repose, calm

6

samādhi

concentration

immersion, integration

7

upekkhā

equanimity

equilibrium

1

sammā-diṭṭhi

wise view

right… view, understanding

2

sammā-saṅkappa

wise intention

right… thought

3

sammā-vācā

wise speech

right…

4

sammā-kammanta

wise action

right… conduct, behavior

5

sammā-ājīva

wise livelihood

right… living, occupation

6

sammā-vāyāma

wise effort

right…

7

sammā-sati

wise mindfulness

right… memory, recollection

8

sammā-samādhi

wise concentration

right… immersion, unification

1

avijjā

ignorance

2

saṅkhāra

volitional formations

kammic/karmic formations, choices

3

viññāṇa

consciousness

4

nāmarūpa

name and form

name-and-form

5

saḷāyatana

six sense bases

…doors

6

phassa

contact

7

vedanā

feeling

affect, charge

8

taṇhā

craving

wanting, thirst (lit.)

9

upādāna

clinging

grasping, feeding (lit.)

10

bhava

becoming

being, existence, continued existence

11

jāti

birth

rebirth

12

jarāmaraṇa …

old age and death …

aging and death … [Full phrase: “aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair” ( jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā)]

1

Theravāda

Way of the Elders

2

Mahāyāna

Great Vehicle

3

Vajrayāna

Diamond Vehicle