75 words you will hear in discourses and on courses, from anicca to vipassanā, explained in plain English. Pali is the language of the Theravāda scriptures; the Devanagari spelling is given for readers of Nepali and Hindi.
A
adhiṭṭhānaअधिट्ठान
Determination or resolution; one of the ten perfections. On courses in S. N. Goenka's tradition, the three daily group sittings in which students try not to change position are called sittings of strong determination. See also pāramī.
Ajahn
Thai word for "teacher" or "mentor", equal to the Pali ācariya. It is used as part of a teacher's name, as in Ajahn Chah. See also Sayadaw, Sayagyi.
akusalaअकुसल
Unwholesome or unskilful; the opposite of kusala. See also kusala, kamma.
ānāpānaआनापान
In-breath and out-breath. In S. N. Goenka's tradition it is also the name of the breath-observation practice taught in the first days of a course, usually written Anapana. See also ānāpānasati, samādhi.
ānāpānasatiआनापानस्सति
Mindfulness of breathing: keeping attention on the breath. The Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118) sets it out in 16 steps; the canonical spelling is ānāpānassati. See also ānāpāna, sati, satipaṭṭhāna.
anattāअनत्ता
Not-self: nothing experienced is rightly seen as "mine", "I" or "my self". One of the three characteristics, set out in the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (SN 22.59). See also anicca, dukkha, ti-lakkhaṇa, khandha.
aniccaअनिच्च
Impermanent, inconstant, unsteady. The first of the three characteristics. See also dukkha, anattā, ti-lakkhaṇa.
arahantअरहन्त
A "worthy one" whose mind is free of defilements and who will not be reborn. The Pali form is arahanta. See also nibbāna, kilesa.
avijjāअविज्जा
Ignorance or delusion about the nature of the mind. AN 2.31 says it is given up by developing insight. See also paññā, paṭicca-samuppāda.
B
bhaṅgaभङ्ग
Breaking up or dissolution. In insight practice, the stage at which only the dissolving of mental and physical processes is apparent (bhaṅga-ñāṇa). See also ñāṇa, vipassanā.
bhāvanāभावना
Mental cultivation or development; meditation. Its two divisions are the development of calm (samatha) and the development of insight (vipassanā). See also samatha, vipassanā.
bhikkhuभिक्खु
A Buddhist monk, living under the monastic discipline. See also saṅgha.
bodhiबोधि
Awakening, the knowledge of a Buddha. Also the tree at Bodh Gaya under which the Buddha awakened. See also bojjhaṅga, nibbāna.
bojjhaṅgaबोज्झङ्ग
A factor of awakening (bodhi + aṅga). The seven are mindfulness, investigation, energy, rapture, tranquillity, concentration and equanimity. See also bodhi, sati, vīriya, pīti, upekkhā.
brahmavihāraब्रह्मविहार
The four "sublime abodes": goodwill, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity. See also mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā.
C
cittaचित्त
Mind, heart, state of consciousness. Observing the mind is the third foundation of mindfulness. See also satipaṭṭhāna.
D
dānaदान
Giving or generosity; one of the ten perfections. Courses in S. N. Goenka's tradition are funded only by donations from past students. See also pāramī, Dhamma service.
dhammaधम्म
The Buddha's teaching; also the natural law, a phenomenon or a mental quality. In the plural (dhammā) it is the fourth foundation of mindfulness: qualities such as the hindrances, aggregates, sense fields, awakening factors and noble truths. See also satipaṭṭhāna, saṅgha.
Dhamma service
Volunteer work on a course in S. N. Goenka's tradition, given as dāna without anything in return. It is open to students who have completed a 10-day course and practised no other technique since. See also dāna.
dukkhaदुक्ख
Suffering, stress, unsatisfactoriness. The first noble truth and one of the three characteristics. See also anicca, anattā, taṇhā, ti-lakkhaṇa.
J
jhānaझान
Meditative absorption, a state of strong concentration. DN 22 defines right concentration as the four jhānas. See also samādhi, samatha, vitakka, pīti, sukha.
K
kalāpaकलाप
"Bundle" or group. In Abhidhamma philosophy, a group of qualities that together make up the material body (rūpa-kalāpa). See also rūpa.
kammaकम्म
Intentional action that brings results. The Sanskrit form is karma. See also saṅkhāra, kusala, akusala.
kammaṭṭhānaकम्मट्ठान
A meditation subject; literally "place of work". The Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Mun is also called the Kammaṭṭhāna tradition. See also bhāvanā, samatha.
karuṇāकरुणा
Compassion; one of the four sublime abodes. See also brahmavihāra.
kāyaकाय
Body. Observing the body is the first foundation of mindfulness. See also satipaṭṭhāna.
khandhaखन्ध
Aggregate. The five are form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness; SN 22.59 examines each as not-self. See also rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa, anattā.
kilesaकिलेस
Defilement: greed, aversion and delusion in their many forms. See also taṇhā, nibbāna.
kusalaकुसल
Wholesome, skilful, meritorious. See also akusala, kamma.
M
maggaमग्ग
Path: the way to the end of suffering, the Noble Eightfold Path. Also the moment of path knowledge. See also phala, nibbāna.
mettāमेत्ता
Loving-kindness or goodwill; one of the four sublime abodes. It is taught on the last full day of a course in S. N. Goenka's tradition. See also brahmavihāra, karuṇā.
muditāमुदिता
Appreciative or sympathetic joy; one of the four sublime abodes. See also brahmavihāra.
N
nāma-rūpaनामरूप
Mind and matter (mentality and materiality). Discerning them is the first stage in Mahasi Sayadaw's Progress of Insight. See also rūpa, ñāṇa.
ñāṇaञाण
Knowledge. The commentaries and Mahasi Sayadaw's Progress of Insight call each stage of insight a ñāṇa, such as the knowledge of arising and passing away. See also vipassanā, bhaṅga.
nibbānaनिब्बान
Liberation; the "unbinding" or extinguishing of defilements. The Sanskrit form is nirvāṇa. See also magga, kilesa, arahant.
nimittaनिमित्त
A mental sign or image that can arise in concentration. See also jhāna, samādhi.
nīvaraṇaनीवरण
Hindrance. The five are sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. See also samādhi, satipaṭṭhāna.
P
Pāḷiपाळि
The Theravāda canon and, by extension, the language it is written in. See also Tipiṭaka, Theravāda.
paññāपञ्ञा
Wisdom or discernment; the third of the three trainings, after sīla and samādhi. See also sīla, samādhi, vipassanā.
pāramīपारमी
Perfection: ten qualities such as generosity, virtue, patience and equanimity. See also dāna, adhiṭṭhāna, upekkhā.
paṭicca-samuppādaपटिच्चसमुप्पाद
Dependent origination: how ignorance and craving lead, link by link, to suffering. It is usually set out in twelve links. See also avijjā, taṇhā, vedanā.
phalaफल
Fruition: the result of a path moment. See also magga.
pītiपीति
Rapture or joy; one of the seven factors of awakening, and present in the first two jhānas. See also bojjhaṅga, jhāna, sukha.
R
rūpaरूप
Form or physical phenomena; the first of the five aggregates. See also khandha, nāma-rūpa.
S
saccaसच्च
Truth, as in the four noble truths (ariya-sacca). Also truthfulness, one of the perfections. See also dukkha, pāramī.
sādhuसाधु
"It is well": an exclamation of appreciation or agreement.
samādhiसमाधि
Concentration of mind; the second of the three trainings. Bhikkhu Sujato translates it as "immersion". See also jhāna, samatha, sīla, paññā.
samathaसमथ
Calm or tranquillity of mind. The suttas often pair it with vipassanā. See also vipassanā, jhāna, bhāvanā.
sampajaññaसम्पजञ्ञ
Alertness, clear comprehension, presence of mind. S. N. Goenka's discourses explain it as understanding impermanence at the level of sensation. See also sati.
The community of monks and nuns; ideally, all noble disciples. See also bhikkhu, dhamma.
saṅkhāraसङ्खार
Formations: conditioned things and the forces that shape them; also the fourth aggregate. S. N. Goenka's discourses also use it for a mental reaction that conditions the future. See also khandha, kamma, anicca.
saññāसञ्ञा
Perception, recognition, labelling; the third aggregate. See also khandha.
satiसति
Mindfulness; from Vedic smṛti, "memory". Right mindfulness is the seventh factor of the Eightfold Path. See also satipaṭṭhāna, sampajañña.
satipaṭṭhānaसतिपट्ठान
The establishing, or foundation, of mindfulness. The four are observing the body, feelings, mind and dhammā, as set out in MN 10 and DN 22. See also kāya, vedanā, citta, dhamma, sati.
Sayadaw
Burmese honorific meaning "venerable teacher", used for senior monks, as in Ledi Sayadaw. See also Sayagyi, Ajahn.
Sayagyi
Burmese title meaning "great" or "respected" teacher, as in Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a lay teacher. See also Sayadaw.
sīlaसील
Moral conduct; the first of the three trainings. On a course, students practise it by keeping the precepts. See also samādhi, paññā.
sotāpannaसोतापन्न
Stream-enterer: someone at the first of the four stages of awakening. See also arahant, magga.
sukhaसुख
Pleasure, happiness, ease. DN 22 uses it for the bliss of the first three jhānas. See also pīti, dukkha, jhāna.
sukkha-vipassanāसुक्खविपस्सना
"Dry" or "bare" insight: insight practice that does not first develop full absorption (jhāna). Nyanaponika Thera uses the term for Mahasi Sayadaw's method. See also vipassanā, jhāna, samatha.
suttaसुत्त
A discourse of the Buddha or his disciples. The Sanskrit form is sūtra. See also Tipiṭaka.
T
taṇhāतण्हा
Craving: for sense pleasure, for existence or for non-existence. The second noble truth names it as the origin of suffering. See also dukkha, upādāna.
Theravādaथेरवाद
"Doctrine of the Elders": the Buddhism of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and neighbouring countries. See also Pāḷi, Tipiṭaka.
ti-lakkhaṇaतिलक्खण
The three characteristics: impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and not-self (anattā). See also anicca, dukkha, anattā.
Tipiṭakaतिपिटक
"Three baskets": the Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma collections that make up the Pali canon. It was first written down in Sri Lanka in the 1st century BCE. See also sutta, Pāḷi.
Equanimity; one of the seven factors of awakening and one of the four sublime abodes. See also brahmavihāra, bojjhaṅga.
V
vedanāवेदना
Feeling or sensation: pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. The second foundation of mindfulness and the second aggregate; S. N. Goenka's tradition works with it as sensation in the body. See also satipaṭṭhāna, khandha, taṇhā.
vicāraविचार
Sustained thought or evaluation; a factor of the first jhāna. See also vitakka, jhāna.
viññāṇaविञ्ञाण
Consciousness; the fifth aggregate. See also khandha.
vipassanāविपस्सना
Insight: clear seeing of mind and body in terms of the three characteristics. The Sanskrit form, used in Nepali and Hindi, is vipaśyanā. See also samatha, ti-lakkhaṇa, paññā, bhāvanā.
vīriyaवीरिय
Energy, effort, persistence; one of the seven factors of awakening. See also bojjhaṅga.
vitakkaवितक्क
Directed or applied thought; a factor of the first jhāna, stilled in the second. See also vicāra, jhāna.
Y
yogīयोगी
In modern retreat usage, a meditator. The word does not occur in the four main Nikāyas; it is a later term. See also bhāvanā.
