Pāli Glossary

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Pāli Glossary

1/2/16: It seems that the audio files are not loading, so just removed the audio files.

We now have a Popup Pāli Glossary with Pronunciation.

Possible Confusion in Pronunciation

It seems that the following conventions were adopted in order to make the text shorter.

In many cases:

1. “c” needs to be pronounced “ch” as in “charm” or “chicago.”

2. “t” needs to be pronounced “th” as in “thud” or “throw.”

For example, citta pronounced “chiththa”, cakkhu is pronounced “chakkhu”, anicca as “anichcha”, anatta as “anaththa”, jāti as “jathi”, taṇhā as “thanha”, tilakkhana as “thilakkhana.”

3. “d” needs to be pronounced “th” as in “this” or “that.” Note the difference in pronouncing “th” between 2 and 3.

For example, vedanā or dāna (as in giving) is pronounced this way.

Pronunciation Key

á rhymes like pat â → care ã → pay ā → father ê → pet ë → bee th → thin dhthis

ö → toe ü → moon ch → chin ng → thing

Common Pāli Words

I will keep adding more words to the glossary. If you would like me to add any missing words to the glossary, please send a comment.

10/6/15: I have added audio files. Please note the volume control below each audio.

 

Pāli Word

Audio

Pronounciation

Meaning

akusala

akusala

immoral, unwholesome

adosa

adhosa

non-hatred

alobha

alobha

non-greed

amoha

amoha

non-delusion

Anāgāmī

Anāgāmī

Non-Returner (to the human world)

Anariya

Anāriyā

One who is not yet a Noble One or Ariya

anatta

anaththā

not in-control, helpless

anicca

anichchā

inability to maintain to one’s satisfaction

anantara

 

being in storage until retrieval (kamma vipāka)

anupassana

anupassanā

contemplate with anicca, dukkha, anatta

anusaya

 

defilements arising from latent cravings (āsava)

apāya

apāya

common term for four lowest realms

abhijjā [abhijjhā]

abhijjā

strong greed

Arahant

 

Never to be born in any of the 31 realms

Ariya

āriyā

noble one (Sotāpanna or above)

arūpa

arūpa

without rūpa (not really correct)

avijjā

avijjā

ignorance

ahirika

ahirikā

shamelessness

ahetuka

ahãthuka

without good roots

akasa

ākāsa

space (the void in between rūpa)

aloka

āloka

light, dissociating from “this world”

āpo

āpo

cohesive element

ārammaṇa

ārammana

object of thought

āsava (asaya)

asāva

deep-seated craving

asevana

āsãvanā

repeated practice

bahiddha

bahidhdhā

external

bala

 

power

bhanga

bhangā

dissolution

bhava

 

existence level

Bhauddhayā (Buddhist)

Bhaudhdhayā

One striving to stop the rebirth process

bhāvanā

bhāvanā

meditation, constant contemplation & use

Buddha

Budhdha (not “Budhdhā”)

Buddha Gotama

bhavaṅga

bhavangā

life continuum

bhaya

 

fear

citta

chiththa

early stage of a thought (pure thought)

dana

dāna

giving

dasaka

 

decad

deva

dãva

a being in 6th-11th realms

dhamma

dhammā

Buddha’s teachings, phenomenon, mental object

dhammavicaya

dhammavichaya

investigation of concepts like anicca

dhātu

dhāthu

element

diṭṭhi

 

view, wrong view unless specified

domanassa

dhomanassa

displeasure

dosa

dhosa

hatred

dukha

dhukha

suffering

dukkha

dhukhkha

suffering & it can be overcome

dvara

dhvāra

door (to the outside world)

ekaggata

ekaggathā

one-pointedness (of the mind)

gandha

 

smell

gati

gathi

character

hadayavatthu

hadayavaththu

seat of mind

hetu

hãthu

root cause

hiri

 

shame

iddhipada

iddhipāda

means to accomplishment

kāmacchanda

kāmachanda

greed for things in kamaloka

kamaloka

kāmalõka

first 11 realms with five physical senses

kamavacara

kāmavachara

belonging to kamaloka

kamma

kammā

action, deed

kasiṇa

kasiṇa

meditation device (usu. a colored disk)

kāya

kāya

sensing (seeing, hearing, etc)

kaya

kaya

body

khaya

 

cutting off

khana

 

moment, sub-moment

khandha

 

aggregate, collection, heap

kilesa (keles)

kilãsa

defilement

kukkucca

kukkuchcha

tendency to do lowly things

kusala

 

removal of defilements

lahuta

lahüta

lightness

lakkhana

lakhkhana

characteristc

lobha

lobha

greed

loka

loka

world

lokuttara

lokoththara

beyond this world, transcendental

maccariya

machchariya

extreme greed, hiding wealth

magga

magga

path

mana

māna

conceit

manasikara

manasikāra

memory

mano

mano

mind

manodhatu

manodhāthu

mind element

manodvara

manodvāra

mind door

manussa

 

human being

marana

 

death

metta

meththā

loving kindness

micchā diṭṭhi

michcha diththi

wrong views

middha

midhdhha

lethargic mind

moha

moha

delusion

mudita

mudhithā

appreciative joy

muduta

mudhuthā

malleability

mūla

mūla or mūla

root

nama

nāma

name, mental

nāmarūpa

nāmarüpa

name and form

ñāṇa

ngāna

knowledge

nimitta

nimiththa

sign

nivarana

neevarana

hindrance

niraya

 

hell

niyama

niyama (not niyāma)

law of nature

oja

ojā

nutritive essence

paccaya

pachchayā

condition

pahāna

pahāna

abandoning

pancadvara

panchadvāra

five sense doors

pañcakkhandha

pancakkhandhā

five aggregates

pancaupadanakkhandha

pancaupādānakkhandhā

grasping/craving of five aggregates

paññā

pangngā

wisdom

pīti

peethi (preethi)

joy

pannindriya

 

wisdom faculty

paramatta

paramaththā

ultimate reality

pasāda rūpa

pasāda rūpa

sensitive matter (internal rūpa)

passaddhi

passadhdhi

tranquility

pathavi

 

element of hardness

paṭicca

patichcha

bind to something willingly

paṭigha

 

aversion, dislike

pavutthi

pavuththi

during this life, current

peta (preta)

petā (pretha)

hungry ghost

phala

 

fruit, fruition

phassa

 

contact

puggala

 

individual

purisa

 

masculine

rāga

rāga

attachment to saṁsāra

rasa

 

taste

rūpa

rūpa

matter (and energy)

rūpa kalapa

rūpa kalāpa

material group unit

rūpāvacara

rüpavāchara

belonging to rūpa loka

sadda

sadhdha

sound

sadharana

sādhārana

universal, common

saddhā

sadhdhā

faith (through knowledge and understanding)

sahetuka

sahëthuka

with roots

Sakadāgāmī

Sakadagāmi

Once-Returner (one more rebirth as a human)

saḷāyatana

salāyathana

six sense bases

samādhi

samādhi

high concentration with pure mind

sammā

 

quench (defilements)

samāpatti

samāpaththi

meditative attainment

samanantara

samananthara

contiguity, matching with anantara

samatha

samathā

calming the mind

samauppada

samauppāda

birth of a similar kind

saṅkappa

 

ideas

saṅkhāra

saṅkhāra

actions leading to defilements

saṅkhata (sankata in Sinhala)

sankhatha

conditioned, formed by conditions

saññā

sangngā

perception

saṁsāra (also called saṁsāra)

saṁsāra

beginningless rebirth process

sasava

sāsavā

with craving

sati

sathi

mindful of anicca, dukkha, anatta

satipaṭṭhāna

sathipattāna

establishment of sati

sanyojana

sanyojana

bind to defilements, fetter

sīla

seela

virtue, moral conduct

sekha

sëkha

trainee (the three stages below the Arahant)

somanassa

somanassa

with joy

sota

sotha

ear

 

 

 

 

Sotāpanna

Sothapanna

Stream Enterer (first stage of Nibbāna)

taṇhā

thanhā

attachment (bondage) due to greed, hate, or delusion

tejo

thãjo

heat element

thina

theena

sloth

uddhacca

udhdhachchā

tendency to be high-minded (restlessness)

upādāna

upādhāna

clinging, like to hold onto

upekkha

 

equanimity, neutrality

uppatthi

uppaththi

birth

vacī

vachi

speech

vaṇṇa (varna)

 

color

vayama

vayāma

effort

vāyo

vayo

fluidity

vedanā

vãdana

feeling

vicara

vichāra

sustained concentration on an object

vicikicchā

vichikichchā

acting without sati

vīmaṁsā

vīmaṁsā

investigation

vinnati

vingngāthi

intimation

viññāṇa

vingngana

(defiled) consciousness

vipāka

vipāka

result

vipassana

vipassanā

insight (via analysis of parts)

virati

virathi

abstinence from indulgence

viriya

 

effort

visuddhi

visudhdhi

purification

vitakka

vithakka

initial application of the mind on an object

vīthi

veethi

process (sequential)

votthapana

voththapana

determining

vyāpāda

vyāpāda

ill will, stronger than paṭigha