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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 dh → this |
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 |