Pāli Glossary
262 terms across nineteen doctrinal frameworks
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Organized by doctrinal framework (default) or as a single alphabetical list. Search works without special characters — type metta to find Mettā, anicca to find Anicca, and so on. Pronunciation guides are approximate romanizations for English speakers.
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I. Foundational Frameworks

The Buddha's core analytical frameworks — the ground from which all practice proceeds.

Dukkha(dook-KHA)
Suffering / Unsatisfactoriness / Stress
The second characteristic and the First Noble Truth. Three dimensions: dukkha-dukkha (ordinary pain), vipariṇāma-dukkha (suffering of change — pleasant experience is dukkha because it alters and ends), and saṅkhāra-dukkha (the subtle stress intrinsic to all conditioned phenomena merely by virtue of being conditioned). Not pessimism — a precise diagnosis pointing toward the unconditioned.
See also: Anicca, Anattā, Nibbāna
Anicca(ah-NIT-chah)
Impermanence
The first characteristic of existence. All conditioned phenomena arise and pass; nothing persists unchanged. Direct perception of anicca in meditation — not intellectual acknowledgment but bare seeing of arising and passing — is the entry point of vipassanā insight.
See also: Dukkha, Anattā, Udayabbaya-ñāṇa
Anattā(ah-NOT-tah)
Non-self / Not-self
The third characteristic. No phenomenon contains or constitutes an abiding, independent self or owner. The meditator who directly perceives anattā finds no agent behind attention, no controller behind volition — only process. This insight dismantles the deepest layer of avijjā and is not fully abandoned until arahantship.
See also: Anicca, Sakkāya-diṭṭhi
Paṭicca-samuppāda(pah-TIT-chah sah-moop-PAH-dah)
Dependent Origination
The twelve-factor chain describing how suffering arises and ceases: (1) avijjā → (2) saṅkhārā → (3) viññāṇa → (4) nāma-rūpa → (5) saḷāyatana → (6) phassa → (7) vedanā-g → (8) taṇhā → (9) upādāna → (10) bhava → (11) jāti → (12) jarā-maraṇa. Not a temporal sequence but a web of mutual conditionality — each factor implies and sustains the others. See the full interactive treatment on the Dependent Origination page.
See also: Avijjā, Taṇhā, Nibbāna
Idappaccayatā
Specific Conditionality
The abstract principle underlying dependent origination: "when this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises." The lawfulness of conditioned arising without requiring a creator or chance.
Pañcakkhandha / Khandha(pañ-chak-KHAN-dah)
Five Aggregates
The five constituents that exhaust what is grasped as "self": rūpa (form/materiality), vedanā (feeling-tone), saññā (perception), saṅkhārā (mental formations), viññāṇa (consciousness). No self is found in any aggregate, nor outside them, nor as their sum. Upādānakkhandha: the aggregates insofar as they are objects of clinging.
See also: Anattā, Sakkāya-diṭṭhi
Tiratana / Tisaraṇa
Three Jewels / Three Refuges
Buddha (the Awakened One), Dhamma (the teaching and the truth), Saṅgha (the community of noble practitioners). Taking refuge (saraṇa-gamana) is not blind belief but a commitment to orient one's life around these three. Formula: "Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi."
Dhamma(DHAM-mah)
Law of nature / The teaching / Phenomenon
One of the most semantically rich words in Pāli. (1) As capitalized Dhamma: the Buddha's teaching and the universal law of nature. (2) As dhammā (plural): mental objects — the sixth sense-object category. (3) In Abhidhamma: the irreducible constituents of experience. (4) Duty or righteousness. The quality ehipassiko — "come and see" — belongs to the Dhamma: it is open to direct verification, not requiring prior belief.
Avijjā(ah-VIJ-jah)
Ignorance
Fundamental not-knowing of the Four Noble Truths and the three characteristics; the root condition of the entire chain of dependent origination. Not mere lack of information but the mind's habitual turning away from the nature of arising. Avijjā is itself conditioned by the āsavā (taints) — a reflexive loop with no absolute beginning. Its cessation is vijjā — true knowledge. The final and most fundamental of the ten fetters, abandoned only at arahantship.
See also: Paṭicca-samuppāda, Āsava
Dukkha-samudaya
Origin of suffering
The second noble truth: suffering arises with taṇhā (craving). Not merely that craving exists, but that suffering arises in dependence upon it — conditioned, therefore ceasing when its condition ceases.
Dukkha-nirodha
Cessation of suffering
The third noble truth: the complete fading and cessation of craving — nibbāna. The proof that liberation is possible: if suffering is conditioned, its cessation is achievable by removing the conditions.
Ariyasacca
Noble truth
A truth realized by the noble ones (ariya). "Noble" because it ennobles the one who penetrates it — not a proposition to be accepted but a reality to be directly known.
Dukkha-dukkha
Suffering as suffering
Ordinary physical and mental pain — the most obvious dimension of dukkha. Illness, injury, grief, separation from what is pleasant, being with what is unpleasant.
Vipariṇāma-dukkha
Suffering of change
The suffering inherent in the alteration or loss of pleasant states. Because pleasures are impermanent, even enjoyment is shadowed by the anticipation of its passing.
Saṅkhāra-dukkha
Suffering of formations
The subtle stress intrinsic to all conditioned phenomena merely by virtue of being conditioned — dependent, unstable, not fully under control. The most subtle and philosophically significant dimension of dukkha.
Paccaya
Condition / Supporting factor
A condition on which a phenomenon depends for its arising, persistence, or cessation. The Paṭṭhāna (the seventh Abhidhamma book) analyzes 24 conditional relations.
Anuloma / Paṭiloma
Forward/Reverse order of dependent origination
Anuloma: the chain read in arising order — how suffering originates. Paṭiloma: the chain read in cessation order — how suffering ceases. The Buddha presented both in his teaching.
Upādānakkhandha
Aggregates of clinging
The five aggregates insofar as they are objects of clinging — the basis of identity-view. When not clung to, the aggregates are simply processes; when grasped, they become "self."
Rūpa (aggregate)
Form / Materiality
The first aggregate: the physical body and all material phenomena. As the first element of nāma-rūpa in dependent origination: the material basis of the organism.
Saññā
Perception / Recognition
The third aggregate. The marking and recognition of objects — the function that identifies, labels, and categorizes experience. Conditioned by past experiences; can distort when driven by craving, aversion, or conceit.
Saraṇa
Refuge
That in which one takes shelter. The three refuges (Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha) are taken formally at the beginning of practice. Not escape but orientation — aligning oneself with the qualities these represent.
Adhisīla-sikkhā / Adhicitta-sikkhā / Adhipaññā-sikkhā
Higher trainings
The three trainings in their intensive or "higher" aspect: adhisīla (higher virtue), adhicitta (higher mind/concentration), adhipaññā (higher wisdom). The prefix adhi marks that these are cultivated deliberately and deeply, not merely observed conventionally.
II. The Three Trainings (Tisikkhā)

The structural organization of the entire path into virtue, concentration, and wisdom.

Sīla(SEE-lah)
Virtue / Moral conduct
The first of the three trainings. Restraint of bodily and verbal action through adherence to the precepts. Without sīla, the mind cannot settle into samādhi — ethical conduct is not preliminary to practice but foundational to it. Corresponds to the path factors of right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
See also: Sīla-visuddhi, Pañca-sīla
Samādhi(sah-MAH-dhee)
Concentration / Collectedness
The second training. Unification and stabilization of mind on a single object. Ranges from momentary concentration through access concentration (upacāra-samādhi) to full absorption (appanā-samādhi). Corresponds to right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration on the path.
See also: Jhāna, Citta-visuddhi
Paññā(PAN-nyah)
Wisdom / Discernment
The third training. Insight into the true nature of phenomena — specifically, direct seeing of the three characteristics. Threefold by origin: sutamayā-paññā (from learning), cintāmayā-paññā (from reflection), bhāvanāmayā-paññā (from cultivation). The liberating paññā is the third — not conceptual understanding but direct experiential knowing. Corresponds to right view and right intention.
See also: Vipassanā, Ñāṇa
III. The Noble Eightfold Path (Ariya Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga)

The practical path to liberation. Not a sequence to complete in order but eight mutually supporting factors developed simultaneously.

Sammā-diṭṭhi
Right View
Understanding the Four Noble Truths, the three characteristics, dependent origination, and the law of kamma. Both mundane right view (understanding kamma and its results) and supramundane right view (direct insight into the noble truths). Grouped under paññā.
Sammā-saṅkappa
Right Intention / Right Resolve
Intention of renunciation (nekkhamma), non-ill-will (abyāpāda), and harmlessness (avihiṃsā). These are background orientations — motivational ground beneath action and speech. Wrong intention can accompany technically correct behavior; right intention can be present even in difficult interactions. Grouped under paññā.
Sammā-vācā
Right Speech
Abstaining from false, divisive, harsh, and idle speech. Positively: truthful, harmonious, gentle, and meaningful speech. Grouped under sīla.
Sammā-kammanta
Right Action
Abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Grouped under sīla.
Sammā-ājīva
Right Livelihood
Earning a living without harm — avoiding trade in weapons, living beings, meat, intoxicants, or poison. Grouped under sīla.
Sammā-vāyāma
Right Effort
The fourfold effort: preventing unarisen unwholesome states, abandoning arisen unwholesome states, cultivating unarisen wholesome states, maintaining arisen wholesome states. The operative quality is cetanā — intentional mental engagement with the quality of what is arising. Not willpower applied to behavior but attention applied to the mind's own movements. Grouped under samādhi.
See also: Sammappadhāna
Sammā-sati
Right Mindfulness
Mindfulness in the four domains of satipaṭṭhāna: body, feeling-tone, mind-states, and mind-objects. Non-forgetful continuous awareness of present experience — not thinking about experience but direct knowing of what is happening now. Grouped under samādhi.
See also: Satipaṭṭhāna, Sati
Sammā-samādhi
Right Concentration
The four jhānas as the proximate support for insight. Not any concentration but concentration developed and purified in the context of the path. Grouped under samādhi.
See also: Jhāna
IV. The Thirty-Seven Aids to Awakening (Bodhipakkhiyā Dhammā)

The complete set of practice qualities culminating in liberation.

Satipaṭṭhāna(sah-tee-pat-THAH-nah)
Foundations of Mindfulness
The four domains of mindfulness practice: kāyānupassanā (contemplation of the body — breathing, postures, parts, elements, corpse contemplations), vedanānupassanā (contemplation of feeling-tone), cittānupassanā (contemplation of mind-states), dhammānupassanā (contemplation of phenomena — hindrances, aggregates, sense bases, awakening factors, four noble truths). The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (DN 22) is the primary source.
See also: Anupassanā, Sati
Sammappadhāna / Sammā-vāyāma
Four Right Efforts
Saṃvara-padhāna (restraining — preventing unarisen unwholesome states), pahāna-padhāna (abandoning arisen unwholesome states), bhāvanā-padhāna (developing unarisen wholesome states), anurakkhaṇa-padhāna (maintaining arisen wholesome states). These four efforts describe a complete relationship with the wholesome and unwholesome.
See also: Sammā-vāyāma
Iddhipāda
Four Bases of Spiritual Power
Chanda (wholesome desire/zeal to accomplish), viriya (energy/effort), citta (whole-hearted directing of mind), vīmaṃsā (investigation/discriminative inquiry). The bases that ground supernormal development and, more practically, sustained practice.
Indriya / Bala
Five Faculties / Five Powers
The same five qualities — saddhā (faith), viriya (energy), sati (mindfulness), samādhi (concentration), paññā (wisdom). Called "faculty" (indriya) when guiding and governing; "power" (bala) when unshakable. Must be balanced: saddhā against paññā, viriya against samādhi. Sati is the balancing faculty — never in excess.
See also: Sati, Viriya, Saddhā
Bojjhaṅga(boj-HANG-ah)
Seven Factors of Awakening
The seven qualities that, when present and balanced, lead directly to awakening: sati (mindfulness — foundational), dhamma-vicaya (investigation of phenomena), viriya (energy — arousing), pīti (rapture — nourishing), passaddhi (tranquillity — calming), samādhi (concentration — stabilizing), upekkhā (equanimity — balancing). The first three arouse a sluggish mind; the last three calm an agitated one.
See also: Pīti, Upekkhā
Kāyānupassanā
Contemplation of the body
The first satipaṭṭhāna. Includes: mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati), the four postures, clear comprehension in activity, the parts of the body, the four elements, and the nine cemetery contemplations (asubha).
Vedanānupassanā
Contemplation of feeling-tone
The second satipaṭṭhāna. Continuous observation of the pleasant, painful, or neutral quality of each arising of experience. The pivot point of dependent origination — where mindfulness can interrupt the reactive chain.
Cittānupassanā
Contemplation of mind-states
The third satipaṭṭhāna. Observing the quality of consciousness: whether it is with or without greed, hatred, or delusion; contracted or distracted; exalted or not; liberated or not.
Dhammānupassanā
Contemplation of phenomena
The fourth satipaṭṭhāna. Contemplating the five hindrances, five aggregates, six sense bases, seven awakening factors, and four noble truths as they arise and pass in experience.
Sammappadhāna — four efforts
Four Right Efforts (detailed)
Saṃvara-padhāna: preventing unarisen unwholesome states. Pahāna-padhāna: abandoning arisen unwholesome states. Bhāvanā-padhāna: developing unarisen wholesome states. Anurakkhaṇa-padhāna: maintaining arisen wholesome states.
Chanda
Wholesome desire / Zeal
Wholesome aspiration to accomplish — the motivating desire to practice, to attain liberation, to fulfill the path. Distinguished from craving (taṇhā) by its orientation toward the wholesome and its freedom from clinging to results. One of the four bases of spiritual power.
Vīmaṃsā
Investigation / Discriminative inquiry
The fourth basis of spiritual power (iddhipāda). Systematic inquiry and investigation — the wisdom-faculty applied to practice. The quality that checks, evaluates, and adjusts.
Dhamma-vicaya
Investigation of phenomena
The second awakening factor. The active, probing quality of mind that discriminates wholesome from unwholesome, real from apparent, and penetrates the three characteristics. Distinguished from mere thinking — it is wisdom-in-operation.
Passaddhi
Tranquillity / Composure
The fifth awakening factor. The calming of bodily and mental agitation — the stillness that arises as hindrances subside. Distinguished from torpor: passaddhi is alert repose. Pairs with pīti (rapture) as the nourishing quality of concentrated practice.
V. Concentration and Jhāna (Samatha)

The development of one-pointed, unified mind — the stable platform for insight.

Samatha(SAH-mah-tah)
Calm / Serenity meditation
Meditation cultivating tranquillity and one-pointedness. Distinguished from vipassanā (insight) though the two are ideally developed together. Samatha produces the jhānas and the brahmavihārā absorptions; these in turn provide the stable platform for insight.
See also: Vipassanā, Jhāna
Bhāvanā(bhah-VAH-nah)
Mental cultivation / Meditation
The general term for meditative development — "growing" the mind as one grows a field. Encompasses both samatha-bhāvanā (concentration development) and vipassanā-bhāvanā (insight development).
Ānāpānasati(ah-nah-PAH-nah-sah-tee)
Mindfulness of breathing
The most widely taught samatha object in the Theravāda tradition. Observation of the natural breath, typically at the nostrils. The Ānāpānasati-sutta (MN 118) presents a complete sixteen-step practice integrating all four satipaṭṭhānas and all seven awakening factors.
See also: Satipaṭṭhāna
Jhāna(JAH-nah)
Meditative absorption
A state of deep concentration; the four (or five) fine-material absorptions. Each jhāna is defined by which mental factors (jhānaṅga) are present. The jhānas provide the stable, purified base from which vipassanā penetrates to liberation.
See also: Vitakka, Pīti, Sukha, Upekkhā, Ekaggatā
Vitakka(vi-TAK-kah)
Applied thought / Initial thought
The first jhāna factor. The mental factor that "places" or directs attention onto the meditation object — the initial application of mind. Abandoned in the transition to the second jhāna when the mind can sustain itself without directed placement.
See also: Vicāra
Vicāra(vi-CHAH-rah)
Sustained thought / Examination
The second jhāna factor. The mental factor that keeps attention engaged with the meditation object, examining and "rubbing" against it. Present alongside vitakka in the first jhāna; abandoned in the second. Together, vitakka and vicāra constitute discursive awareness.
See also: Vitakka
Pīti(PEE-tee)
Rapture / Zest
The third jhāna factor. A joyful, energizing quality arising as hindrances are suppressed by deepening concentration. Five grades: minor thrill, momentary flashes, showering waves, uplifting rapture, and suffusing rapture. Present in the first and second jhāna; abandoned as concentration deepens and pīti is replaced by the quieter quality of sukha.
See also: Sukha, Bojjhaṅga
Sukha(SOO-kha)
Pleasure / Ease / Happiness
The fourth jhāna factor. A quieter, more settled form of well-being than pīti. Present in the first through third jhāna; distinguished from pīti by its tranquil rather than excited quality. In the fourth jhāna, both pīti and sukha are transcended in favor of upekkhā.
See also: Pīti, Upekkhā
Upekkhā(oo-pek-KAH)
Equanimity
The fifth jhāna factor (in the fourth jhāna). Balanced, non-reactive awareness. As a jhāna factor it replaces pīti and sukha in the fourth jhāna. Also one of the four brahmavihārās, one of the seven awakening factors, and one of the ten perfections. Its near enemy is indifference; its far enemy is excitement.
See also: Bojjhaṅga, Brahmavihāra
Ekaggatā(eh-kahg-gah-TAH)
Unification of mind / One-pointedness
The fifth jhāna factor, essential for the stability of absorption. The mental factor that gathers and unifies the mind on a single object. Also called samādhi in a narrow sense. Present in all four jhānas.
Upacāra-samādhi
Access concentration
Concentration just before full absorption — the proximate cause for jhāna entry. At this stage the paṭibhāga-nimitta has arisen and the five hindrances are suppressed, though not yet at jhāna stability.
See also: Paṭibhāga-nimitta, Citta-visuddhi
Nimitta — preparatory / parikamma(nah-MIT-tah / pah-rik-KAM-mah)
Preparatory sign
The actual, physical meditation object (e.g., the breath at the nostrils, a kasiṇa disk) before any internal mental image has formed. The starting point of samatha practice.
See also: Uggaha-nimitta, Paṭibhāga-nimitta
Nimitta — learning / uggaha(nah-MIT-tah / OOG-gah-hah)
Learning sign / Acquired sign
The mental image of a meditation object that appears when concentration has stabilized enough to reproduce the object internally. Still carries sensory imperfections; the intermediate stage between the preparatory sign and the counterpart sign.
See also: Parikamma-nimitta, Paṭibhāga-nimitta
Nimitta — counterpart / paṭibhāga(nah-MIT-tah / pah-tee-BAH-gah)
Counterpart sign
A luminous, stable mental image that replaces the uggaha nimitta when concentration deepens further. Perfectly clear and steady — the proximate cause for access concentration and full absorption. The paṭibhāga-nimitta is mind-made and lacks the sensory imperfections of the original object. Its quality (color, luminosity, stability) reflects and influences the depth of concentration attained.
See also: Uggaha-nimitta, Upacāra-samādhi
Arūpa-jhāna / Arūpa-samāpatti
Formless attainments
Four absorptions beyond the fine-material jhānas: ākāsānañcāyatana (base of infinite space), viññāṇañcāyatana (base of infinite consciousness), ākiñcaññāyatana (base of nothingness), nevasaññānāsaññāyatana (base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception). Nirodha-samāpatti (attainment of cessation) goes beyond: the cessation of perception and feeling, accessible to anāgāmīs and arahants.
See also: Jhāna
Bhavaṅga
Life-continuum
In Abhidhamma: the resting or subliminal mode of consciousness between active cognitive processes. The passive baseline of mental life — the stream of consciousness when not actively cognizing an object through a sense door.
Brahmavihāra(brah-mah-vih-HAH-rah)
Divine abodes / Immeasurable qualities
Four qualities of heart cultivated as both practice objects and ethical orientations: mettā (loving-kindness), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (appreciative joy), upekkhā (equanimity). Also called appamaññā (immeasurables) — cultivated toward all beings without limit. Each has a near enemy (a quality resembling it but corrupting it) and a far enemy (the obvious opposite).
See also: Mettā, Karuṇā, Muditā, Upekkhā
Mettā(met-TAH)
Loving-kindness / Goodwill
The first brahmavihāra. The genuine wish for the wellbeing and happiness of all beings — starting with oneself and extending outward through loved ones, neutral persons, difficult persons, and all beings without exception. Its near enemy is sentimental affection; its far enemy is ill-will.
See also: Brahmavihāra
Karuṇā(kah-ROO-nah)
Compassion
The second brahmavihāra. The wish for beings to be free from suffering. Distinguished from mettā by its specific orientation toward suffering rather than wellbeing in general. Its near enemy is grief (which resembles it but is self-referential); its far enemy is cruelty.
See also: Brahmavihāra
Muditā(moo-dee-TAH)
Appreciative joy / Sympathetic joy
The third brahmavihāra. Joy in the wellbeing and success of others — the antidote to jealousy and envy. Its near enemy is exhilaration (which mimics joy but is agitated); its far enemy is aversion. Often considered the most difficult brahmavihāra to cultivate.
See also: Brahmavihāra
Kasiṇa
Totality device
A meditation device (earth, water, fire, air, colors, light, space, consciousness) used as a samatha object to develop absorption. The meditator generates an internal image of the kasiṇa that eventually becomes a stable paṭibhāga-nimitta.
See also: Paṭibhāga-nimitta
Anussati
Recollection
The ten recollections used as samatha objects: Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, virtue, generosity, deities, death (maraṇa-sati), body (asubha), breathing (ānāpānasati), peace (upasamānussati).
Kammaṭṭhāna
Meditation subject / Workplace
The object or theme used in meditation — literally "place of work." The Visuddhimagga lists 40 kammaṭṭhāna, organized by temperament: earth kasiṇa, body contemplation, brahmavihārā, ānāpānasati, etc.
Paṭhama-jhāna / Dutiya / Tatiya / Catuttha
First through Fourth Jhāna
Paṭhama-jhāna (first): all five jhāna factors present. Dutiya-jhāna (second): vitakka and vicāra dropped. Tatiya-jhāna (third): pīti abandoned, sukha remains with sati and sampajañña. Catuttha-jhāna (fourth): pure upekkhā and sati; breath may cease; described as the basis for insight.
Ākāsānañcāyatana
Base of infinite space
The first formless attainment — arising when attention is lifted from form and directed to the space the kasiṇa had occupied. "Space is infinite."
Viññāṇañcāyatana
Base of infinite consciousness
The second formless attainment. "Consciousness is infinite" — attention turns from infinite space to the consciousness that knows it.
Ākiñcaññāyatana
Base of nothingness
The third formless attainment. "There is nothing" — attention turns from infinite consciousness to its absence.
Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana
Base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception
The fourth and subtlest formless attainment. Neither full perception (too coarse) nor non-perception (ceased). The most refined conditioned state; not yet nibbāna.
Samāpatti
Meditative attainment
A meditative attainment — especially the eight absorptions (four jhānas and four formless attainments), or the attainment of cessation.
Nirodha-samāpatti
Attainment of cessation
The cessation of perception and feeling (saññāvedayitanirodha). Not death or sleep but a complete suspension of mental activity. Accessible only to anāgāmīs and arahants who have also mastered all eight absorptions.
Parikamma-samādhi / Appanā-samādhi
Preparatory / Absorption concentration
Parikamma-samādhi: the initial, preparatory stage of concentration. Appanā-samādhi (absorption concentration): full jhānic one-pointedness in which the mind is absorbed into the object without wavering.
Asubha
Foulness / Unattractiveness
Contemplation of the body's repulsiveness — the nine cemetery contemplations (a bloated corpse, one eaten by crows, a skeleton, etc.). Antidote to sensual lust. Not nihilism but clear seeing of what the body actually is.
Maraṇa-sati
Mindfulness of death
Recollection of mortality — that death is certain, the time of death uncertain, and nothing accompanies one at death except kamma. Cultivated as a source of urgency (saṃvega) and as a liberation of attachment.
Buddhānussati
Recollection of the Buddha
One of the ten recollections. Sustained reflection on the Buddha's qualities: "The Blessed One is thus: worthy, fully self-enlightened, accomplished in knowledge and conduct..." Develops confidence and joy.
Appamaññā
The immeasurables
Collective name for the four brahmavihārās — loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, equanimity — cultivated boundlessly, without limit, toward all beings without exception.
VI. Insight Meditation (Vipassanā)

Direct seeing of the three characteristics — what the practice points toward.

Vipassanā(vi-PASS-ah-nah)
Insight / Clear-seeing
Direct seeing of phenomena as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self. Not contemplation or conceptual reflection — direct knowing. The sequence from samatha → vipassanā → insight knowledges → path and fruition is the classical map of the complete practice.
See also: Samatha, Vipassanā-ñāṇa
Anupassanā(ah-noo-pass-ah-NAH)
Continuous observation / Contemplation
Sustained, repeated observation of a specific domain of experience. The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta structures practice around four anupassanās: body (kāya), feeling-tone (vedanā), mind-states (citta), and phenomena (dhammā).
See also: Satipaṭṭhāna
Vipassanā-ñāṇa
Insight knowledge
Knowledge arising from direct insight practice. The sixteen insight knowledges (see section VII) describe the progressive deepening of vipassanā. Not techniques to be performed but what the mind sees when conditions are sufficiently established.
See also: Sixteen Insight Knowledges →
Vipassanūpakkilesa
Corruptions of insight
The ten experiences that can mislead a meditator into thinking the path is attained: illumination (obhāsa), knowledge, rapture, tranquillity, bliss, resolve, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attachment. Distinguished from genuine path attainment by the maggāmagga-visuddhi.
See also: Maggāmagga-visuddhi
Yathābhūta-ñāṇadassana
Knowledge and vision of things as they are
Seeing reality undistorted — without the overlays of craving, aversion, and delusion. The foundational quality of all genuine insight.
Pariññā
Full understanding
Three levels: ñāta-pariññā (defining each phenomenon by its characteristics), tīraṇa-pariññā (seeing phenomena in terms of the three characteristics), pahāna-pariññā (the understanding that abandons defilements).
Three characteristic contemplations
Anicca / Dukkha / Anattā contemplation
Anicca-anupassanā, dukkha-anupassanā, anattā-anupassanā: sustained contemplation of a phenomenon specifically under each characteristic. The entry into the insight knowledges.
Sammasana
Comprehension / Mastery
Inferential comprehension of phenomena by way of the three characteristics — grasping them conceptually across all past, present, and future formations before they are directly perceived. Corresponds to the third insight knowledge.
Lakkhaṇa
Characteristic / Defining mark
The defining mark of a phenomenon. Each dhamma has four aspects: characteristic (lakkhaṇa), function (rasa), manifestation (paccupaṭṭhāna), and proximate cause (padaṭṭhāna).
Udayabbaya
Rise and fall
The arising and passing of phenomena as directly perceived. The basic unit of vipassanā — seeing each moment of experience come into being and cease. Not a concept but a direct perception.
Ñāta-pariññā / Tīraṇa-pariññā / Pahāna-pariññā
Three full understandings
Progressive depths of understanding: (1) ñāta — defining each phenomenon by characteristics; (2) tīraṇa — seeing in terms of the three characteristics; (3) pahāna — the understanding that abandons defilements by seeing through them.
VII. Seven Purifications (Satta Visuddhi)

The structural map of the Visuddhimagga. The purifications are conditions you establish; the insight knowledges (next section) are what the mind sees when those conditions are in place.

Visuddhi(vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification / Purity
The general term for purification in the Pāli commentarial tradition. The Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa organizes the entire path into seven progressively refined levels. The purifications are conditions you deliberately establish — the insight knowledges are what the mind sees when those conditions are sufficiently in place.
Sīla-visuddhi[The first purification and the foundation of the entire path. Restraint of body and speech through the precepts appropriate to one's station (five precepts for laypersons). Without sīla, the mind cannot settle into samādhi. This and the next purification are directly cultivated — agency lives here.](SEE-lah vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification of Virtue
[P1]
Citta-visuddhi[The second purification. Achieved through the development of samādhi — access concentration (upacāra-samādhi) or full absorption (appanā-samādhi). The stillness of mind that provides the stable platform for insight practice. Your job is P1 and P2 — if samādhi deepens sufficiently, the insight knowledges arise on their own schedule.](CHIT-tah vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification of Mind
[P2]
Diṭṭhi-visuddhi[The third purification. Correct understanding of nāma (mind) and rūpa (matter) as distinct processes, not a unified "self." Corresponds to the first insight knowledge (nāma-rūpa-pariccheda-ñāṇa). Dismantles the coarsest form of personality view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi).](DIT-thi vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification of View
[P3]
See also: Nāma-rūpa-pariccheda-ñāṇa
Kaṅkhāvitaraṇa-visuddhi[The fourth purification. Clear understanding of dependent origination and conditionality — knowing how mental and physical phenomena arise and cease in dependence on conditions. Eliminates doubt about the Three Jewels and the path. Corresponds to the second insight knowledge.](kahn-KHAH-vi-tah-RAH-nah vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification by Overcoming Doubt
[P4]
See also: Paccaya-pariggaha-ñāṇa
Paṭipadā-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi[The fifth purification. Progress through the insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇas) from comprehension through to conformity knowledge. Crucially: this purification is the insight knowledges — ñāṇas 1 through 13 are what it consists of. The two maps (purifications and insight knowledges) are not parallel tracks but the same territory described two ways.](pah-ti-PAH-dah NYAH-nah-das-sah-nah vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way
[P5]
See also: Sixteen Insight Knowledges →
Maggāmagga-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi[The sixth purification. Discriminating insight that distinguishes correct meditative progress from the ten corruptions of insight (vipassanūpakkilesa) — illumination, rapture, tranquillity and others — which can be mistaken for attainment.](MAG-gah ah-MAG-gah vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification by Knowledge of Path and Non-Path
[P6]
See also: Vipassanūpakkilesa
Ñāṇadassana-visuddhi[The seventh and final purification. The direct, experiential knowledge of the four noble truths at the moment of path and fruition. The complete liberation from all āsavas in the case of arahantship. Also the sixteenth insight knowledge.](NYAH-nah-das-sah-nah vi-SOOD-dhee)
Purification by Knowledge and Vision
[P7]
See also: Phala-ñāṇa, Arahant
VIII. Sixteen Insight Knowledges (Soḷasa Vipassanā-ñāṇa)

Not techniques to practice toward — what the mind sees when conditions are sufficiently established. These are two ways of mapping the same territory as the Seven Purifications.

Nāma-rūpa-pariccheda-ñāṇa[Direct discernment of mental (nāma) and physical (rūpa) phenomena as distinct processes, with no abiding self or soul to be found. The entry point of genuine vipassanā. Corresponds to P3 (diṭṭhi-visuddhi).](NAH-mah-ROO-pah pah-rich-CHEH-dah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Mind-Body Distinction
[ñ.1]
Paccaya-pariggaha-ñāṇa[Seeing that nāma-rūpa phenomena arise and pass in dependence on conditions — no uncaused phenomena, no independent self as agent. Corresponds to P4 (kaṅkhāvitaraṇa-visuddhi). In some enumerations also called paṭicca-samuppāda-ñāṇa.](PAT-chah-yah-pah-rig-GAH-hah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Conditionality
[ñ.2]
Sammasana-ñāṇa[Comprehension of all formations under anicca, dukkha, and anattā through sustained contemplation. Also called vipallāsa-ñāṇa. The inferential (not yet directly perceptual) understanding of the three characteristics across all phenomena.](sahm-MAH-sah-nah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of the Three Characteristics
[ñ.3]
Udayabbaya-ñāṇa[Often called "A&P" in contemporary Insight traditions. Direct perception of phenomena arising and ceasing moment by moment. The mature phase may be accompanied by light, rapture, and powerful concentration — which can be mistaken for attainment (see vipassanūpakkilesa). The pivot point after which the tone of practice shifts.](oo-dah-YAB-bah-yah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Arising and Passing Away
[ñ.4]
Bhaṅga-ñāṇa[The passing side of arising-and-passing now dominates: only the vanishing of phenomena is perceived. Experiences of lightness, spaciousness, and dissolution of the sense of a meditating subject may arise.](BHANG-ah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Dissolution
[ñ.5]
Bhaya-ñāṇa[All conditioned formations, seen clearly in the three characteristics, now appear as fearful and terrifying. A natural consequence of deeply seeing impermanence, suffering, and non-self — not induced but arising from the clarity of the preceding knowledge.](BAH-yah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Fearfulness
[ñ.6]
Ādīnava-ñāṇa[Seeing conditioned phenomena as dangerous, threatening, and without refuge. Fear deepens into a clear seeing of the peril inherent in all formations.](ah-dee-NAH-vah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Danger
[ñ.7]
Nibbidā-ñāṇa[A profound disenchantment with all conditioned existence — not despair but the natural falling away of fascination with formations once their true nature is clearly seen. The mind turns away from what it once found compelling.](nib-bee-DAH NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Disenchantment
[ñ.8]
Muñcitukamyatā-ñāṇa[Having seen the suffering in formations, the mind turns away from conditioned existence and longs for liberation. A turning point — the first of the knowledges that incline explicitly toward cessation.](moon-chi-too-KAM-yah-tah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance
[ñ.9]
Paṭisaṅkhā-ñāṇa[The meditator deliberately re-observes formations under all three characteristics to find a way to escape from conditioned existence. A phase of sustained, deliberate re-engagement with the characteristics after the turning of ñāṇas 6–9. Also called sukhuma-bhaya-ñāṇa in some enumerations.](pah-ti-SAHN-khah NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Re-observation
[ñ.10]
Saṅkhārupekkhā-ñāṇa[The most mature pre-path insight knowledge. The mind becomes perfectly balanced and equanimous toward all conditioned phenomena — neither grasping nor pushing away. Deep stillness and clarity. The mind is poised for the breakthrough.](sahn-KHAH-roo-pek-KHAH NYAH-nah)
Knowledge of Equanimity toward Formations
[ñ.11]
Anuloma-ñāṇa[A brief, transitional moment of insight that "conforms" to both the preceding insight knowledges and the supramundane path. Immediately precedes change-of-lineage knowledge.](ah-noo-LOH-mah NYAH-nah)
Conformity Knowledge
[ñ.12]
Gotrabhū-ñāṇa[A single moment of consciousness that "crosses the lineage" from the mundane to the supramundane, taking Nibbāna as its object for the first time. Not itself a path moment but the immediate gateway to it.](got-rah-BOO NYAH-nah)
Change-of-Lineage Knowledge
[ñ.13]
Magga-ñāṇa[The supramundane path consciousness (lokuttara magga-citta) that directly realizes Nibbāna and eradicates the appropriate fetters. Occurs in a single, irrepeatable moment for each of the four path attainments (stream-entry, once-return, non-return, arahantship).](MAG-gah NYAH-nah)
Path Knowledge
[ñ.14]
Phala-ñāṇa[The result consciousness (phala-citta) that immediately follows the path moment. Takes Nibbāna as its object and can recur in later sits as fruition attainment (phala-samāpatti).](PAH-lah NYAH-nah)
Fruition Knowledge
[ñ.15]
Paccavekkhaṇā-ñāṇa[Reflecting on the path, fruit, defilements abandoned and remaining, and nibbāna. Occurs after path and fruition.](PAT-chah-vek-KHA-nah NYAH-nah)
Reviewing Knowledge
[ñ.16]
IX. Stages of Awakening (Ariya-puggala)

The four stages of noble attainment, defined by which fetters are eradicated.

Ariya
Noble one
One who has attained at least stream-entry. The ariya-saṅgha — the community of noble ones — constitutes the Saṅgha in its highest sense.
See also: Sotāpanna, Arahant
Puthujjana
Worldling / Ordinary person
One who has not yet attained any path. Subject to all ten fetters and to rebirth in any realm.
Sotāpanna(soh-tah-PAN-nah)
Stream-enterer
The first stage of awakening. Three fetters permanently eradicated: sakkāyadiṭṭhi (personality view), vicikicchā (doubt), and sīlabbata-parāmāsa (clinging to rules and rituals). Guaranteed liberation within seven lives at most; will never be reborn in a lower realm.
See also: Saṃyojana
Sakadāgāmī
Once-returner
The second stage. The first three fetters are eradicated and sensual desire and ill-will are weakened (though not fully abandoned). Will return to the human world at most once more.
Anāgāmī
Non-returner
The third stage. Five lower fetters fully eradicated: the first three plus sensual desire (kāma-rāga) and ill-will (vyāpāda). Will not return to the sensual world, attaining final nibbāna in a pure abode (suddhāvāsa).
Arahant(ah-RAH-hant)
Fully liberated one / Worthy one
One who has eradicated all ten fetters and all āsavas (taints). No further rebirth will occur. The arahant acts without generating kamma — all action is kiriyā (functional, non-kamma-generating). The fourth and final stage of awakening.
See also: Āsava, Ñāṇadassana-visuddhi
Saṃyojana
Ten Fetters
Lower fetters (binding to the sensual realm): (1) sakkāya-diṭṭhi (identity view), (2) vicikicchā (doubt), (3) sīlabbata-parāmāsa (clinging to rites/rituals), (4) kāma-rāga (sensual lust), (5) paṭigha/vyāpāda (ill-will). Higher fetters: (6) rūpa-rāga (lust for fine-material existence), (7) arūpa-rāga (lust for formless existence), (8) māna (conceit), (9) uddhacca (restlessness), (10) avijjā (ignorance). The stages of awakening are defined by which fetters are eradicated.
Sakkāya-diṭṭhi
Identity view / Personality-belief
The view of a self in relation to the five aggregates — seeing the aggregates as "I am this" or "this is mine." The first and most fundamental fetter, abandoned at stream-entry.
See also: Anattā
Māna
Conceit
The "I am" conceit — comparison of self with others (superior, equal, inferior). Subtle even in advanced practitioners; not fully abandoned until arahantship. Distinguished from the overt delusion of sakkāyadiṭṭhi (identity view) — māna can persist after the view of a fixed self has dissolved.
Nibbāna(nib-BAH-nah)
Liberation / The unconditioned
The unconditioned element — beyond arising and passing, beyond craving and suffering. Not annihilation (the Buddha explicitly rejected this), not a heavenly realm, not a belief. Realized through direct insight. Two aspects: saupādisesa-nibbāna (with residue remaining — a living arahant) and anupādisesa-nibbāna (without residue — at physical death of the arahant). Synonyms: amata (the deathless), asaṅkhata (unconditioned), virāga (dispassion), nirodha (cessation), vimutti (liberation).
Vimutti
Liberation / Release
Cetovimutti (liberation of mind) — release through concentration. Paññāvimutti (liberation by wisdom) — release through insight. The arahant who has developed both jhāna and insight achieves both; the "dry-insight" arahant achieves paññāvimutti alone.
Aṭṭha ariya-puggalā
Eight noble persons
The four path-attainers and four fruit-attainers: the stream-enterer (path and fruit), once-returner (path and fruit), non-returner (path and fruit), arahant (path and fruit). Together they constitute the ariya-saṅgha.
Sīlabbata-parāmāsa
Clinging to rites and rituals
The third fetter: the belief that mere observance of rules, rites, or austerities brings purification, independent of the path. Abandoned at stream-entry. Not the precepts themselves but attachment to them as sufficient in themselves.
Kāma-rāga
Sensual lust
The fourth fetter: desire for sense pleasures — the pull toward pleasant sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. Weakened at once-returning; fully abandoned at non-return.
Paṭigha / Vyāpāda
Ill-will / Resistance
The fifth fetter: resistance and hostility toward unpleasant experience — the push-away to taṇhā's pull-toward. Weakened at once-returning; fully abandoned at non-return.
Rūpa-rāga / Arūpa-rāga
Lust for fine-material / formless existence
The sixth and seventh fetters: attachment to the fine-material jhānas and their corresponding realms (rūpa-rāga), and to the formless attainments and their realms (arūpa-rāga). Abandoned only at arahantship.
Asmimāna
The conceit "I am"
The residual sense-of-self that persists even after the intellectual view of a fixed self has dissolved. "I am" as a background feeling of being a subject — more subtle than sakkāyadiṭṭhi. Abandoned only at arahantship.
Upakkilesa
Corruption / Blemish
Imperfections of mind or of insight. As corruptions of insight: the ten experiences (illumination, knowledge, rapture, tranquillity, bliss, resolve, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, attachment) that mislead the meditator into believing the path is attained.
Ahirika / Anottappa
Shamelessness / Recklessness
Ahirika: lack of inner conscience — not recoiling from wrongdoing. Anottappa: not fearing the consequences of wrongdoing. Together, the opposites of hiri and ottappa — the absence of the "guardians of the world."
X. Defilements, Taints, and Hindrances

The forces that sustain suffering and obscure the path.

Kilesa(ki-LAY-sah)
Defilement / Mental impurity
Mental impurities that afflict and corrupt the mind. The ten kilesas: lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), moha (delusion), māna (conceit), diṭṭhi (wrong view), vicikicchā (doubt), thīna (sloth), uddhacca (restlessness), ahirika (shamelessness), anottappa (recklessness). Practice progressively weakens and finally eradicates these.
See also: Āsava, Nīvaraṇa
Āsava(AH-sah-vah)
Taint / Canker / Influx
The deep defilements underlying all samsaric existence: kāmāsava (taint of sensuality), bhavāsava (taint of existence), diṭṭhāsava (taint of views — in some lists), and avijjāsava (taint of ignorance). Their destruction (āsavakkhaya) defines the arahant.
See also: Arahant
Anusaya
Underlying tendency / Latent defilement
The seven dormant proclivities that lie latent even when not actively manifesting: sensual lust, aversion, views, doubt, conceit, lust for existence, ignorance. More subtle than active kilesas — they can be present even when the mind appears calm.
Kāmacchanda(kah-mah-CHAHN-dah)
Sensual desire / Sensual longing
The first of the five hindrances. Craving for pleasant sense experience — sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, or mental objects. Suppressed in absorption by the jhāna factors; abandoned as a lower fetter at non-return.
See also: Nīvaraṇa
Byāpāda / Vyāpāda(byah-PAH-dah)
Ill-will / Aversion
The second hindrance. Hostility, irritation, or resistance directed at a person, object, or experience. The antidote in formal practice is mettā. A lower fetter abandoned at non-return.
See also: Mettā, Nīvaraṇa
Thīna-middha(TEE-nah MID-dah)
Sloth and torpor
The third hindrance. A paired hindrance: thīna is sluggishness of the citta and cetasikas; middha is drowsiness of the body. Together they produce dullness, heaviness, and loss of mental sharpness. Antidotes include arousing energy, reflection on urgency (saṃvega), and bright-light contemplation.
See also: Nīvaraṇa, Viriya
Uddhacca-kukkucca(ood-HAHT-chah kook-KOOT-chah)
Restlessness and remorse
The fourth hindrance. Uddhacca is agitation or mental scattering; kukkucca is worry and regret over past actions. Together they prevent settledness and samādhi. Uddhacca alone persists as the ninth fetter until arahantship.
See also: Nīvaraṇa
Vicikicchā(vi-ki-KICH-chah)
Doubt
The fifth hindrance. Skeptical indecision regarding the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, or the training — paralyzing practice by preventing commitment. Abandoned at stream-entry as the second fetter.
See also: Nīvaraṇa, Sotāpanna
Nīvaraṇa
Five Hindrances
The five obstacles to concentration: (1) sensual desire (kāmacchanda), (2) ill-will (vyāpāda), (3) sloth-torpor (thīna-middha), (4) restlessness-remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca), (5) doubt (vicikicchā). Suppressed — not eradicated — by the jhāna factors.
See also: Kāmacchanda, Byāpāda, Thīna-middha, Uddhacca-kukkucca, Vicikicchā
Lobha(LOH-bah)
Greed / Craving / Attachment
One of the three unwholesome roots. Ranges from mild preference to intense craving. The motivating energy behind taṇhā and upādāna in dependent origination. All kāma-taṇhā and bhava-taṇhā are lobha-rooted.
See also: Taṇhā
Dosa(DOH-sah)
Aversion / Ill-will / Hatred
One of the three unwholesome roots. Ranges from mild irritation to intense hatred. The antidote in formal practice is mettā. Dosa-driven action generates unwholesome kamma.
See also: Mettā
Moha(MOH-hah)
Delusion / Confusion
The third unwholesome root — the functional equivalent of avijjā at the level of individual moments of consciousness. Where avijjā is the structural ignorance underlying the wheel of becoming, moha is the moment-to-moment not-seeing that sustains it.
See also: Avijjā
Taṇhā(tan-HAH)
Craving / Thirst
The eighth nidāna and the Second Noble Truth. Three kinds: kāma-taṇhā (sensual craving), bhava-taṇhā (craving for existence/becoming), vibhava-taṇhā (craving for non-existence/annihilation). Taṇhā arises from vedanā driven by avijjā — the move from "this is pleasant" to "I must have more" is where mindfulness can intervene. See full treatment on the Dependent Origination page.
See also: Vedanā, Upādāna
Upādāna(oo-PAH-dah-nah)
Clinging / Grasping
The ninth nidāna — taṇhā intensified and solidified into a grip. Four kinds: clinging to sensual pleasures, to views (diṭṭhupādāna), to rules-and-rituals (sīlabbata-parāmāsa), and to a doctrine of self (attavāda-upādāna). The last is the most fundamental; the third is abandoned at stream-entry. See the full treatment on the Dependent Origination page.
See also: Taṇhā
XI. Kamma, Rebirth, and Liberation

The mechanics of conditioned existence and the path beyond it.

Kamma(KAM-mah)
Intentional action / Karmic action
Intentional action of body, speech, or mind that generates results (vipāka). The Buddha identified kamma with cetanā (intention): "It is intention that I call kamma." Kamma is not fate — it is a specific causal mechanism. The doctrine of kamma is explicitly not deterministic in Theravāda: past kamma is one condition among many, not a complete determinant.
See also: Cetanā, Vipāka
Cetanā(chay-TAH-nah)
Volition / Intention
The mental factor identified with kamma proper. Present in every moment of consciousness but generating kamma only when driven by greed, hatred, or delusion. The mental factor that "does the doing" — that makes an action kammically significant.
See also: Kamma
Vipāka
Result / Fruit / Ripening
The resultant experience produced by kamma. Vipāka consciousness is "resultant" — it is experienced but does not itself generate further kamma. The relationship of kamma to vipāka follows the law of kammavipāka — not mechanical but conditioned by many factors.
Saṃsāra
The round of rebirth
The beginningless cycle of birth, aging, and death — "wandering on" through realms of existence propelled by craving and kamma. The cycle of vaṭṭa: kamma → defilement → result → kamma. Saṃsāra is not a place but a process.
See also: Nibbāna
Kusala / Akusala
Wholesome / Unwholesome
Kusala: skillful action rooted in non-greed (alobha), non-hatred (adosa), and non-delusion (amoha), leading to liberation. Akusala: unskilful action rooted in greed, hatred, or delusion, leading to suffering. The distinction is functional — rooted in whether an action increases or decreases suffering.
Puñña / Pāpa
Merit / Demerit
Puñña: wholesome kamma that purifies and uplifts; pāpa: harmful, unwholesome action. Merit is generated through dāna (generosity), sīla (virtue), and bhāvanā (meditation).
Kammavipāka
Kamma and its result
The lawful relationship of intentional deeds to their consequences. Not mechanical determinism but conditioned fruition — kamma is one condition among many, not a complete determinant of experience.
Vaṭṭa
Round / Cycle
The cycle of conditioned existence: kamma → defilement → result → kamma. The wheel that sustains saṃsāra. Liberation is the breaking of this cycle.
Punabbhava
Renewed existence / Re-becoming
Rebirth — the arising of a new existence conditioned by the kamma and defilements of the preceding one. The mechanism through which the cycle continues.
Paṭisandhi
Rebirth-linking
In Abhidhamma: the first moment of consciousness in a new existence — the link between the death-consciousness of one life and the beginning of the next. Conditioned by the final thought-process at death.
Cuti
Death / Falling away
The death-consciousness — the last moment of a life. In Abhidhamma, the cuti-citta ends the life-continuum and is immediately followed by the paṭisandhi of the next existence.
Gati
Destination / Course
The realm of rebirth determined by kamma: the five destinations are hell, the animal realm, the ghost realm, the human world, and the heavenly worlds.
Nibbuti
Cooling / Peace
A synonym for nibbāna evoking the quenching of the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion. Emphasizes the experiential quality of liberation as cool, still, and undisturbed.
Saupādisesa-nibbāna / Anupādisesa-nibbāna
Nibbāna with / without residue
Saupādisesa: nibbāna attained by a living arahant — the defilements are extinguished but the body continues. Anupādisesa: nibbāna at the physical death of the arahant — no further aggregates arise.
Parinibbāna
Final / Complete unbinding
The final passing away of a Buddha or arahant — the complete cessation of all conditioned existence, with no further rebirth.
Asaṅkhata
Unconditioned / Unformed
Not produced by conditions — an epithet of nibbāna. Contrasted with saṅkhata (conditioned, formed). The unconditioned is the one reality that does not arise from conditions and therefore does not pass away.
Vossagga
Relinquishment / Letting go
The release toward which the entire path inclines. In the seven awakening factors, upekkhā (equanimity) leads to vossagga — the complete letting go of formations. Synonymous with nibbāna as the object of final release.
XII. Mental Factors and Abhidhamma

The analytical framework mapping mind in its ultimate constituents.

Abhidhamma(ah-bee-DHAM-mah)
Higher Teaching / Analytical Doctrine
The third basket of the Tipiṭaka. Systematic philosophical analysis of mind, mental factors, matter, and nibbāna — mapping consciousness into 89 (or 121) types of citta, 52 cetasikas, 28 kinds of rūpa, and nibbāna as the single unconditioned reality. The Visuddhimagga draws heavily on Abhidhamma categories.
See also: Tipiṭaka
Citta(CHIT-tah)
Mind / Consciousness
The bare cognizing of an object — knowing. In the Abhidhamma, 89 (or 121) types of citta are enumerated, classified by whether they are wholesome, unwholesome, functional (kiriyā), or resultant (vipāka), and by which realm they belong to.
See also: Cetasika
Cetasika
Mental factor
The 52 mental factors that arise with and color consciousness. Universals present in every consciousness: phassa (contact), vedanā (feeling), saññā (perception), cetanā (volition), ekaggatā (one-pointedness), jīvitindriya (life faculty), manasikāra (attention). Plus occasionals, unwholesome factors, and beautiful (wholesome) factors.
See also: Citta
Vedanā(veh-DAH-nah)
Feeling-tone / Sensation
The affective tone of every experience — pleasant (somanassa), unpleasant (domanassa), or neutral (adukkha-asukhā). Arises automatically with every contact — the seventh nidāna. The pivot point in dependent origination: vedanā is where mindfulness can interrupt the reactive chain before taṇhā solidifies. The gap between "this is pleasant" and "I must have more" is where practice lives. See the Dependent Origination page.
See also: Taṇhā, Phassa
Saññā
Perception / Recognition
The third aggregate. The marking and recognizing of objects — the function that identifies and labels experience. Can be a source of distortion (vipallāsa — perceptual distortion) when conditioned by craving, aversion, or delusion.
Phassa(PHAS-sah)
Contact
The meeting of sense organ, sense object, and consciousness — the triple junction that constitutes an arising of experience. The sixth nidāna. Not physical touch but an abstract contact making any knowing possible. Vedanā arises with every phassa.
See also: Vedanā, Paṭicca-samuppāda
Sati(SAH-tee)
Mindfulness
Non-forgetful, continuous awareness of present experience — not thinking about experience but direct knowing of what is happening now. The seventh awakening factor, the balancing faculty of the five faculties. Sati without sampajañña (clear comprehension) can become mechanical. The central quality developed in satipaṭṭhāna practice.
See also: Sampajañña, Satipaṭṭhāna
Sampajañña(sam-pah-JAN-nyah)
Clear comprehension
Knowing clearly the purpose, suitability, domain, and non-delusion of one's actions. Prevents mindfulness from becoming mere mechanical noting without wisdom. Paired with sati in the formula "sato sampajāno."
See also: Sati
Viriya
Energy / Effort
Persistent application — the mental factor of energy. One of the five faculties, one of the awakening factors, one of the perfections. Must be balanced against samādhi (excess energy produces restlessness; insufficient energy produces sloth).
See also: Indriya / Bala, Bojjhaṅga
Saddhā(SAD-dhah)
Faith / Confidence
Trusting confidence in the Triple Gem — not blind belief but trust grounded in understanding, balanced against wisdom (paññā). The first of the five faculties. Pasāda: clear, bright, serene confidence.
See also: Indriya / Bala
Saṅkhāra(san-KAH-rah)
Mental formation / Conditioned thing / Fabrication
Multivalent: (1) the second nidāna — volitional formations driven by ignorance (see Dependent Origination page); (2) the fourth aggregate — all mental formations; (3) all conditioned phenomena ("sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā"). These senses are related but not identical, and conflation causes interpretive problems.
Ñāṇa / Dassana
Knowledge / Vision
Direct knowing (ñāṇa) coupled with seeing (dassana). In Pāli, knowledge is not merely intellectual but a matter of direct seeing. Ñāṇadassana — knowledge and vision — is the culminating quality of the path.
See also: Paññā
Papañca
Proliferation / Conceptual elaboration
The mental proliferation rooted in craving, conceit, and views that takes a simple perception and elaborates it into a self-sustaining narrative. The opposite of direct, non-reactive knowing.
Yoniso-manasikāra(yoh-NI-soh mah-nah-si-KAH-rah)
Wise / thorough attention
Attention directed to the root — meeting experience in a way that leads toward liberation rather than entanglement. Its opposite, ayoniso-manasikāra (unwise attention), is identified as a root cause of the arising of defilements. The quality of how you meet experience matters as much as what you meet.
See also: Sati
Viññāṇa
Consciousness
Bare discriminative awareness of an object via a sense base. As the third nidāna: the rebirth-linking consciousness conditioned by past formations. As the fifth aggregate: the knowing that arises at each of the six sense doors. Not a soul or self but a process arising and passing with each cognition. See the Dependent Origination page.
Paramattha / Paññatti
Ultimate reality / Concept
Paramattha: realities as they exist irreducibly — citta, cetasika, rūpa, nibbāna. Paññatti: conventional concepts and names (persons, tables, yesterday) that are useful but not ultimately real. The distinction is not a rejection of conventional truth but a clarification of its status.
Sabhāva
Intrinsic nature / Own-nature
The defining nature of a dhamma — what makes it what it is and not something else. A technical Abhidhamma term: each ultimate reality has its own sabhāva.
Adhimokkha
Decision / Resolution
The mental factor of decisive determination — fixing on an object without wavering. The quality of resolve in the cognitive act.
Jīvitindriya
Life faculty
The mental factor that maintains the life of its associated mental phenomena for the duration of a consciousness-moment. The vitality of mind itself.
Manasikāra
Attention
The universal mental factor that directs consciousness toward its object. The "turning" of mind — present in every moment of awareness. Distinguished from sati (mindfulness): manasikāra is bare attention; sati is the quality of non-forgetfulness.
Issā / Macchariya
Envy / Avarice
Issā: envy — begrudging others their achievements or possessions. Macchariya: avarice, miserliness — the reluctance to share. Both are unwholesome cetasikas rooted in dosa (aversion).
Thīna / Middha
Sloth / Torpor (as cetasikas)
Distinct cetasikas that always arise together as the hindrance. Thīna: sluggishness of the citta and its mental factors — lack of mental vigor. Middha: drowsiness of the body and faculties — physical heaviness.
Tatramajjhattatā
Equanimity / Balance of the cetasikas
The beautiful cetasika of balance — the quality that holds the mind in the middle without tipping toward one object or another. Present in all wholesome consciousness.
Passaddhi / Lahutā / Mudutā
Tranquillity, lightness, malleability
Beautiful cetasikas arising in pairs for body and mind: passaddhi (tranquillity — absence of agitation), lahutā (lightness — absence of heaviness), mudutā (malleability — pliancy), kammaññatā (wieldiness — readiness to work), pāguññatā (proficiency), ujukatā (rectitude — uprightness of body and mind).
Mahābhūta / Pathavī / Āpo / Tejo / Vāyo
Four great elements
The four primary material elements: pathavī (earth/solidity — the quality of resistance), āpo (water/cohesion — the quality of binding), tejo (fire/heat — the quality of temperature), vāyo (air/motion — the quality of movement). All material phenomena are composed of combinations of these four.
Upādā-rūpa / Kalāpa
Derived materiality / Material cluster
Upādā-rūpa: the 24 derived material phenomena (sense organs, sense objects, space, etc.) that arise dependent on the four great elements. Kalāpa: the smallest indivisible unit of materiality in Abhidhamma analysis — a cluster of at least eight material phenomena always arising together.
Vīthi / Javana
Cognitive process / Impulsion
Vīthi: the sequence of consciousness-moments in cognizing an object (typically 17 moments from the bhavaṅga to the post-resultants). Javana: the kammically active phase of the cognitive process — usually seven consecutive moments — where volition operates and kamma is generated.
Manodvāra / Pañcadvāra
Mind-door / Five sense-doors
The six avenues of cognition: five physical sense-doors (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) and the mind-door (manodvāra) through which mental objects are cognized. Every experience arises through one of these six doors.
XIII. Ethical and Practical Terms

The qualities and practices that constitute the life of practice — on and off the cushion.

Pañca-sīla
Five Precepts
The lay code: (1) pāṇātipātā veramaṇī — abstaining from taking life; (2) adinnādānā veramaṇī — abstaining from taking what is not given; (3) kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇī — abstaining from sexual misconduct; (4) musāvādā veramaṇī — abstaining from false speech; (5) surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī — abstaining from intoxicants causing heedlessness.
See also: Sīla
Dāna(DAH-nah)
Generosity / Giving
The first of the ten perfections and the foundation of the merit system. Dāna cultivates the opposite of lobha (greed). In the Theravāda lay path, the classical sequence is dāna → sīla → bhāvanā. Generosity is not merely instrumental but directly purifies the mind.
See also: Pāramī
Hiri / Ottappa
Moral shame / Moral dread
Hiri: inner conscience that recoils from wrongdoing — shame from one's own perspective. Ottappa: fear of the consequences of wrongdoing — concern for how one appears to others. Together called "the guardians of the world" because without them ethical conduct is impossible.
Appamāda / Pamāda
Heedfulness / Heedlessness
Appamāda: earnest, careful attentiveness — the Buddha's final word. Pamāda: carelessness, the opposite. "All wholesome qualities are rooted in heedfulness." Appamāda is not mere carefulness but sustained, vigilant engagement with practice.
Saṃvega
Urgency / Spiritual stirring
The sense of urgency that motivates practice — a response to the recognition of suffering, impermanence, and the preciousness of the opportunity to practice. Not anxiety but clear-eyed motivation arising from insight into the human condition.
Nekkhamma
Renunciation
One of the ten perfections and a quality of right intention. Intention toward release rather than acquisition — the movement away from sensual entanglement. Not suppression but the natural inclination of a mind that has seen through the promise of sense pleasures.
See also: Pāramī
Khanti(KHAN-tee)
Patience / Forbearance
One of the ten perfections. The capacity to remain steady in the face of unpleasant sensations, difficult mental states, or slow progress without aversion or despair. Not passive endurance but active equanimous engagement.
See also: Pāramī
Sacca
Truthfulness
One of the ten perfections. Commitment to truth in speech, thought, and action. The Buddha described truthfulness as the foundation of all virtue.
Adhiṭṭhāna(ah-dit-THAH-nah)
Strong determination / Resolution
One of the ten perfections. Unwavering resolve — particularly relevant in intensive practice as the determination to continue through difficulty without abandoning the object.
See also: Pāramī
Viveka
Seclusion / Solitude
Three kinds: bodily seclusion (being alone), mental seclusion (detachment from distracting thoughts), and seclusion from defilement (liberation). The forest tradition emphasizes the first as a support for the other two.
Santuṭṭhi / Santosa
Contentment
Being satisfied with what one has — the opposite of the restless grasping of taṇhā. Contentment is not indifference but the absence of lack.
Pāramī / Pāramitā
Perfections
The ten qualities cultivated to perfection on the path: dāna (generosity), sīla (virtue), nekkhamma (renunciation), paññā (wisdom), viriya (energy), khanti (patience), sacca (truthfulness), adhiṭṭhāna (resolution), mettā (loving-kindness), upekkhā (equanimity). In Theravāda, cultivated by a bodhisatta over many lifetimes; also applicable to any practitioner's gradual development.
Indriya-saṃvara
Restraint of the faculties
Guarding the sense doors — meeting sense impressions without immediately grasping or averting. The practice of not letting impressions multiply into elaboration (papañca). The condition that protects samādhi from erosion in daily life.
See also: Yoniso-manasikāra
Aṭṭhaṅga-sīla
Eight precepts
The eight precepts observed by lay people on uposatha (observance) days and by those undertaking more intensive practice: the five precepts plus abstaining from eating after midday, from dancing/music/entertainment, and from high or luxurious beds.
Sikkhāpada / Veramaṇī
Training rule / Abstinence
Sikkhāpada: a training rule — the specific formulation of each precept. Veramaṇī: the abstinence itself — the undertaking to abstain. Each precept is formulated as "I undertake the training rule of abstaining from..."
Saṃvara
Restraint
Guarding the senses and conduct. Indriya-saṃvara (restraint of the faculties): not letting sense impressions multiply into papañca. The protective condition that keeps samādhi from eroding in daily life.
Sati-sampajañña
Mindfulness and clear comprehension
The paired qualities that constitute aware, intentional activity: sati (mindfulness — not forgetting) and sampajañña (clear comprehension — knowing purpose, suitability, domain, and non-delusion). The formula "sato sampajāno" appears throughout the suttas.
Ayoniso-manasikāra
Unwise attention
Attention that does not go to the root — meeting experience in a way that feeds defilement rather than insight. The opposite of yoniso-manasikāra. Identified as a primary cause of the arising and strengthening of the five hindrances.
Pasāda
Serene confidence / Clarity
Clear, bright, serene faith — a quality of luminous confidence that arises in relation to the Triple Gem and at moments of genuine insight. Distinguished from tepid belief by its brightness and its basis in direct seeing.
Mettā-bhāvanā
Cultivation of loving-kindness
The formal practice of radiating goodwill: beginning with oneself, extending to a loved one, then a neutral person, a difficult person, and finally all beings in all directions without limit. One of the ten recollections; leads to the brahmavihāra absorptions.
XIV. Canon, Community, and Key References

The textual, community, and transmission context of Theravāda practice.

Tipiṭaka(tip-i-TAH-kah)
Three Baskets
The complete Pāli canon: Vinaya-piṭaka (basket of discipline — monastic code and its background), Sutta-piṭaka (basket of discourses — the five Nikāyas: Dīgha, Majjhima, Saṃyutta, Aṅguttara, Khuddaka), Abhidhamma-piṭaka (basket of higher doctrine — systematic philosophical analysis). The three aspects of transmission: pariyatti (study), paṭipatti (practice), paṭivedha (realization).
Visuddhimagga
Path of Purification
Buddhaghosa's encyclopedic 5th-century CE manual of practice — the most comprehensive systematic treatment of Theravāda meditation. Organizes the entire path around the seven purifications. The primary source for samatha and vipassanā methodology in the commentarial tradition.
See also: Seven Purifications →
Bhikkhu / Bhikkhunī(BIK-khoo)
Fully ordained monk / nun
A bhikkhu observes 227 Vinaya rules; a bhikkhunī observes 311. The monastic life is regarded as the optimal condition for practice — not because laypeople cannot attain awakening, but because the external conditions are maximally supportive of the internal work.
Saṅgha(SANG-hah)
Community / Noble community
In the strict sense: the ariya-saṅgha — those who have attained at least stream-entry. In the conventional sense: the community of monastics. As the third jewel, taking refuge in the Saṅgha means aligning oneself with those who have realized truth.
See also: Ariya
Kalyāṇamitta
Good / Admirable friend
A spiritual friend and guide — the most important external condition for practice. The Buddha called the kalyāṇamitta "the whole of the holy life," not merely half.
Ānāpānasati (as sutta)
Mindfulness of breathing (sutta reference)
MN 118 — the Ānāpānasati Sutta — presents the complete sixteen-step practice. DN 22 — the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta — is the primary source for the fourfold satipaṭṭhāna framework. SN 35 — the Saḷāyatana-saṃyutta — makes the six sense bases a near-complete teaching on their own.
Bodhi(BOH-dhee)
Awakening / Enlightenment
The awakening of a Buddha or noble disciple. Sammāsambuddha: a perfectly self-awakened Buddha who teaches. Paccekabuddha: one self-awakened but who does not establish a dispensation. Sāvaka: a disciple awakened through a Buddha's teaching.
Pariyatti / Paṭipatti / Paṭivedha
Study / Practice / Realization
The three aspects of engaging with the Dhamma: pariyatti (the teaching to be learned — doctrinal study), paṭipatti (the practice — applying the teaching), paṭivedha (penetration — direct attainment of the teaching's goal). All three are needed; study that doesn't lead to practice is incomplete; practice without study lacks orientation.
Arahant epithets
Terms for the arahant
Khīṇāsava (one whose taints are destroyed), asekha (one beyond training), tathāgata (the Thus-Gone — the Buddha's term for himself). Sekha (one in training) designates any noble one below arahantship.
XV. Cosmology and Realms of Existence
Loka
World / Cosmos
Analyzed three ways: the world of formations (saṅkhāra-loka), the world of beings (satta-loka), and the world of space (okāsa-loka). The thirty-one planes of existence constitute the full cosmological map.
Kāma-loka / Rūpa-loka / Arūpa-loka
Sense / Form / Formless world
The three broad realms of conditioned existence: kāma-loka (the sensual world — from hells through the six sensual heavens), rūpa-loka (the fine-material world — attained via the four rūpa jhānas), arūpa-loka (the formless world — attained via the arūpa jhānas).
Deva / Brahmā
Deity / High deity
Deva: a heavenly being of the sensual realm — not immortal, but long-lived. Brahmā: a being of the fine-material or formless realm, arising from jhāna-kamma. Neither devas nor brahmās are beyond saṃsāra.
Manussa / Tiracchāna / Peta
Human / Animal / Hungry ghost
Manussa: human existence — regarded as especially favorable for practice (the right balance of pleasure and pain, with capacity for reflection). Tiracchāna: the animal realm. Peta: hungry ghosts — beings in a realm of deprivation and want.
Niraya / Apāya
Hell / Woeful realms
Niraya: the hell realms — intense suffering as the result of severe unwholesome kamma, not eternal but exceedingly long. Apāya: the four unfortunate destinations — hells, animals, ghosts, and asuras. Contrasted with sugati (happy destinations: human and heavenly).
Suddhāvāsa
Pure abodes
The five highest form-realm planes where non-returners (anāgāmī) are reborn and attain final nibbāna: Aviha, Atappa, Sudassa, Sudassī, and Akaniṭṭha. Non-returners will not return to the sensual world.
Kappa / Cakkavāḷa
Aeon / World-system
Kappa: a vast cosmic time period — so long it cannot be measured in years. Cakkavāḷa: a single world-system among countless, each with its own sun, moon, and realms of existence.
XVI. Canon, Texts, and Transmission (extended)
Nikāya (Five Collections)
Five collections of discourses
The five divisions of the Sutta-piṭaka: Dīgha Nikāya (34 long discourses — DN), Majjhima Nikāya (152 middle-length discourses — MN), Saṃyutta Nikāya (2,889 connected discourses in 56 groups — SN), Aṅguttara Nikāya (numerical discourses — AN), Khuddaka Nikāya (minor collection including Dhammapada, Udāna, Sutta Nipāta, Jātaka, Theragāthā, etc.).
Sutta / Gāthā
Discourse / Verse
Sutta: a discourse of the Buddha — the primary medium of teaching. Gāthā: a verse-form used for memorable summaries and poetic expressions of the teaching.
Aṭṭhakathā / Ṭīkā
Commentary / Sub-commentary
Aṭṭhakathā: the classical exegetical commentaries, principally by Buddhaghosa (5th century CE). Ṭīkā: a commentary on a commentary — adding further layers of interpretation. The commentarial tradition is foundational to Theravāda understanding.
Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha
Compendium of Abhidhamma
Anuruddha's concise 11th-century summary of Abhidhamma — the most widely studied Abhidhamma primer. Maps all 89 cittas, 52 cetasikas, 28 rūpas, and nibbāna in systematic tables.
Dhamma-vinaya / Navaṅga-sāsana
Doctrine-and-Discipline / Ninefold dispensation
Dhamma-vinaya: the Buddha's own name for his teaching as a whole — not doctrine alone but the complete way of life. Navaṅga-sāsana: the teaching classified into nine textual types (discourse, mixed prose-verse, exposition, verse, inspired utterance, as-said, birth story, marvel, question-and-answer).
XVII. Monastic and Community Terms
Sāmaṇera / Upāsaka
Novice / Lay devotee
Sāmaṇera/Sāmaṇerī: a male/female novice observing ten precepts, not yet fully ordained. Upāsaka/Upāsikā: a male/female lay follower who has taken refuge in the Triple Gem and observes the five precepts.
Upajjhāya / Ācariya
Preceptor / Teacher
Upajjhāya: the ordaining teacher at full ordination — a formal, senior role. Ācariya: an instructing teacher — a guide in Dhamma and Vinaya. Both relationships carry significant mutual responsibilities.
Uposatha / Pātimokkha
Observance day / Monastic code
Uposatha: the fortnightly new and full moon observance days. For monastics: the recitation of the Pātimokkha (227 rules for bhikkhus). For laypeople: observing eight precepts. Pātimokkha: the fundamental code of monastic training rules.
Vinaya
Monastic discipline
The regulatory framework governing monastic life — rules of training, procedures for resolution of disputes, guidelines for community decisions. Together with the Dhamma, it constitutes the complete path: "When I am gone, let the Dhamma-vinaya be your teacher."
Piṇḍapāta / Cīvara / Vassa
Alms-round / Robe / Rains retreat
Piṇḍapāta: the daily alms-round — gathering food offerings, practicing non-discrimination, offering laypeople a field of merit. Cīvara: the monastic robe — the three-robe set defining the minimal material life. Vassa: the three-month monsoon retreat — the primary intensive practice period; also a measure of monastic seniority.
Arañña / Dhutaṅga / Anāgārika
Forest / Ascetic practices / Homeless one
Arañña: the forest or wilderness — favored for intensive practice in the forest tradition; āraññaka (forest-dweller). Dhutaṅga: thirteen optional austere observances (one-session eating, refusing later food, forest-dwelling, etc.) — not mandatory but intensifying renunciation. Anāgārika: a lay renunciant living under eight or ten precepts — often a pre-ordination stage.
XVIII. Further Doctrinal Terms
Āyatana
Sense base / Sphere
The twelve sense bases: six internal (ajjhattika: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and six external (bāhira: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, mental objects). Every experience arises through the meeting of an internal and external āyatana. Also: the four formless "bases" of the arūpa jhānas.
Saṅkhata / Asaṅkhata
Conditioned / Unconditioned
Saṅkhata: conditioned, formed, arising from conditions — all phenomena except nibbāna. Asaṅkhata: unconditioned — nibbāna alone. The distinction is absolute: what arises from conditions passes away; what does not arise from conditions does not pass away.
Kāma-taṇhā / Bhava-taṇhā / Vibhava-taṇhā
Three kinds of craving
Kāma-taṇhā: craving for sensual pleasure. Bhava-taṇhā: craving for existence — wanting to perpetuate a particular mode of being, including meditative states. Vibhava-taṇhā: craving for non-existence — the pull toward annihilation, aversion, and nihilism. All three are rooted in the failure to see vedanā clearly.
Vijjā
True knowledge
The knowledge that dispels ignorance (avijjā). The three knowledges of an arahant: recollection of past lives, the divine eye (seeing the death and rebirth of beings), and the destruction of the āsavas. The last is the liberating knowledge.
Sutamayā / Cintāmayā / Bhāvanāmayā paññā
Three origins of wisdom
Wisdom arising from: (1) learning (sutamayā) — studying the Dhamma; (2) reflection (cintāmayā) — thinking carefully about what is learned; (3) cultivation (bhāvanāmayā) — direct meditative development. Only the third is liberating.
Micchā-diṭṭhi
Wrong view
Views contrary to the Dhamma — most fundamentally, the view that there is no kamma, no result of action, no this world, no other world, no liberation. Distinguished from sammā-diṭṭhi (right view) by whether it conduces to suffering or liberation.
Sakkāya / Anattā-lakkhaṇa / Suññatā
Personality / Non-self characteristic / Emptiness
Sakkāya: "the existing body" — the five aggregates as the basis for identity-view. Anatta-lakkhaṇa: the characteristic of non-self as directly perceived — not a philosophical position but a direct seeing. Suññatā: emptiness of self and what belongs to self — the void of any entity that could be called "mine."
Tathatā / Dhammatā
Suchness / Lawfulness of things
Tathatā: suchness — things as they actually are, without overlay of concepts. Dhammatā: the lawful way things are — the dependable nature of conditioned arising and cessation.
Ehipassiko / Sandiṭṭhiko / Akāliko / Opanayiko
Qualities of the Dhamma
Four of the six qualities of the Dhamma (from the recollection of the Dhamma): ehipassiko (inviting inspection — "come and see"), sandiṭṭhiko (directly visible — realizable here and now), akāliko (timeless — immediate in its results), opanayiko (leading inward — to be brought within oneself).
Majjhimā paṭipadā
The middle way
The path avoiding the two extremes of self-indulgence (devotion to pleasure) and self-mortification (devotion to austerity). Not a compromise between them but a third way entirely — the Noble Eightfold Path. Realized by the Buddha on the night of his awakening.
Tathāgata / Sammāsambuddha / Paccekabuddha / Sāvaka
Categories of awakened beings
Tathāgata: the Buddha's term for himself — "the Thus-Gone" or "the Thus-Come." Sammāsambuddha: a fully self-enlightened Buddha who teaches the path. Paccekabuddha: one self-awakened but who does not establish a dispensation. Sāvaka: a disciple awakened through a Buddha's teaching.
Bodhisatta
Being bound for awakening
One on the path to Buddhahood — perfecting the pāramitā over many lifetimes. In Theravāda, primarily a historical category (Siddhattha Gotama before his awakening); in later traditions developed into a broader ideal.
Iddhi / Abhiññā / Tevijjā
Psychic powers / Higher knowledges / Three knowledges
Iddhi: supernormal abilities developed through deep concentration — not the goal but a possible byproduct. Abhiññā: the six higher knowledges (psychic powers, divine ear, mind-reading, past-life recall, divine eye, destruction of taints — only the sixth is liberating). Tevijjā: the three knowledges of an arahant (past-life recall, divine eye, destruction of āsavas).
XIX. Supplementary Terms
Paññindriya / Amoha
Wisdom faculty / Non-delusion
The wisdom cetasika. As paññindriya: the faculty of wisdom governing the cognitive process. As amoha: non-delusion, one of the three wholesome roots alongside alobha and adosa.
Alobha / Adosa / Amoha
Non-greed / Non-hatred / Non-delusion
The three wholesome roots: alobha (non-greed, generosity, renunciation), adosa (non-hatred, goodwill), amoha (non-delusion, wisdom). Every wholesome mental state is rooted in one or more of these three.
Duggati / Sugati
Unhappy / Happy destination
Duggati: unfortunate rebirth — hell, animal, ghost, or asura realms. Sugati: fortunate rebirth — human or heavenly. Determined by kamma, particularly the final thought-process at death.
Kuṭi
Hut / Monastic dwelling
A small monastic dwelling — the minimal physical shelter of a forest monk. Its simplicity reflects renunciation of domestic life and prioritization of practice over comfort.
Dhātu
Element / Constituent
A basic constituent of experience: (1) the four great elements (mahābhūta); (2) the eighteen elements — six sense organs, objects, and consciousnesses; (3) nibbāna-dhātu; (4) in dhātu-manasikāra — contemplation of the four elements in the body.
Sandiṭṭhiko / Akāliko
Directly visible / Timeless
Qualities of the Dhamma: sandiṭṭhiko — realizable here and now in this very life. Akāliko — yielding its results immediately when correctly practiced, not deferred. Both are recited in the Dhamma recollection.
Sambodhi / Sammāsambodhi
Full awakening / Perfect self-enlightenment
Complete awakening. Sammāsambuddha: a perfectly self-enlightened Buddha who discovers the path independently and teaches it. Distinguished from a paccekabuddha (self-awakened, does not teach) and a sāvaka (awakened through a teacher's guidance).