Getting Off

 

Glossary

 

All words are Pali unless otherwise noted.

(s) = Sinhalese
(h) = Hindi
(sk) = Sanskrit

 

anatta     not-self

angsa     one-shouldered vest worn by monks

anicca     impermanent

arahat     worthy one, i.e. one who has attained nibbana

araņņa     forest-place; hermitage

asana     (sk) posture, in yoga practices

asuras     demons

atta     self

ba     (s) no

bakshish     (h) gift, bribe, donation

beedie     (h) an Indian cigarette

bhante     sir (a polite form of address)

bhikkhu     monk (literally, almsman)

Buddharupa     statue or image of the Buddha

cajun     (s) plaited coconut fronds

cankamana     ambulatory (the walkway used in meditative pacing)

carika     wandering, faring

chi     (h) tea

chillum     (h) a straight clay pipe used for smoking hashish

chi-wallah     (h) tea vendor

dahl     (h) lentils; yellow lentil soup

dana     gift, usually a gift of food, hence, a meal

danasala     dining hall

dasa sila     ten precepts (observed by samaneras)

dayaka     giver, patron, supporter

deva     deity

dhamma     teaching, truth, thing, what is

dharmashala     (h) pilgrimage rest house; preaching hall

dhoti     (h) sarong (worn by men)

dhutanga     austerity

dukkha     suffering, misery, ill-fare

gilampasa     (s) medicine (a corruption of Pali gilana paccaya, the requisite of medicines), and hence (s) any form of afternoon refreshment allowable to monks

gulab jamun     (h) an Indian sweet

hamuduruwo     (s) monk, priest

kathina     robe-cloth, allowable to bhikkhus upon completion of Vas

kovil     (h) temple

kuti     hut, dwelling

mahathera     great elder (technically: one who has been a bhikkhu for twenty years or more)

Mahayana     the great vehicle, encompassing most sects of Buddhism

mapila     (s) a poisonous snake: a krait?

namaste     (h) a term and form of greeting

ņana     knowledge

nibbana     extinction (of greed, hatred, and delusion; = enlightenment)

nimitta     sign, spot

nirvana     (sk) none of the interpretations of this concept by the various Mahayana sects seem to be the same as the Sutta usage of nibbana

padura     (h) straw mat

paise     (h) cent, penny

Pali     the language of the original Buddhist texts

pan     (h) "beetle nut"

paņca sila     five precepts (observed by upasakas)

Patimokkha     the 227 rules to be observed by bhikkhus

pindapata     almsround

pinkama     (s) ceremony

pirith     (s) chanting

raja     king

sadhu     good, amen; (h) mendicant

sahib     (h) sir, master

samanera     novice

samitiya     (s) society (scil. of laity who help support a hermitage or temple)

Sangha     the order of Theravadin Buddhist monks

sanghadisesa     a category of fault entailing meetings of the Sangha

sanghati     outer cloak

sekha     trainee; one who, having understood the basis of Dhamma, will purify himself

sila     precept, morality, conduct

stupa     (h) reliquary mound

sukhi hotu     may you be happy

sutta     discourse, story

thera     elder (technically: one who has been a bhikkhu for ten years or more)

Theravada     the way of the elders; the sect which accepts only the Pali scriptures

upasaka     lay follower

upasampada     higher ordination (i.e. becoming a bhikkhu)

vandana     respect, salutation

Vas     (s) rain, the bhikkhu's rainy-season retreat

vibhava     non-being; absence

vihara     temple, dwelling



sabbe sankhara anicca: all conditions are impermanent

sabbe sankhara dukkha: all conditions are suffering

sabbe dhamma anatta: all things are not-self

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