Pāli Glossary
Here is a Theravada Buddhist glossary of Pāli terms, including the preferred and alternative translation for each word, organized in lists.
10 perfections (pāramī)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | dāna | generosity | giving |
2 | sīla | ethics | virtue, morality |
3 | nekkhamma | renunciation | letting go |
4 | paññā | wisdom | knowledge, discernment, insight |
5 | viriya | energy | vigor, |
6 | khanti | patience | forbearance |
7 | sacca | truthfulness | truth |
8 | adhiṭṭhāna | determination | persistence |
9 | mettā | lovingkindness | good will, friendliness, benevolence |
10 | upekkhā | equanimity | equilibrium, |
3 baskets (piṭaka)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vinaya | Discipline | monastic code, discipline, law |
2 | Sutta | Discourses | scriptures |
3 | Abhidhamma | Analysis | analytical texts |
3 characteristics/marks (lakkhaṇa)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | anicca | impermanent | inconstant |
2 | dukkha | dissatisfaction | suffering, pain, distress, discontent |
3 | anattā | not-self | selflessness, ownerlessness [Never use “no self” unless a teacher is specifically using it (usually this will be with the purpose of discouraging the translation)] |
3 poisons/defilements (kilesa)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | lobha | attachment | grasping, greed, lust |
2 | dosa | aversion | hatred, ill-will, malevolence |
3 | moha | delusion | ignorance, confusion |
3 refuges (saraṇa)/jewels/gems (ratana)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Buddha | Buddha | Teacher, Blessed One, Realized One |
2 | Dhamma | Dhamma | Teachings, Truth, Way [Commonly used: Dharma (Skt)] |
3 | Saṅgha | Sangha | Community, Order [of monastics] |
4 divine abidings/abodes (brahmavihāra)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | mettā | lovingkindness | good will, friendliness, benevolence |
2 | karuṇā | compassion | empathy |
3 | muditā | sympathetic joy | appreciation, empathic joy, celebration |
4 | upekkhā | equanimity | equilibrium, |
4 foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | kāya | body | physical form, physicality |
2 | vedanā | feelings | affect, charge |
3 | saṅkhāra | mind states | mental states, emotional states, mind |
4 | dhamma | qualities | mind-objects [often not translated: “dhammas”] |
4 Noble Truths
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | dukkha | dissatisfaction | suffering, pain, distress, discontent |
2 | taṇhā | craving | grasping, thirst (lit.) |
3 | nirodha | cessation | stilling, ceasing, stopping |
4 | magga | path | way |
4 paths (magga) and fruits (phala)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | sotāpanna | stream-entry/enterer | stream-winner |
2 | sakadāgāmī | once-return/returner | |
3 | anāgāmī | non-return/returner | |
4 | arahant | arahant | Perfected One [generally not translated] |
5 aggregates/aspects/heaps (khandha)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | rūpa | form | body, appearance, physical phenomena |
2 | vedanā | feeling | affect, charge |
3 | saññā | perception | recognition, interpretation |
4 | saṅkhāra | formations | choices, volitional formations, kammic formations, conditioned phenomena |
5 | viññāṇa | consciousness | knowing, cognizance |
5 collections (nikāya) of discourses (sutta)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dīgha Nikāya | Long Discourses | |
2 | Majjhima Nikāya | Middle Length Discourses | |
3 | Saṃyutta Nikāya | Connected Discourses | Linked Discourses |
4 | Aṅguttara Nikāya | Numbered Discourses | Numerical Discourses |
5 | Khuddaka Nikāya | Minor Discourses |
5 faculties (indriya)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | saddhā | faith | conviction |
2 | viriya | energy | persistence, effort |
3 | sati | mindfulness | memory, recollection |
4 | samādhi | concentration | immersion, integration |
5 | paññā | wisdom | knowing, cognizance |
5 hindrances (nivāraṇa)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | kāmacchanda | sensual desire | lust, grasping at sense pleasures |
2 | vyāpāda | ill-will | hatred, malevolence |
3 | thīna-middha | sloth and torpor | dullness, laziness |
4 | uddhacca-kukkucca | restlessness and worry | anxiety |
5 | vicikicchā | doubt | skeptical doubt |
5 jhāna factors
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | vitakka | aiming | thought, connecting, initial application |
2 | vicāra | sustaining | investigation, sustained application |
3 | pīti | rapture | joy, bliss |
4 | sukha | happiness | ease |
5 | ekaggatā | one-pointedness | single-pointedness |
5 precepts (sīla)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | pāṇātipātā | not taking life | not killing |
2 | adinnādānā | not taking that which isn’t offered | not stealing |
3 | kāmesu-micchācāra | not committing sexual misconduct | not misusing sexuality/sexual energy, express sexual energy wisely [Alternate 3rd precept for retreat: celibacy, abstain from sexual expression, spiritual path (brahmacariya)] |
4 | musāvādā | not lying | speak the truth with kindness |
5 | surāmeraya-majjapamādaṭṭhānā | not misusing intoxicants that cloud the mind | abstain from… |
6 realms (loka) of cyclic existence (saṃsāra)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | niraya | hells | demonic |
2 | peta | hungry ghosts | ghost |
3 | tiracchāna | animal | |
4 | manussa | human | |
5 | asura | jealous gods | titans, demons, |
6 | deva | heavens | deities, spirits |
6 sense doors (āyatana)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | cakkhu | eye, seeing | sight |
2 | sota | ear, hearing | sound |
3 | ghāna | nose, smelling | smell |
4 | jivhā | tongue, tasting | taste |
5 | kāya | body, sensing | touch |
6 | mano | mind, thinking | cognition, thinking-feeling |
7 factors of awakening/enlightenment (bojjhaṅga)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | sati | mindfulness | memory, recollection |
2 | dhamma-vicāya | investigation | Investigation of dhammas/experience |
3 | viriya | energy | vigor |
4 | pīti | rapture | joy, bliss |
5 | passaddhi | tranquillity | repose, calm |
6 | samādhi | concentration | immersion, integration |
7 | upekkhā | equanimity | equilibrium |
8 Noble Eightfold Path
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | sammā-diṭṭhi | wise view | right… view, understanding |
2 | sammā-saṅkappa | wise intention | right… thought |
3 | sammā-vācā | wise speech | right… |
4 | sammā-kammanta | wise action | right… conduct, behavior |
5 | sammā-ājīva | wise livelihood | right… living, occupation |
6 | sammā-vāyāma | wise effort | right… |
7 | sammā-sati | wise mindfulness | right… memory, recollection |
8 | sammā-samādhi | wise concentration | right… immersion, unification |
12 links (nidāna) of dependent origination (paṭicca-samuppāda)
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translations | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | avijjā | ignorance | |
2 | saṅkhāra | volitional formations | kammic/karmic formations, choices |
3 | viññāṇa | consciousness | |
4 | nāmarūpa | name and form | name-and-form |
5 | saḷāyatana | six sense bases | …doors |
6 | phassa | contact | |
7 | vedanā | feeling | affect, charge |
8 | taṇhā | craving | wanting, thirst (lit.) |
9 | upādāna | clinging | grasping, feeding (lit.) |
10 | bhava | becoming | being, existence, continued existence |
11 | jāti | birth | rebirth |
12 | jarāmaraṇa … | old age and death … | aging and death … [Full phrase: “aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair” ( jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā)] |
Lineages
Pāli Term | Preferred Translation | Alternate Translation |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Theravāda | Way of the Elders | ||
2 | Mahāyāna | Great Vehicle | ||
3 | Vajrayāna | Diamond Vehicle |