Glossary

The language used in these talks is that of Forest Dhamma. This means that apart from some Paali quotations — usually taken from the chants that many of the listeners would be familiar with, and most of the monks would have learned by heart — it is usually ordinary Thai. Many Thai words are rooted in Paali and this can be seen in their spelling. However, both the present pronunciation and the meaning of the word have often been transformed. Forest Dhamma therefore should not be treated as if it was classical Paali, and scholars should beware of trying to track definitions through the text. It's important to remember that this is an oral teaching, which afterwards was warmed up between pages.

Acharn (Thai); aacariya (Pali): (meditation) teacher.

Akaaliko: not delayed; timeless. A quality of Dhamma.

Akusala: In Pali it means unwholesome, demeritorious. It is part of a piece ritually chanted at funerals and therefore is given another Forest Dhamma meaning: un-clever, unskilled. See kusala.

Amata: the deathless state; the Undying; Nibbaana; immortal; ambrosia.

Anaagaamii: a never-returner; nonreturner. See Ariya.

Appanaa: See Samaadhi.

Arahant: worthy one; one who has attained Nibbaana. See Ariya.

Ariya: Noble One. It has four stages, with Path (magga) and Fruit (phala) for each stage: Sotaapanna; Sakadaagaamii; Anaagaamii; Arahant.

Arom (Thai); aaramma.na (Pali): The original Pali means: sense-objects; an object of consciousness. Modern Thai: mood, temper, spirits, disposition. In this work it is an important term and is translated as: preoccupation, mood, emotional object, object.

Attaa: self; soul; ego; personal entity. (contrast anattaa.) Mind; the whole personality, as in the phrase from the Dhammapada: "Attaa hi attano naatho, kohi naatho paro siyaa?". This is concerned with attaadhipateyya, which is self-dependence and self-reliance, and a central theme of these Dhamma talks.

Avijjaa: ignorance; nescience; lack of knowledge; delusion.

Bahn (Thai): village.

Bahp (Thai); paapa (Pali): evil, wrong action; demerit; bad; base; wicked. (contrast boon.)

Bhaavanaa: heart/mind development; meditation.

Boon (Thai); punya (Pali): merit; meritorious (-action); virtue; righteousness; good works; good. (contrast bahp.)

Brahmacariya: the Holy life; religious life; strict chastity.

Buddha: the Awakened One; Enlightened One.

Buddho: often used as a meditation word ('mantra') "Buddho... ", being the recollection of Buddha. (See kamma.t.thaana.)

Citta: (Pali); Chit, chit-chai (Thai): heart; mind. A central term. In To the Last Breath it is usually translated as 'heart', while in Directions for Insight it is more often 'mind'. (In fact it is more like 'heart-mind'.) For similar usage in the Suttas see: Mano, Citta, Vinyaa.na; R. Johannson; University of Ceylon Review. Peredeniya. Vol. 23. 1965.

Daana: giving; alms-giving; charity; generosity; benevolence. See Appendix.

Dhamma: the Teachings (of the Buddha); the Truth; the Supramundane; virtue. dhamma: thing; phenomenon; nature; condition.

Dhaatu: an element; natural condition; earth, water, fire and air.

Di.t.thi: view; opinion; (often) wrong view.

Dosa: hatred; anger; ill-will; aversion.

Dukkha: suffering. See Noble Truths.

Ehipassiko: inviting to come and see; inviting inspection. An attribute of Dhamma.

Kamma.t.thaana: subjects of meditation; the act of meditation. The subjects often mentioned in this book are: Buddhaanussati — recollection of the Buddha; contemplation on the virtues of the Buddha. Kaayagataasati — mindfulness occupied with the body; contemplation on the 32 impure parts of the body. AAnaapaanasati — mindfulness on breathing. (For more see A. I. 30,41; Vism. 197.) It is also sometimes used as a general term describing the way of practice of meditation monks in N.E. Thailand.

Khandha: aggregate; category. Usually the Five Aggregates: ruupa; vedanaa; sanyaa; sa.nkhaara; vinyaa.na.

Khun (Thai): The equivalent of Mr., Mrs., or Ms.

Kilesa: defilements; impurities; impairments. These include: greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, wrong view, doubt or uncertainty, sloth, restlessness, shamelessness, lack of moral concern.

Kusala: wholesome; meritorious; moral; skillful. It is part of a piece ritually chanted at funerals and therefore is given another Forest Dhamma meaning: clever, skilled. See akusala.

Magga: the Path; the Way. See Noble Truths.

Maagha-puuja: Worship on the Full-Moon Day of the third lunar month in commemoration of the Great Assembly of Disciples.

Ma.ngala (Sutta): auspicious; (the thirty-eight) blessings.

Maara: the Evil One; Death; the Tempter; Defilements personified.

Mettaa: loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill.

Moha: delusion; ignorance; dullness.

Naama: mind; name; mental factors; mentality. See ruupa.

Nyaa.na: knowledge; wisdom; insight.

Nyaa.nadassana: knowing and seeing, perfect knowledge; vision through wisdom.

Nekkhamma: renunciation; letting go; giving up the world; self- denial.

Nibbaana: the extinction of the fires of greed, of hatred and of ignorance; the extinction of all defilements and suffering; the Unconditioned.

Nirodha: cessation. See Noble Truths.

Niivara.na: the (five) hindrances; obstacles.

Noble Truths: Dukkha: suffering; misery; woe; discontent; anguish; anxiety; pain. Samudaya: the Cause, Origin or Source of Suffering; Nirodha: the Cessation or Extinction of Suffering. Magga: the Path; the Way; the Noble Eightfold Path.

Opanayiko: worthy of inducing in and by one's own mind; worthy of realizing; to be tried by practice; leading onward. An attribute of Dhamma.

Paali: the language of the texts of the Theravada Canon.

Panyaa (Pali/Thai): wisdom. Often coupled with mindfulness. See sati.

Paaramii: (the ten) Perfections; stages of spiritual perfection on the path to Awakening.

Parikamma: (Pali: preliminary action, preparation.) Thai: preparatory meditation, such as the (silent) repetition of "Buddho".

Parinibbaana: the Final Passing Away of the Lord Buddha; final release.

Pariyatti: the Scriptures; study of them; the Teachings to be studied.

Patipatti: putting into practice.

Pativedha: penetration; realization; insight.

Pa.tisandhi-vinyaa.na: relinking; rebirth; reunion; conception.

Phala: fruit; result; consequence; effect. See magga.

Pi.n.dapaata: food received in the alms-bowl (of a Bhikkhu); alms- gathering; to go on an almsround.

Puujaa: worship (external and mental); honor; veneration; devotional offering.

Puthujjana: a worldling; worldly person; ordinary person. As opposed to ariya.

Ruupa: matter; form; material; body; shape; corporeality. See naama.

Sabhaava dhamma: principle of nature; natural condition; natural phenomenon.

Sacca (-Dhamma): truth, truthfulness; Truth.

Saddhaa: faith; confidence.

Sakadaagaamii: a once-returner. See ariya.

Sakkaaya-di.t.thi: (the delusion of) self-view; belief in a personal self.

Samaadhi: concentration; one-pointedness of mind; the condition of mind when focused, centered and still.

Sama.na: recluse; holy one; a Buddhist monk.

Sammati; Sammuti (Thai/Pali): conventional; mundane; supposed; assumed; generally accepted.

Samudaya: Cause. See Noble Truth.

Sa.myojana: (the ten) Fetters (that bind to the round of rebirth).

Sa.ngha (Saavaka Sa.ngha): (the noble) community, one of the Three Jewels; the Order.

Sa.nkappo: thought.

Sankhaara: determinations; compounded things; mental formations (see Khandha). In Forest Dhamma this is the processing, concocting and fabricating of thoughts.

Sanyaa: perception; idea; ideation; (see Khandha). In Forest Dhamma this is the aspect of remembering (past perceptions).

Sara.na: refuge; help; protection; guide; remembrance.

Saranagamana: taking refuge (in the Three Jewels); going for refuge.

Saasada (Thai), Satthu (Pali): the Master; the Great Teacher (the Lord Buddha).

Saasana: teaching; message; doctrine; a religion.

Sati: mindfulness; awareness; attentiveness. In Forest Dhamma it is often coupled with wisdom (panyaa). (In Thai common usage sati-panya means: intelligence; intellect.)

Saavaka: a (noble) disciple; hearer; follower.

Siila: virtue; morality; moral conduct; a precept; training rule. See Appendix.

Sotaapanna: a stream-enterer; one who has attained the first stage of Ariya.

Sugato: Well-gone; Well-farer; sublime. An epithet of Buddha.

Sukha: happiness; ease; joy; comfort; pleasure; physical or bodily happiness or ease. As opposed to dukkha.

Sutta: a discourse from the Pali Canon.

Svaakkhaata: well-taught; well proclaimed. An attribute of Dhamma.

Ta.nhaa: craving; desire; thirst.

Tapa: exertion; ascetic practice; (burning out).

Tathaagata: the Accomplished One; the Thus-come; the Thus-gone. An epithet of the Lord Buddha. Sometimes used as a pronoun when the Lord Buddha is quoted as saying something himself.

Ti-lakkha.na: the Three Characteristics, Marks or Signs; also called the Common Characteristics, viz., impermanence, suffering and not-self.

Upaadaana: attachment; clinging; grasping; holding.

Uposatha: Observance Day (for the monks).

Va.t.ta (-cakka): the round of rebirth, of existences; (the cycle or wheel of rebirth).

Vedanaa: feeling. See Khandha.

Vimutti (-nyaanadassana): deliverance; release; liberation; freedom; (knowledge of that deliverance).

Vinyaa.na: consciousness. See Khandha.

Viriya: effort; energy; vigour; endeavor; exertion.

Visuddhi: purity; purification.

Wat (Thai): a monastery.