Pali Glossary

(Temporary- still under revision)
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Abhidhamma
the higher teachings of Buddhism, teachings on ultimate realities (literally the great realities)

Abhidhammattha-sangaha 
an Encyclopedia of the Abhidhamma, written by Anuruddha between the 8th and the 12th century A.D.

abhijjha 
(lobha), covetousness

abhinna 
supernormal powers

abhisankhara 
cetana-cetasika; the predominant factor in the conditioning of kamma and, therefore, vipaka including rebirth 

abyakata 
neither kusala nor akusala

acinteyya 
something one should not ponder

adhicitta-sikkha 
the steadfastness of ekaggata-cetasika (samadhi) in the arammana appearing at that instant

adhimokka-cetasika 
the cetasika that is firmly determined, certain in the arammana

adhipanna-sikkha 
the conscientious examination, study and knowledge of the characteristics of realities appearing at that instant as what they really are

adhisila-sikkha 
The instant of sati that is mindful of the characteristics of realities that are appearing

adosa 
non aversion

adosa-cetasika 
the cetasika that is not irritated, coarse or fierce, with the characteristics of friendliness

adukkhamasukha 
neutral feeling

ahara 
food, nourishment, cause

aharaja-rupa 
the rupa arising from food

ahetuka citta 
not accompanied by beautiful roots or unwholesome roots

ahosi kamma 
kamma which is ineffectual

akasa 
sky, air, space, emptiness

akasa-rupa 
space between kalapa

akasanancayatana 
boundless space, the meditation subject of the first immaterial jhana-citta

akincannayatana 
nothingness, the meditation subject f the third immaterial jhana-citta

akusala 
bad, unwholesome, unskillful

akusala kamma 
a bad deed

akusaka citta 
citta that are not good, realities that are harmful; unwholesome consciousness;.

alobha 
non attachment, generosity

alobha-cetasika 
the cetasika that is not attached to the arammana

amoha 
wisdom or understanding

anagami 
a person who has reached the third stage of enlightenment, non returner; who has no aversion (dosa)

Ananda 
the chief attendant of the Buddha his half brother

anantara 
infinite, immediate

anantara-paccaya 
the condition for the next citta to arise consecutively immediately after the preceding citta falls away

anantariyakamma

anapana-sati 
mindfulness on breath

anatta 
not self

anenjabhisankhara 
kamma which produce rebirth in arupa-brahma planes where there is no rupa

Anguttaranikaya

anicca 
impermanence

anicca-sanna 
perception of impermanence

aniccata-rupa 
the rupa at the moment it falls away

anisansa 
good results

annamanna-paccaya 
the paccaya and the paccayubbana-dhamma each must depend on the other.

annasamana (-cetasika) 
(cetasika) that conform with whatever (level of citta) they arise with

anubyanjana 
details of what is appearing

anu-khana 
the sub-instant

anuloma 
conformity or adaptation

anumodana 
appreciation of someone else's kusala, rejoice

anupadisesa-nibbana 
final nibbana, without the khandha remaining, at the death of an arahanta

anusaya 
latent tendency or proclivity

anusaya-kilesa 
the minutely fine kilesa that accumulates like sediment in the citta

anussati 
mindfulness of certain aramana

apaya-bhumi 
states of loss and woe; lower worlds; unhappy existence

apo-dhatu 
element of water or cohesion

appana 
absorption

appana-samadhi 
attainment-concentration

apunnabhisankhara 
demeritorious kamma-formations; the intention to do akusala-kamma

arahanta 
noble person who has attained the fourth and last stage of enlightenment

arammana 
object which is known by consciousness
          ittharammana or pleasant arammana
          anittharammana or unpleasant arammana.

ariya-puggala 
noble person who has attained enlightenment

ariya-sacca(-dhamma) 
Supreme Truths, Noble truths

arupa-bhumi 
plane of arupa-citta

arupa-brahma plane 
plane of existence attained as a result of arupa-jhana.  There are no sense impressions, no rupa experienced in this realm.

arupa-jhana 
immaterial absorption

arupavacara-citta 
arupa-jhana-citta, consciousness of immaterial jhana

asabhava-rupa 
rupa without their own separate, distinct reality, stages in the existence of the rupa

asammoha-sampajanna 
comprehension of non-delusion

asanni-satta plane 
plane where there is only rupa, not nama

asankharika 
strong, unprompted, not induced, either by oneself or by someone else

asankhata-dhamma 
reality that does not arise and fall away, unconditioned reality, nibbana

asava 
intoxicant, defilement

asekha 
non-learner; the one who does not need to study any longer with all kilesa eradicated

asevana-paccaya 
the citta that causes a citta of the same jati to arise and repeat it within the same javana-vithi.

asobhana 
not good or beautiful, not accompanied by good or beautiful roots

asobhana-dhamma 
the opposite reality [nama-dhamma] of sobhana-dhamma. Any citta and cetasika are asobhana.

asubha 
foul

asura 
demon, being of one of the unhappy planes of existence

asurakaya 
one of the unhappy planes of existence

atimahantarammana 
a very clear arammana; the arammana of the tadalambana-vara

atiparittarammana 
the arammana that is very insignificant because it only impinges on the pasada-rupa and bhavanga-citta but does not cause any vithi-citta to arise.

atita-bhavanga 
the preceding life-continuum, marking the arising of the rupa that is arammana shortly before the start of a process of citta experiencing an object through one of the sense-door

atta 
self

attabhava 
body

Atthasalini 
a commentary to the first book of the Abhidhamma-pitaka

avajjana 
adverting of consciousness to the object which has impinged on one of the six doors

avibhutarammana 
The arammana of the javana-vara through the mano-dvara.  It is less clear than the tadalambana-vara.

avici 
the lowest hell

avijja 
ignorance

avinibhoga-rupa 
the smallest kalapa comprising eight inseparable rupa 

ayatana 
the gathering that is cause; sense-fields, namely the five senses and the mind and the objects experienced by them

ayoniso manasikara 
unwise attention of an object

ayuhana 
striving, willing 

bala 
power, strength

bhanga-khana 
the sub-instant of falling away, dissolution of citta

bhavana 
mental development, comprising the development of calm and the development of insight

bhavanga-calana 
stirring bhavanga arising shortly before a process of citta experiencing an object through one of the six doors

bhavanga-citta 
life-continuum, citta which does not arise within a process but in between processes

bhavanga-kicca 
the function of life-continuum

bhavangupaccheda 
the last bhavanga-citta cutting the stream of life-continuum before a process of citta starts

bhikkhu 
ordained Buddhist 

bhikkhuni 
ordained Buddhist woman

bhumi 
existence or plane of citta; the 'okasa' (place, occasion) or the birth place of worldly creatures; the citta as being composed of sampayutta-dhamma or cetasika-dhamma that arise concurrently; 

bodhisatta 
a being destined to become a Buddha

brahma 
heavenly being born in the brahma world as a result of the attainment of jhana

brahmavihara 
the four divine abidings, meditation subjects which are: metta, karuna, mudita and upekkha

Buddha 
a fully enlightened person who has discovered the truth all by himself, without the aid of a teacher

Buddhaghosa 
the greatest of commentators on the Tipitaka, author of the Visuddhimagga in 5 A.D. buddhanussati mindfulness of the virtuous qualities of the Buddha

byapada 
ill-will 

caganussati 
mindfulness of the virtuous qualities of giving

cakkavala 
sphere, world, galaxy, universe

cakkhayatana 
the eye, which is the meeting place, the birth place

cakkhu 
eye

cakkhu-dhatu 
eye element

cakkhu-dvara 
eyedoor

cakkhu-dvaravajjana-citta 
eye-door-adverting-consciousness

cakkhuppasada-rupa 
he rupa with which visual object can come into contact

cakkhu-samphassa 
eye contact

cakkhu-vatthu 
eye-base

cakkhu-vinnana 
consciousness that experiences sight

cakkhuppasada-rupa 
eye-sense, the rupa with which visual object can come into contact

catutthajjhana 
the fourth level of jhana

catuttha-naya 
the division of four

cetana 
intention or volition

cetana-cetasika 
the cetasika that intends, attends, endeavors to perform the function

cetasika 
mental factor arising with consciousness

cetovimutti 
free from citta

chanda-cetasika 
the cetasika that is satisfied to perform

citta 
consciousness, the reality which knows, or cognizes an object.

cittaja-rupa 
rupa that arises with citta as condition

cittanupassana-satipatthana 
The sati that arises to be mindful of the characteristics of the immediate citta

citta-passaddhi 
calm of citta

citta-ekaggata 
one-pointedness  of mind, concentration

cuti 
dying; the departure from this existence, the end of being this person in this life

cuti-citta 
dying-consciousness; the last citta of life

dana 
generosity, giving

dassana-kicca 
function of seeing

davi-panca-vinnana-citta 
the five pairs (kusala and akusala) of vipaka citta through the five sense-doors

davi-hetuka-puggala 
a person whose patisandhi-citta arises with two hetu, namely alobha-cetasika and adosa-cetasika, without panna-cetasika arising concurrently.

deva 
a being of a higher plane

Devadatta 
The Buddha's cousin.  He tried to kill the Buddha as well as causing schism in the order

devatanussati 
mindfulness of the virtuous qualities of the deva

dhamma 
truth, reality, that which really exists

dhamma-dhatu 
element of dhamma, realities, comprising cetasika, subtle rupa, nibbana

dhammanussati 
mindfulness of the virtuous qualities of the dhamma

dhammarammana 
all objects other than the sense objects which can be experienced through the five sense-doors, thus,objects which can be experienced only through the mind-door

Dhammasangani
the first book of the Abhidhamma-pitaka

Dhamma-vinaya 
the Buddhist teachings (literary: truth-doctrine)

dhatu 
element

Dhatukatha 
Discussion on the Elements, the third book of the Abhidhamma

dibbacakkhu 
supernatural vision

dibbasota 
supernatural hearing

Digha-Nikaya 
the long discourse group, part of the Tipitaka

dipa 
human planets, continents, islands, refuges

ditthi 
wrong view, distorted view about realities

ditthi-cetasika 
the cetasika of wrong view about realities

ditthigata sampayutta 
accompanied by wrong view, with ditthi-cetasika concurrently arising

ditthigata-vippayutta 
not evolving with wrong view

domanassa 
unpleasant feeling, defining citta and cetasika only, as opposed to dukkha, which defines both rupa and nama

dosa 
unpleasant feeling, aversion, ill-will, hatred, anger

dosa-cetasika 
the cetasika that is coarse and harsh, the reality that harms, troubles and angers

dosa-mula-citta 
citta (consciousness) rooted in aversion

dugati-bhumi 
the unhappy planes

dukkha 
sufferings

dukkha-vedana 
painful feeling or unpleasant feeling

dutiyajjhana 
the second level of jhana

dhutanga 
austere ascetic practice(s)

dvara 
the way through which citta arises to experience arammana that is not the arammana of bhavanga-citta;doorway through which an object is experienced, the five sense doors or the mind door

dvi-pancavinnana-citta 
five pairs of vinnana (consciousness) through the five dvara or senses, excluding mano-dvara

ekaggata 
one-pointedness, focus, concentration, a cetasika which has the function to focus on one object

ekaggata-cetasika 
the cetasika that is firmly established in the arammana

etadagga 
most proficient in a specific area

gana-pannatti 
attachment to the signs of collective realities with or without knowing what the convention terms for the object is

gandharammana 
smell

gantha 
a bond, a group of defilements; a book

gati-sampatti 
birth in a good plane, or the sugati-bhumi; favourable environment

gati-vipatti 

birth in a bad plane, or the dugati-bhumi

ghana-pannatti 
attachment to the signs of collective realities with or without knowing what the convention terms for the object is

ghana-dhatu 
nose element

ghanappasada-rupa 
rupa which is the organ of smelling sense, capable of receiving odour; the rupa with which smell can come into contact

ghana-vinnana 
consciousness that experiences smell

ghayana-kicca 
function of smelling

gocara-visaya-rupa 
the rupa which citta would arise to know generally

gotrabhu 
change of lineage, the last citta of the sense-sphere before jhana, 
absorption, is attained, or enlightenment is attained

hadaya-rupa 
the rupa where the citta arises other than the sense-door

hadaya-vatthu 
heart-base, rupa which is the plane of origin of the cittas other than the sense-cognitions 

hasituppada-citta 
smile producing consciousness of an arahanta 

hetu 
root, which conditions citta to be beautiful or unwholesome

hiri-cetasika 
the cetasika that is ashamed of and disgusted by akusala-dhamma

indriya 
prominence in its specific function, prowess, faculty. Some are rupa such as the sense organs, some are nama such as feelings. Five 'spiritual faculties' are wholesome faculties that should be cultivated, namely: confidence, energy, awareness, concentration and wisdom.

indriya-paccaya 
the predominant paccaya in its specific function, faculty

indriya-samvara-sila 
the virtue of restraint of the faculties 

issa 
envy

issa-cetasika 
the cetasika that is jealous of others' assets, physical, material or qualitative

itthibhava-rupa 
a rupa that permeates the entire body, manifested in the shape, size, state, manners and demeanor of the feminine sex.

jalabuja 
birth in the womb

jarata-rupa 
the rupa at the moment it declines

Jataka 
stories about the Buddha's former lives

jati 
nature, class (of citta), birth

Jatumaharajika 
the lowest plane of heaven

javana 
impulsion, running through the object 

javana-citta 
cittas which 'run through the object', kusala citta or akusala citta in the case of non-arahanta 

javana-vithi 
series of javana within the process of citta arising through the six sense doors

jhana 
a high level of peacefulness exempt from lobha, dosa and moha through the development of calm; absorption consciousness attained through the development of calm

jhana-citta 
see jhana

jhana factors 
cetasikas which have to be cultivated for the attainment of jhana: vitakka, vicara, piti, sukha, samadhi

jivhappasada-rupa 
rupa which is the organ of tasting sense, capable of receiving flavour; the rupa with which taste can come into contact

jivha-vinnana 
consciousness that experiences taste

jivitindriya 
element that maintains life

jivitindriya-cetasika 
the cetasika that maintains its sampayutta-dhamma and keeps them alive before they fall away

jivitindriya-rupa 
element that keeps the other rupa accompanying it in each kalapa alive, as a living rupa.

kalapa 
The smallest group of rupas that arise together interdependently, impossible to separate or divide

kala-sampati 
birth in a good time; favourable period

kala-vipatti 
unfavourable time

kama 
sensuous enjoyment or the five sense objects

kama-bhumi 
sensuous plane of existence 

kama-puggala 
a person who still enjoys the sensuous existence

kama-sobhan?a-citta 
beautiful citta of the sense sphere

kamachanda 
sensuous desire 

kamavacara-citta 
citta arising in the sense world 

kamma 
intention (cetana-cetasika) or deeds resulting thereof

kamma-paccaya 
condition resulting from kamma

kammaja-rupa 
rupa that arises because of kamma

kammannata-rupa 
the state of taskworthiness of the rupa

kammapatha 
course of action performed through body, speech or mind which can be wholesome or unwholesome

kappa 
an endlessly long period of time

karuna 
helping those who are in need physically, mentally or materially; compassion; beneficence

kasina 
object of meditation (samatha as opposed to vipassana); the method of inducing concentration by blocking all other arammana from the five senses

kaya 
body. It can also stand for the 'mental body', the cetasikas 

kaya-dhatu 
the element of bodysense 

kayagata-sati 
mindfulness of the body

kaya-passaddhi 
calm of cetasikas (mental factors) 

kayappasada-rupa 
the rupa with which cold or heat (fire element), softness or hardness (earth element), tension and motion (wind element) can come into contact

kaya-vinnana 
consciousness that experiences bodysense contact

kaya-vinnatti-rupa 
special state of the rupa that conveys meaning such as gestures, facial expression, etc.

khana 
instant

khandha 
aggregate, group of existence, conditioned reality

Khandha-vagga 
the third book of the Kindred Sayings

khanti 
patience 

kicca 
function

kilesa 
defilements

kilesa-kama 
lobha-cetasika, a reality that is pleased with or attached to arammana.

kiriya-citta 
functional consciousness without accumulative results

kukkucca 
regret or worry

kukkucca-cetasika 
the cetasika that is troubled and disturbed about akusala that has been done and the kusala not done

kusala 
good, virtuous, harmless, wholesome ; a reality that is virtuous, harmless

kusala-citta 
wholesome consciousness; a beneficent citta

kusala-kamma 
a good deed 

lahuta-rupa 
the state of lightness, non-heaviness of the rupa

lakkhana 
characteristic, specific or generic attribute

lobha 
attachment, greed 

lobha-mula-citta 
consciousness rooted in attachment

lokavidu 
one enlightened about the world.

lokiya 
mundane

lokiya citta 
citta which is mundane, not experiencing nibbana 

lokuttara 
supramundane

lokuttara-citta 
supramundane citta which experiences nibbana 

lokuttara dhamma 
the unconditioned dhamma which is nibbana and the magga-citta