Sacred and Related Texts
Buddhist Texts
See also dhammatalks.org
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/
Dictionary
A B C D EF G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Aciravatī (river)
Ajaan (Thai): Teacher; mentor. Pāli form: Ācariya.
Arahant A “worthy one” or “pure one;” a person whose mind is free of defilement and thus is not destined for further rebirth. A title for the Buddha and the highest level of his noble disciples. Sanskrit form: Arhat.
Asura
B
Bhikkhu Fully ordained male Buddhist monastic
A bhikkhu is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics are members of the Sangha. The lives of all Buddhist monastics are governed by a set of rules called the prātimokṣa or pātimokkha.
(Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhu)
Bhikkhus A bhikkhu in training. also used as a plural for Bhikkhu
See Bhikkhu
Bhikkhunī A bhikkhunī or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female monastic in Buddhism. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the Vinaya, a set of rules. Sanscrit Bhikṣuṇī
(Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhuni)
Bodhisatta
Brahmā
Brahman See the Buddha’s definition of a brahman in the Verse in Majjhima Nikāya: MN : 98
C
D
Deva Literally, “shining one.” An inhabitant of the heavenly realms
dhamma (lower-case 'd} a teaching or an internal quality
Dhamma (upper-case 'D }
(1) Event; action;
(2) a phenomenon in and of itself;
(3) mental quality;
(4) doctrine, teaching;
(5) nibbāna (although there are passages describing nibbāna as the abandoning of all dhammas). Sanskrit form: Dharma.
Often used in the form of Dhamma & Vinaya   See also Vinaya
dukkaṭa
E
F
G
Ganges (river)
Gandhabbas
H
hungry ghost
I
J
Jhāna Mental absorption. A state of strong concentration focused on a single sensation or mental notion. This term is derived from the verb jhāyati, which means to burn with a steady, still flame. Sanskrit form: Dhyāna.
heightened mental states providing a pleasant abiding in the here & now
4 in number
- 1st : pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation
- 2nd : pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance
- 3rd : the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’
- 4th : purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain
K
Kamma Intentional act. Sanskrit form: Karma
kahāpaṇa a measure of "money"
Kāsi
Khandha Aggregate; heap; pile. Sanskrit form: Skandha
Kathina privileges
Koliyans
L
Licchavis
M
Mahī (river)
Māra
N
nāga
Nibbāna Literally, the “unbinding” of the mind from passion, aversion, and delusion, and from the entire round of death and rebirth. As this term also denotes the extinguishing of a fire, it carries connotations of stilling, cooling, and peace. “Total nibbāna” in some contexts denotes the experience of Awakening; in others, the final passing away of an arahant. Sanskrit form: Nirvāṇa.
Nerañjarā River
O
P
Pajāpati See MN49 footnote 2
papañca See the Introduction to MN18 for a discussion of this term.
Pāṭimokkha
Q
R
S
Satipaṭṭhāna
Sakyan
Samaṇa Contemplative. Literally, a person who abandons the conventional obligations of social life in order to find a way of life more “in tune” (sama) with the ways of nature.
Saṁsāra Transmigration
The process of wandering through repeated states of becoming, with their attendant death and rebirth.
Saṅgha On the conventional (sammati) level, this term denotes the communities of Buddhist monks and nuns. On the ideal (ariya) level, it denotes those followers of the Buddha, lay or ordained, who have attained at least stream-entry.
Saṅghādisesa offense
Sarabhū (river)
Satipaṭṭhāna See the discussion in the Introduction to MN 10
sugata a span-measure - 25 cm
Sutta Discourse. Sanskrit form: Sūtra
T
Tathāgata Literally, “one who is truly gone (tatha-gata)” or “one who has become authentic (tatha-āgata),” an epithet used in ancient India for a person who has attained the highest religious goal. In Buddhism, it usually denotes the Buddha, although occasionally it also denotes any of his arahant disciples.
U
Uposatha day
V
Contains the code of rules by which monks and nuns are to conduct themselves individually, as well as the rules and procedures that support the harmonious functioning of the community as a whole.

Videha continents
Vinaya The monastic discipline, whose rules and traditions comprise six volumes in printed text
Often used in the form of Dhamma & Vinaya   See also Dhamma
W
World See note 19 of MN10 for a disscussion on the meaning of this word.
X
Y
Yamunā (river)
Z