BuddhistBuddhist DictionaryDictionary ManualManual ofof BuddhistBuddhist TTerermsms && DoctrinesDoctrines by Ven. Nyanatiloka HAN DD ET U 'S B B O RY eOK LIBRA E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Buddhist Dictionary Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines Nyanatiloka Fourth Revised Edition edited by Nyanaponika Buddhist Publication Society Kandy / Sri Lanka - 2 - Buddhist Publication Society P. O. Box 61 54, Sangharaja Mawatha Kandy, Sri Lanka First Edition 1952 Second Revised Edition 1956 Third Revised & Enlarged Edition 1972 (Pub. by Frewin & Co., Ltd., Colombo) Fourth Revised Edition 1980 (Buddhist Publication Society) Reprinted 1988 ©1980 by Buddhist Publication Society ISBN – 955 – 24 – 0019 – 8 - 3 - From The Preface To The First Edition As a first attempt of an authentic dictionary of Buddhist doctrinal terms, used in the Pàli Canon and its Commentaries, this present manual will fill a real gap felt by many students of Buddhism. It provides the reader not with a mere superficial enumeration of important Pàli terms and their English equivalents, but offers him precise and authentic definitions and explan- ations of canonical and post-canonical terms and doc- trines, based on Sutta, Abhidhamma and Commen- taries, and illustrated by numerous quotations taken from these sources, so that, if anyone wishes, he could, by intelligently joining together the different articles, produce without difficulty a complete exposition of the entire teachings of Buddhism. As already pointed out by the author in the preface to his Guide through the Abhidhamma-Piñaka (Colombo 1938), there are found in the Abhidhamma Canon numerous technical terms not met with in the Sutta Canon; and again other terms are found only in the Commentaries and not in Sutta and Abhidhamma. The author therefore has made a first attempt – with- out, however, laying any claim to absolute reliability or completeness in this by no means easy undertaking – to indicate in the Appendix all the terms that in the oldest Sutta texts are either not found at all, or at least not in the same form or meaning, and to set forth how far these are deviations from the older texts, or further developments. - 4 - In this connection, the author wishes to state that the often quoted Patisambhidà-Magga, as well as Niddesa, Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka, though included in the Khuddaka Nikàya of the Sutta Piñaka, nevertheless bear throughout the character of Com- mentaries, and though apparently older than the Sutta Commentaries handed down to us in Buddhaghosa’s version, must doubtless belong to a later period of origin than the Abhidhamma Canon. In rendering the terms into English, I often had to differ considerably from the interpretation of Western scholars, and to introduce quite new words. A great number of such earlier translations must be considered partly as totally incorrect, partly as misleading, or at the very least ambiguous. Incorrect are, for instance, the English renderings of nàma-råpa by ‘name and form’; javana (impulsion, i.e. the karmic impulsive moments) by ‘apperception’, etc. The expositions concerning the true nature of the 8-fold Path, the 4 Noble Truths, the pañiccasamuppàda and the 5 groups of existence – doctrines which, with regard to their true nature, have been often misunder- stood by Western authors – are sure to come to many as a revelation. On the doctrine of anattà, or ‘egolessness’, i.e. the impersonality and emptiness of all phenomena of existence, the author repeatedly felt the necessity of throwing light from every possible point of view, for it is exactly this doctrine which, together with the doc- trine of the conditionality of all phenomena of exist- ence, constitutes the very essence of the whole Teach- ing of the Buddha without which it will be by no means - 5 - possible to understand it in its true light. Thus the doctrine of impersonality runs like a red thread right through the whole book. May this little manual provide an ever-helpful companion and vade mecum to all earnest students in their study of the original Buddhist scriptures, and also give to Buddhist authors and lecturers the opportunity of supplementing and deepening their knowledge of the profound teachings of the Buddha! Should it, for a better understanding, prove necessary to give to certain subjects a more detailed treatment, the carrying out of this task may be reserved for a later edition of this work. Nyanatiloka “Central Internment Camp” Dehra-Dun, India 28–8–1946. - 6 - Editor’s Preface To The Third Edition The present revised and enlarged Third Edition was intended to be issued in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the venerable author’s passing away on 28th May 1957. But due to unavoidable circumstances the publication had to be delayed. It was the venerable author’s wish to enlarge the first edition of this work, but when a second edition became necessary, he was prevented from expanding it by the illness to which he later succumbed. It rested, therefore, with his pupil, the present editor, to make, within the original scope and character of the work, such additions and revisions as seemed useful. Over seventy articles have been expanded and partly rewritten; others were slightly revised; more source references were included, and information on literature for further study of the respective subjects was added to some of the articles. But only very few new words have been added (e.g. anupassanà, ànupubbi-kathà, etc.). This restriction was observed because the venerable author himself thought only of ‘a more detailed treatment’ of existing articles (see Pref- ace to the 1st ed.) as he obviously wished to preserve the original form and character of the book. It was also considered that the adding of more words such as those coined in later commentarial and abhidhammic litera- ture, would be superfluous as in the English language such terms will generally be found only in a few scho- larly books and translations which themselves give the explanations needed. - 7 - This book is chiefly intended for those who study the Buddhist teachings through the medium of the English language, but wish to familiarize themselves with some of the original Pàli terms of doctrinal import. They are in the same position as a student of philo- sophy or science who has to know the terminology of his field, which for common parlance is mostly not less ‘unfamiliar’ than are the words of the Pàli language found in the Dictionary. Such acquaintance with the Pàli terms of the original texts will also be useful to the student for the purpose of identifying the various renderings of them favored by different translators. It is deplorable that there is a considerable multiplication of new English coining for the same doctrinal term. This great variety of renderings has proved to be confusing to those students of Buddhism who are not familiar with the Pàli language. Even at this late stage when many translat- ions of Pàli texts are in print, it will be desirable if, for the sake of uniformity, translators forgo their prefer- ence for their own coining, even if they think them better than others. In any case, doctrinal terms have to be known by definition, just as in the case of philosoph- ical and technical terms in a Western language. As a small help in the situation described, a number of alternative renderings used by other translators have been included in some articles of this edition. In a very few cases, unacceptable though familiar renderings have been bracketed. The Venerable Nyanatiloka’s own preferences have been placed in inverted commas. Generally it may be said that his renderings, based on his comprehensive knowledge of texts and doctrine, are - 8 - very sound and adequate. Only in a very few cases has the editor changed the author’s preferred rendering e.g. ‘canker’ for àsava (instead of ‘bias’), ‘right view’ for sammà-diññhi (instead of ‘right understanding’). The latter change was made for the sake of economizing with the few English equivalents for the numerous Pàli synonyms for ‘knowing’, etc.; and also to avoid having to render the opposite term, micchà-diññhi, by ‘wrong understanding’. This Dictionary appeared also in the author’s own German version (published by Verlag Christiani, Konstanz, Germany) and in a French translation made by the late Mme Suzanne Karpeles (published by ‘Adyar’, Paris, 1961). Nyanaponika Kandy, Ceylon February 1970. Only few and minor revisions have been made to the text of the Fourth Edition which is now issued by the Buddhist Publication Society. Nyanaponika Kandy, Sri Lanka March 1980. Digitalised by WG, http://www.palikanon.com/ Chiangmai Thailand 1993. - 9 - Abbreviations A. Anguttara Nikàya (figures refer to number of book (nipàta) and Sutta) Abh. Abhidhamma Piñaka (Canon) Abh.S. Abhidhammattha Sangaha Abh.St. Abhidhamma Studies, by Nyanaponika Thera (BPS) App. Appendix at the end of this book Asl. Aññhasàlini=(Com. to Dhammasangaõã) Asl.Tr. Aññhasàlini Tr. The Expositor, tr. by Maung Tin. PTS Tr. Series Boehtl. Otto Boehtlingk, Sanskrit-Wörterbuch BPS Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy C.Nid. Cåla Niddesa Com. Commentary D. Dãgha Nikàya (figures: number of Sutta) Dhp. Dhammapada Dhs. Dhammasangaõã - 10 - Fund. Fundamentals of Buddhism, Nyanatiloka (BPS) Guide Guide through the Abhidhamma Piñaka, Nyanatiloka, 3rd ed. 1971 (BPS) It. Itivuttaka Kath. Kathàvatthu Khp. Khuddakapàtha Khp.Tr. Minor Readings & Illustrator, tr. (of Khp. & Com) by ¥àõamoli Thera. PTS Tr. Series M. Majjhima Nikàya (figures: number of Sutta) M.Nid. Mahà Niddesa Mil. Milinda Pa¤hà Path Path to Deliverance, Nyanatiloka (BPS) (figures: paragraphs) Paññh. Paññhàna Pts.M. Pañisambhidà Magga PTS Pàli Text Society’s editions - 11 - Pug. Puggala-Pa¤¤atti (figures: paragraphs) R. Und. Right Understanding, tr. (of M. 9 & Com.) by Soma Thera (BPS) S.