Glossary

Arahant:  A “worthy one” or “pure one.” A person whose mind is free of defilement and thus not destined for further rebirth. A title for the Buddha and the highest level of his noble disciples.

Āsava:  Effluent; fermentation. Four qualities—sensuality, views, becoming, and ignorance—that “flow out” of the mind and create the flood of the round of death and rebirth.

Atammayatā:  A state of mind in which one does not create a sense of identity around one’s practices.

Brahmā:  A deva inhabiting the higher heavenly realms of form or formlessness.

Brahman:  A member of the priestly caste, which claimed to be the highest caste in India, based on birth. In a specifically Buddhist usage, “brahman” can also mean an arahant, conveying the point that excellence is based not on birth or race, but on the qualities attained in the mind.

Deva (devatā):  Literally, “shining one.” A being on the subtle levels of sensuality, form, or formlessness, living either in terrestrial or heavenly realms.

Dhamma:  (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.

Gotama:  The Buddha’s clan name.

Jhāna:  Mental absorption. A state of strong concentration focused on a single sensation or mental notion. This term is related to the verb jhāyati, which means to burn with a still, steady flame.

Kamma:  (1) Intentional action; (2) the results of intentional actions. Sanskrit form: Karma.

Nāga:  A magical serpent with powers similar to those of a deva.

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. In the time of the Buddha, the fire property was believed to cling to its fuel while burning, and to be released when it let go. When used to describe the liberated mind, this image implies that the mind is not trapped by fabrications. Rather, it is trapped by its own clinging to fabrications and it ill find freedom when it learns to let go. Sanskrit form: Nirvāṇa.

Sambojjhaṅga:  Factor for awakening. There are seven sambojjhaṅgas that, when fully developed, lead to full awakening. They are: mindfulness, analysis of qualities, persistence, rapture, calm, concentration, and equanimity.

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.

Satipaṭṭhāna:  Establishing of mindfulness. The four satipaṭṭhānas are equivalent to the four exercises listed under right mindfulness in passage §6.2, and the Dhamma-refuge described in §6.18.

Tathāgata:  Literally, “one who has become authentic (tatha-āgata)” or “one who is truly gone (tathā-gata).” 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.

Vinaya:  The monastic discipline. The Buddha’s name for his own teaching was “this Dhamma-&-Vinaya.”