| GLOSSARY
Introduction
| Bibliography
|
| The
Abhidhamma Pitaka |
It
deals with the philosophy and psychology of the Theravada school of Buddhism.
The “ theravada ”, however,
refers to that school of Buddhism which, supposedly “adhere to the most
original and purest form of the Buddhist teachings”, advocated by those
theras (monks) who obtained the erudition directly through the Master.
Further, they used the bhasa Magadhika
or the mula bhasa (the original
language) to record the original text
or the pariyaya , (the text of
the canons). The term pariyaya ,
however, when abbreviated became ‘pari or ‘pali; and in course of time
was applied to denote the language of the entire gamut of the canons;
and the exegeses and other compositions on those texts having the same
language.
Visajjesi
tam Ananda-thero dhamm asesato. ( Mahavamsa
34-35)
The
other two Pitakas or the collection of the Buddhist canons are the Vinaya
Pitaka (Collection of the codes and conducts for the monks and nuns)
and Sutta Pitaka (the collection
of the discourses of the Buddha).
|
| Anagami:
|
One
who has attained the third stage in the process of the break up of the samyojanas
or the worldly fetters so that one would not be reborn on the sensuous plane
or the earth but may be reborn in the highest heaven to attain Arahataship.
|
| Anomadassi |
One
of the Buddha |
| Arati
|
One of the three
daughter of Mara, which literally means Discontent. |
| Arahata
|
One
who has completely destroyed the worldly fetters or samyojanas and thus has
attained perfection in the Buddhist sense by realising the Nibbana (Absolute
Deliverance).
|
| Asoka
|
The
third century emperor of a large part of India with the capital in ancient
Patna. Often considered as the greatest of all monarchs of all times whether
Indian or foreign. He was the chief patron of Buddhism who spread it in
several parts of Asia. Historically, the foundation of the city of Sri Nagar
in Kashmir is also ascribed to him. |
|
Atthadassi
|
One
of the Buddha
|
| Buddha
|
The
Buddha is a generic and appelative name, which must not be confused with
a proper name. The term has a definite connotation, which refers to “one
who has attained Enlightenment”. The Pali commentaries mention four categories
of the Buddha, first being the category of the Sabbannu Buddhas or the
Omniscient Buddhas, which refers to the class of the Enlightened Buddhas,
who preach for the Nibbana for the others. The second category of the
Buddhas is that of the Paccheka Buddhas, who are also Enlightened but
do not preach for the spiritual evolution of the others. The third group
of the Buddhas commonly designated by Chatusaccha Buddhas refers to the
arahantas (i.,e., those who
have destroyed their defilements or asavas ); and finally the category of the Bahussuta Buddhas refers
to the learned ones.
The Pali tradition gives
the list of twenty-four Buddhas who were born before Sakyamuni Buddha
or popularly known Gotama Buddha (Sanskrit: Gautama Buddha). They are
Dipankara, Kondanna, Mangala, Sumana, Revata, Sobhita, Anomadassi, Paduma,
Narada, Paduma Uttara, Sumedha, Sujata, Piyadassi, Atthadassi, Dhammadassi,
Siddhattha, Tissa, Phussa, Vipassi, Sikhi, Vessabhu, Kakusandha, Konagamana,
and Kassapa.
Further,
the above tradition also adds the names of three Buddhas, namely, Tanhankara,
Medhankara and Sarankara, who were born before Dipankara Buddha.
The
Buddhavamsa gives the particulars of each of the Buddhas with the
details on their first sermons; aura of their bodies; description as to
which Bodhisatta became which Buddha and so on. (see Buddhavamsa Atthakatha for more details).
The
Lalitavistara gives a list of fifty-four Buddhas; and the Mahavastu
tenders a list of over hundred Buddhas.
The
Chakkavatti Sihanada Sutta of the Digha Nikaya gives the particulars of
Metteya Buddha or the Future Buddha. (The Sanskritised version of Metteya
is Maitreya). Further, the Anagatavamsa
gives a detailed account of the Future Buddha. Some Singhalese commentaries,
however, come out with a list of another nine Future Buddhas in addition
to Metteya. They are Uttama, Rama, Pasenadai Kosala, Abhibhu, Dighasoni,
Sankaccha, Subha, Todeya, and Nalagiri Palaleyya.
|
| Bodhi tree |
tree of Enlightenment.
Gotama Buddha attained Enlightenment under the pipal
tree (or ficus religiosa belonging
to the family Moraceae). |
| Bodhisatta in
Pali Tradition |
The protagonist
of every Jataka story is the Bodhisatta, which means a being who aspires
to achieve the bodhi or Englightenment
to become a Buddha. Further, after resolving thus without declaring his
intention to others, i.e., manopanidhi
he makes a solemn resolution before a Buddha ( abhiniharakarana
or mulanidhana ) for the
welfare and liberation of all creatures. As regard to Gotama Buddha his
abhinihara was made before Dipankara
Buddha; and at that time his name was Sumedha. The Buddha then approves
of the abhinihara by the declaration
( vyakarana ) that the Bodhisatta
shall become a Buddha. Then the Bodhisatta seeks to achieve the Buddhakarakadhamma (the qualities of the Buddhahood). These he discovers
in ten perfections ( dasa-parami ),
namely, dana (charity), sila
(right-conduct), nekkhama, panna
(wisdom), viriya (steadfastness), khanti
(forbearance), saccha (truthfulness),
aditthana, metta (loving compassion),
upekkha (non-attachability).
In the case of Sumedha Bodhisatta, who became Gotama Buddha, these perfections
were best exemplified in Ekaraja, Khantivadi, Chulla Sankhapala, Maha
Janaka, Mahasutasoma, Mugapakkha, Lomahamsa, Sattubhattaka, Sasa and Sutasoma
Jatakas.
Further,
a Bodhisatta has to develop four bhumis ,
namely, ussaha or viriya (zeal),
ummagga or panna (wisdom), avatthana
or adhitthana (resolution) and
hitachariya or metta (compassion). Then he practices six ajjhasayas or the factors conducive to the maturing of the bodhi .
Budhaghosa:
The greatest scholar of the Pali literature. Born in Bodh Gaya in the
fifth century AD. He wrote commentaries on most of the texts of the Tipitaka.
He translated many Singhalese commentaries into Pali. His mangnum
opus is the Visuddhimagga ,
which is regarded as the “Encyclopedia of Buddhism”.
|
| Bodhisattva (The
Mahayana Traditions) |
Each of the Mahayana schools,
namely, Paramita, Yoga and Anuttara have their unique views of the Buddhas
and the Bodhisattvas. Yet for all practical purposes it may be said that
they believe in the Adi Buddha (having no beginning and no end). The union
of the Adi Buddha and the Adi Prajna (Wisdom-having-no-beginning-and-no-end)
accounts for the hierarchies of the Buddhist deities.
Further,
it is believed that there are five Dhyani Buddhas immersed in deep meditation.
They are Vairochana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi,
which also refer to the families ( kula )
of the Anuttara Tantra. Vajradhara is further added as the sixth family,
which is believed to be of the highest kind. It may be noted that there
are varieties of Tantras according to the various families; and kriyas . Eventually, there are Tantras embodying evocations (sadhana)
and rites (vidhi) specifically meant for the individual families as well
as for the families in general. Each of the family has a kulesha or lord
of the family (Progenitor) and the progeny (kulika). In the above system
of Tantra Vairochana is the Progenitor and Victor (Jina). The deities
and their transformations created by his mudra (seal) are his progeny.
The
five families of the Yoga Tantra are Tathagata, Ratna, Padma, Karma and
Vajra. The family of the Tathagata is the highest.
Coming
back to the five Dhyani Buddhas, who do not take part in the affairs of
the world. They are seldom portrayed individually. They may appear on
the tiara of the male and the female divinities emanated from them or
round their heads in group of five. All the five Dhyani Buddhas are shown
seated in Vajrasana, when the legs are closely crossed and locked and
soles are visible. Each of the five Dhyani Buddhas has his unique distinctive
mark and characteristics. For example, Varirochana is white; Akshobhya
is blue; Ratnasambhava is yellow; Amitabha is red; and Amoghasiddhi is
green. Further, each represents a direction and has a representative element
and a sense-corresponding object.
|
| Brahamana/brahmin |
a priestly
caste, which the Buddha never accepted on the theory of birth.
|
| Chaddanta
|
six-tusked
elephant. |
| Chataka |
a favourite Indian bird for the poets for comparison with the lover having
lost his beloved. |
| Chakkavala |
the world-system. The Pali tradition believes
that there are ten thousand world-systems, which sustain life like ours. |
| Deva
|
radiant
beings. Wrongly translated as God. |
| Chitrakuta |
In
the Jataka context this is a mountain peak in the Himalayan region, which
does refer to the mountain peak of the central India. |
| Dighabhanakas
|
those
who compiled and recited the Digha Nikaya (a book of the Sutta Pitaka) which
contains the discourses of large size.
|
| Dhammadasvsi |
One
of the Buddha |
| Dhamma
|
The
latter two pitakas, collectively called the ‘Dhamma (or the doctrine),
are the collection of the recitations given by the thera Ananda (the closest
disciple of the Buddha) in the same council. The recitations of the aforementioned
two monks, as a matter of fact, are the answers by way of the explanations
and elucidations to the questions posed by the President of the council
- Mahathera Mahakassapa.
|
| Dhyani
(Meditating) Buddhas |
A
Dhyani Buddha is one who does not take part in the affairs of the world.
The five Dhyani Buddhas are Vairochana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha
and Amoghasiddhi, who also refer to the families ( kula )
of the Anuttara Tantra. Vajradhara is computed as the sixth family, which
is believed to be of the highest class. A Dhyani Buddha is seldom portrayed
individually. He may appear on the tiara of the male and the female divinities
emanated from them or round their heads in a group of five. All the five
Dhyani Buddhas are shown seated in Vajrasana, legs being closely crossed
and locked and the soles visible. |
| Dipankara |
One
of the Buddha |
| Jambu |
Eugenia
Jambolana .
Khandha
(Aggregate Mara), Kilesa (Defilement) Mara, Abhisankhara (Accumulated
Karma) Mara, Macchu (Death) Mara, and Devaputta (four archangels of Yama).
Mara is called Namuchi as no one can escape him. He is called Vasavatti,
because “he rules all”. Whenever, he finds some one treading the path
of virtuosity he creates obstacles and hindrances.
|
| Kakusandha
|
One
of the Buddha |
| Kassapa |
One
of the Buddha |
| Khattiya/Ksatriya |
One
of the four varnas of the traditional Indian society designative to the
warrior class. |
| Kokanada
Lute |
It
is called so perhaps because it has a colour of red lotus or it is derived
from the name of the country where it originated. See Kusa Jataka No.531.
|
| Konagamana
|
One
of the Buddha |
| Kondanna |
One
of the Buddha |
| Lalitavistara :
|
|
| Mahavamsa |
A Sinhalese chronicle and a principal source for the
construction of the history of ancient India. This chronicle presents the
history of India, particularly of Chanakya, Chandra Gupta Maurya and Ashoka
the Great and so on. It may
be pointed out that without the existence of these chronicles, we would
not have known the history of ancient India, particularly down to the Mauryan
Age. |
| Mangala
|
One of the Buddha
|
| Mara
|
See
story of Mara
|
| Matanga
|
the worlds first
crusader against the untouchability. See Matanga
Jataka .
|
| Metteya/Maitreya
|
The
future Budddha. See Metteya .
|
| Metta
|
(compassion). |
| Nagas
|
Serpants
with spiritual powers and not the ordinary snakes |
| Narada |
|
| Niddesa |
a
book of the Khuddakanikaya , generally,
ascribed to Sariputta and Mahakacchana. |
| Paccheka
Buddha |
A
Paccheka Buddha is one who has attained the supreme and perfect insight
but dies without proclaiming the truth to the world. He is, therefore, called
“the Silent Buddha.
|
| Paduma |
One
of the Buddha |
| Padumav |
One
of the Buddha |
| Panna |
(Sanskrit: Prajna): wisdom. |
| Panchavaggiya
bhikkhus |
The five monks,
who first learnt the teachings of the Buddha in Sarnath and became his first
followers. They were the companions of the Buddha when he practised penance
in Uruvela before his Enlightenment.
|
| Parami
|
The
unique qualities of the Buddhahood ( Buddhakarakadhamma )
to be developed by a Bodhisatta by way of ten perfections or parami -s,
namely, dana (charity), sila (right-conduct),
nekkhama (dispassionateness), panna (wisdom), viriya (steadfastness),
khanti (forbearance), saccha
(truthfulness), aditthana (pledge),
metta (loving compassion), upekkha
(non-attachability). The Bodhisattas struggle for those perfections are
well exemplified in Ekaraja, Khantivadi, Chulla Sankhapala, Maha Janaka,
Mahasutasoma, Mugapakkha, Lomahamsa, Sattubhattaka, Sasa and Sutasoma Jatakas.
|
| Paticcasamuppada
|
the Buddhist theory
of causality. See C.B.Varma, A Concise
Encyclopedia of Early Buddhist Philosophy for details.
|
| Pataliputta |
(Sanskritised: Pataliputta; modern Patna). The capital
of the Mauryans (321 B.C.185 B.C.) |
| Phussa |
One
of the Buddha |
| Pitaka
|
The Buddhist canons, namely, Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka
and Abhidhamma Pitaka. Jataka is one of the fifteen texts of the Khuddaka
Nikaya, which is a book of short (khuddhaka) discourses of the Buddha. |
| Piyadassi |
One
of the Buddha |
| Raga
|
One of the three
daughter of Mara, which literally means Lust.
|
| Revata |
One
of the Buddha |
| Sacchakiriya |
Act
of Truth. To obtain the desired result the force of an act is invoked.
|
| Sakka/Shakra
|
Indra
|
| Sakadagami/Sakidagami
|
|
| Sakidagami
|
the
second step towards the Arahatahood in course of the destruction of the
samyojanas or fetters. A Sakidagami
is born for the maximum of one birth on the earth. |
| Sal
|
Assakarni; Shorea
rubusta gaertin belonging to the family of Dipterocarpaceae.
|
| Sal |
a
kind of tree. |
| Shastras
|
the scriptures or
the works on some knowledge systems. |
| Siddhattha |
One
of the Buddha |
| Sikhi |
One
of the Buddha |
|
Sobhita
|
One
of the Buddha |
| Sotapanna
|
the
first step towards the Arahatahood in course of the destruction of the samyojanas
or fetters. A Sotapanna is born for the maximum of seven births on the earth.
|
| Sujata |
One
of the Buddha |
| S ukara-maddava
|
“S ukara-maddava” served to the Budddha before his death is sometimes
interpreted as the “pigs meat”. But such inference cannot be conclusive
because sukara-sali means “wild
rice”; and maddava (Skt. Maardava,
derived from mridu , means “sweet”)].
The Pali-English Dictionary (T.W.Rhys
Davids : William Stede pp.721; 518-19) interprets maddava as “soft”; and “withered” [or parched]. So, it is quite likely
that the food, which the Buddha took before his death was the parched rice
( bhoonja , a popular food-item
of north Bihar and Eastern Uttara Pradesh, where the Buddha breathed his
last. Besides, the Buddha had categorically condemned the profession of
the pork-butcher Chunda Sukarika, who had to grunt like a pig for seven
days before his death because of his cruel profession; and was finally “consumed
by the fire of the hell”. [See Dhammapada
Atthakatha i.105 ff]. Last but not least, the rules for the acceptance
of the food in the Buddhist order were very severe those days. For example,
Sariputta was allowed to take the garlic just for the medical reason).
|
| Sumana |
One
of the Buddha |
| Sumedhav |
One
of the Buddha |
| Tanha |
One
of the three daughter of Mara, which literally means Craving.
|
| Tavatimsa |
The heavenly world
where the Buddha first taught the Abhidhamma. |
| Tinduka
tree |
diosperos
embryopteris. |
| Tissa |
One
of the Buddha |
|
Tusita
loka
|
|
| Tusita
heaven |
|
| Upaveda |
medicinal science,
military science, music and architecture.
|
| Uposatha |
The
sacred day of the Buddhists for the recitation of the Patimokkha; and fasting.
|
| Uttara |
One
of the Buddha |
| Vayu |
Wind;
also reckoned as one of the devas
like Agni etc.
|
| Vassavasa |
Literally
means, “dwelling place for the rainy-season”. A monk is not supposed to
undertake a journey in the rainy season; and is bound by the rule of the
order to spend the season in a fixed place. |
| Vessabhu |
One
of the Buddha |
| Vidyadhara
|
The
fairest women believably dwelling in the Himalayan region and possessing
the power of special sciences to perform spells |
| Vihara |
monastery
|
| Vinaya
Pitaka |
deals
with the Buddhist codes and conduct and may be regarded as the Corpus
of the Discipline. It supposedly records the recitations made by the thera
Upali in the council.
|
| Vipassi |
One
of the Buddha |
| Yakkha/
Yaksa |
a
non-human being often identified with ogres or ghosts with varied appearances
with great supernatural powers. See ‘The Man who Read Foot-Prints.
|
| Yamaraja |
the
Lord of Death.
|