Pali word of the day

[Sekha]

paccattaṃ
Adv.: individually. An adverbial form of:
paccatta-, Adj.: separate, individual. A compound of:
paṭi-, ind.: against, towards.
attan-, N.m.: self.


veditabbo
veditabba-, Adj.: should be known. A gerundive of the verb vid-, to know. Nom.Sg.m. = veditabbo.


viññūhi
viññū-, Adj.: wise, learned, intelligent. Derived from the verb ñā- (to know) with the prefix vi- (adding emphasis). Ins.Pl.m. = viññūhi.
The form viññūhī, as seen in the verse, is due to euphonic combination viññūhi + iti = viññūhī ti.


The Dhamma is to be understood individually be the wise ones (paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi). Nobody can reach the Nirvana passively, just by praying or reading books. Everybody must individually practice it and make an effort. Deep insight into the Dhamma is necessary for realizing the goal. That insight will not come by itself, we must strive for it hard. It can not be realized as a result of some help by an external force. Nobody can "enlighten" us, we must do the work for ourselves. Of course, to realize this and to be able to proceed on the path, certain amount of wisdom is required, for a fool will never realize these truths and act accordingly.

[Sekha]

ti

(another form of iti) a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech (in English that is expressed by quotation marks) or the end of a list.

[David N. Snyder]

Thanks, that's a good phrase to know.

ti

(another form of iti) a particle, symbolizing the end of direct speech (in English that is expressed by quotation marks) or the end of a list.

Also means 'three' but of course in a different context.

[mikenz66]

akāliko
akālika-, Adj.: immediate. The word kālika-, Adj. (gradual, slow, delayed; it is formed from the word kāla-, N.m., time) negated by the negative prefix a-

This is a translation that I recently heard Bhikkhu Bodhi discuss in his In the Buddha's Words lectures (which are not actually recent, but a year or two old). Someone asked him about the other common translation, which is timeless, and he confirmed that in his opinion immediate is the correct translation. (I guess some have interpreted a-kaliko as "not-time", hence timeless.)

Mike

[Sekha]

akāliko
akālika-, Adj.: immediate. The word kālika-, Adj. (gradual, slow, delayed; it is formed from the word kāla-, N.m., time) negated by the negative prefix a-

This is a translation that I recently heard Bhikkhu Bodhi discuss in his In the Buddha's Words lectures (which are not actually recent, but a year or two old). Someone asked him about the other common translation, which is timeless, and he confirmed that in his opinion immediate is the correct translation. (I guess some have interpreted a-kaliko as "not-time", hence timeless.)

Mike

This is exactly how the Dhamma is being lost. Does it mean immediate? Does it mean eternal? Both? Neither? We will probably never know for sure.

[David N. Snyder]

This is exactly how the Dhamma is being lost. Does it mean immediate? Does it mean eternal? Both? Neither? We will probably never know for sure.

Once the Buddha was asked what would lead to ‘the obscuration and disappearance of the good Dhamma’ ("saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya"). He replied that there would be two things. "When the letters are wrongly pronounced and there is wrong interpretation of their meaning. For when the pronunciation is wrong, the interpretation will also be wrong" (Anguttara Nikaya I. 59).

But in this case, I personally like 'immediate' and 'timeless'. They have different meanings, but both apply to the Dhamma.

[PeterB]

Just to say what a very useful thread this continues to be David.

[David N. Snyder]

Just to say what a very useful thread this continues to be David.

thanks to Dukkhanirodha and the other participants and readers too.

[David N. Snyder]

Saḷāyatana

The six senses.

[alan]

Had no idea how interesting this would be.
Thanks once again, DW!
Pronouncing some of theses words is a challenge...for instance, how to say that l with a dot underneath it?

[David N. Snyder]

Phassa

phusati to touch: 'sense-contact', contact. The term samphassa is used in compounds, e.g. in the following: ';T'here are 6 classes of sense-contact: visual contact cakkhu-samphassa contacts of hearing, smelling, tasting, bodily tactile contact and mental contact; M. 9. A twofold division occurs in D. 15: patigha samphassa contact by sensorial reaction', and adhivacana-samphassa verbal or conceptual, i.e. mental contact'.

phassa does not signify physical impact, but is one of the 7 constant mental properties of consciousness cetasika and belongs to the group of mental constructions sankhāra-khandha In lists of both these categories it is generally mentioned first e.g. Dhs. 1: M. 9, due to its fundamental position in the cognitive process In M. 18 it is thus defined:;Dependent on the eye and the forms, visual-consciousness arises; the coming-together of the three is sense-contact; similarly stated in the case of the other 5 senses, including mind. In the dependent origination, it is conditioned by the six sense-sources and is a conditioning factor of feeling see: paticca-samuppāda, 6. Its relation to mind-and-body nāma-rūpa is described in D. 15, and its influence on feeling and wrong views, in D. 1 at the end. - It is one of the 4 nutriments āhāra, and the first factor in the pentad of sense-contact phassa-pañcamaka together with feeling, perception, intention and consciousness see Abh. St., p. 47ff.

Being a key function in the mind's contact with the world of objects and being a potential source of defilements, sense-contact is an important subject for reflective insight contemplation as succinctly formulated in many verses of the Sn.: 736/7, 778, 851, 870/72, 923.

Maha Thera Nyanatiloka. Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, Buddhist Publication Society, first edition 1952.

[David N. Snyder]

Pronouncing some of theses words is a challenge...for instance, how to say that l with a dot underneath it?

I probably should have posted something about the pronunciation at the beginning, but here is a guide to go by:

Pali is a phonetic language. As such each letter has its own characteristic sound.

a is pronounced like u in but
aa is pronounced like a in art
i is pronounced like i in pin
ii is pronounced like i in machine
u is pronounced like u in put
uu is pronounced like u in rule
e is pronounced like e in ten
ee is pronounced like a in fate
o is pronounced like o in hot
oo is pronounced like o in note
k is pronounced like k in key
g is pronounced like g in get
`n is pronounced like ng in ring
c is pronounced like ch in rich
j is pronounced like j in jug
~n is pronounced like gn in signor
.t is pronounced like t in not
.d is pronounced like d in hid
.n is pronounced like n in hint
p is pronounced like p in lip
b is pronounced like b in rib
m is pronounced like m in him
y is pronounced like y in yard
r is pronounced like r in rat
l is pronounced like l in sell
v is pronounced like v in vile
s is pronounced like s in sit
h is pronounced like h in hut
.l is pronounced like l in felt
.m is pronounced like ng in sing

The vowels e and o are always long, except when followed by a double consonant; e.g. ettha, o.t.tha.

The fifth consonant of each group is called a nasal.

There is no difference between the pronunciation of `n and .m. The former never stands at the end, but is always followed by a consonant of its group.

The dentals t and d are pronounced with the tip of the tongue placed against the front upper teeth.

The aspirates kh, gh, .th, .dh, th, dh, ph, bh, are pronounced with h sound immediately following; e.g., in blockhead, pighead, cat-head, log-head, etc., where the h in each is combined with the preceding consonant in pronunciation.

[David N. Snyder]

The Pali alphabet is in this order:

A, Ā, I, Ī, U, Ū, E, O, K, Kh, G, Gh, C, Ch, J, Jh, Ñ, Ṭ, Ḍ, T, Th, D, Dh, N, P, Ph, B, Bh, M, Y, R, L, V, S, H

[David N. Snyder]

Vedanā

'feeling', sensation, is the 2nd of the 5 groups of existence see: khandha. According to its nature, it may be divided into 5 classes: 1 bodily pleasant feeling kāyikā sukhā-vedanā = sukha 2 bodily painful feeling kāyikā dukkhā-vedanā = dukkhā 3 mentally pleasant feeling cetasikā sukhā-vedanā = somanassa 4 mentally painful feeling cetasikā dukkhā-vedanā = domanassa 5 indifferent or neutral adukkha-m-asukhā vedanā = upekkha.

With regard to the 6 senses, one distinguishes 6 kinds of feeling: feeling associated with seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, bodily contact and mental contact. The textual wording of it is 'feeling arisen through visual contact' cakkhu-samphassajā vedanā a href=dic2-abbrev.htm#S. see: XXII, 55; D. 22, etc.

Feeling is one of the 7 mental properties inseparably associated with all consciousness whatever, see: nāma In the formula of the dependent origination paticcasamuppāda, feeling is the condition for the arising of craving tanhā The above-mentioned 5 kinds of feeling are enumerated amongst the 22 abilities indriya. - See M. 59; Contemplation of Feeling Vedanā Samyutta, by Nyanaponika Thera WHEEL 303/304.

[Anicca]

To those multi-linguals - PLEASE help!
For us 'not so' linguals (in particular us yanks in America):

Vedanā - feeling, sensation

Pronounced: way-dun-NAH

Any corrections?

[Anicca]

The following verses, in Pali, relate to the nine intrinsic virtues of the Buddha which Buddhist devotees recite when they pay homage to the Buddha:-

Iti pi so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsaṃbuddho vijjācaraṇasaṃpanno sugato lokavidū anuttarapurisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā ti.

Review the pronounciation and correct please:

Iti pi so
It-tee pee so

bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsaṃbuddho
pah-guh-wah are-hum sum-mah-sum-poot-toe

vijjācaraṇasaṃpanno
wee-jaw-char-ana-sum-pah-no

sugato
sue-got-toe

lokavidū
low-kah-wee-due

anuttarapurisadammasārathī
ana-tara-pure-ree-suh-tom-mah-sara-thee

satthā devamanussānaṃ
sath-thaw day-wah-mon-new-saw-num

buddho bhagavā ti
poo-toe pah-guh-wah tee

Dashes kind-duh (kind of) run together -- Is this helpful? How can this be improved? Could someone add spaces for timing - and add capitals for accents? I think getting all the hi-mid-lo 'tones' could be a real problem... Is this even feasible?

[David N. Snyder]

To those multi-linguals - PLEASE help!
For us 'not so' linguals (in particular us yanks in America):

Vedanā - feeling, sensation

Pronounced: way-dun-NAH

Any corrections?

No, that looks good. way-dun-nah or vay-dun-nah

[Anicca]

devamanussānaṃ
day-wah-mon-new-saw-num
would be better:
day-wah-mah-new-saw-num
?

buddho
poo-toe or poot-toe?
Maybe like Winnie the Pooh - pooh-toe?

Once we get some 'standards' it can become much easier to 'read' and 'write'.

Looks sacrilegious! (if Buddhism were a religion! )

[David N. Snyder]

bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsaṃbuddho
pah-guh-wah are-hum sum-mah-sum-poot-toe

b = b as in bat; not p

[Anicca]

b = b as in bat; not p

Gotcha! i've got a Thai friend that uses the Thai throaty 'ph' for 'bh' and to me his 'b' sounds like a 'p'.

bhagavā - buddho
bah-guh-wah and boo-toe works?