Are These Pali Words...?

Explore the ancient language of the Tipitaka and Theravāda commentaries
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theravada_guy
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Are These Pali Words...?

Post by theravada_guy »

Greetings all,

Is 'wat' Pali for 'temple', and 'vihara' Pali for monastery? I hear these terms and then those are the translations, but I don't know which language they are. If they're not Pali, are they common place throughout the Theravada world?
With mettā,

TG
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retrofuturist
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

I believe Vihara is Pali for residency or abode, and that Wat is a Thai word.

Both words and their intended meanings are well known as far as I can tell.

Metta,
Retro. :)
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by Paññāsikhara »

"wat" is Thai I think, though "vihara" is a term in many Indic dialects, including what we now call "Pali".
It come from the verb "to dwell" or "to abide", viharati.
Originally, a vihara was a dwelling, including the physical sense, eg. a hut or the like, but also the more abstract types of meditative dwelling, eg. sunnata vihara, "dwelling in emptiness".
Later, it becomes more and more used as the physical dwelling, particularly for any sort of renunciants (not just meditators), and hence "monastery" in English.
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theravada_guy
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by theravada_guy »

Okay, thanks Retro.

Edit-Also thank you Venerable. I think you posted your reply as I was posting the thanks to Retro, hence I didn't see it. Didn't mean to snub you. :smile:
With mettā,

TG
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by jcsuperstar »

Wat is Thai for temple, monastery etc. it also means measure but i dont think there is a connection
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DNS
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by DNS »

Vihāra: 'abode' There are 3 abodes: the divine abode dibba-vihāra the divine abode Brahma Viharas, the noble abode ariya-vihāra See A. III, 63; D. 33.

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

It can also refer to a monastery or temple, the abode for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.
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theravada_guy
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by theravada_guy »

Thanks to everyone who helped me. I think it's clear enough for me now. :anjali:
With mettā,

TG
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by JackV »

I'm not sure if Wat is specifically only Thai as I know the Cambodians also use the term Wat (see Ankor Wat) and obviously Khymer is not Thai
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Re: Are These Pali Words...?

Post by DNS »

JackV wrote:I'm not sure if Wat is specifically only Thai as I know the Cambodians also use the term Wat (see Ankor Wat) and obviously Khymer is not Thai
From wikipedia:
A wat (derived from the Sanskrit word वात Vattaka) is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" (Khmer: វត្ត, Thai: วัด, sometimes rendered "vat" when referring to Laos) means "school."
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