Pali word of the day

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Sekha
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Re: Pali word of the day

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David N. Snyder wrote:
Dukkhanirodha wrote:Araham
The Buddha is depicted as an Arahant in five aspects, namely :
(a) He has discarded all defilements;
(b) He has suppressed all the enemies connected with the eradication of defilements;
(c) He destroyed the spokes of the wheel of existence
(d) He is worthy of being given offerings and paid homage;
Interesting that 'araham' is not listed in Maha Thera Nyanatiloka's Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, for a pretty important word.
it is probably listed as 'arahat'

the '-ṃ' is certainly an ending due to the declension case, which means it is the same word used in a different grammatical context
:anjali:
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Dukkhanirodha wrote: it is probably listed as 'arahat'
the '-ṃ' is certainly an ending due to the declension case, which means it is the same word used in a different grammatical context
:anjali:
Ah, yes, of course. Thanks. For some reason I was thinking of it as another word, but it is just a variation of Arahant.
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Lokavidu

The term Lokovidu is applied to the Buddha as the one with exquisite knowledge of the world. The Master had experienced, known and penetrated into all aspects of worldly life physical as well as spiritual. He was the first to make the observation that there were thousands of world systems in the universe. He was the first to declare that the world was nothing but conceptual. In His words, it is regarded pointless to speculate on the origin and the end of the world or universe. He was of the view that the origin of the world, its cessation and the path to the cessation thereof is to be found within the fathom long body-the human being with its perceptions and consciousness.




Anuttaro Purisa-Damma-Sarathi

Anuttaro means matchless and unsurpassed. Purisadamma refers to individuals to whom the gift of the Dhamma is to be endowed whereas Sarathi means a leader. These three terms taken together imply an incomparable leader capable of bringing wayward men to the path of righteousness. Amongst those who were persuaded to follow the path of the Dhamma and to shun evil were notorious murderers like Angulimala, Alawaka and Nalagiri, hundreds of robbers, cannibals and recalcitrants such as Saccake. All of them were brought into the fold of the Dhamma, and some even attained sainthood within their life-time. Even Devadatta, the arch-enemy of the Buddha, was rehabilitated by the Buddha through His great compassion.


by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Thank you David & Dukkhanirodha, for your selfless efforts here. Many of us have been stopping by and benefiting, i think, without posting.
David N. Snyder wrote:mitta

  ...friend, companion
  Kalyāna Mitta – Spiritual friends and friendship.

     The purpose of friendship is to grow mutually, to improve spir-
  ituality in faith (saddhà), generosity (càga), virtue (sãla), know-
  ledge and wisdom (paññà).
     It is the forerunner of goodness in life such as happiness,
  wealth, opportunity, etc. It is the supporting condition for the
  growth of all goodness.
     A real friend is a friend who helps when in need, who shares
  the same weal and woes with you, who gives good counsel and
  who sympathizes.
     An enemy disguised as a friend is one who associates for gain
  (a taker), who render lips services (a talker), who flatters (a flat-
  terer) and who brings ruin to your wealth (a spender).
     The qualities of a good friend are, one who...
  1. gives what is hard to give (dàna)
  2. does what is hard to do
  3. hears what is hard to hear or bear
  4. confesses (shares) his, or her, own secret with you
  5. keeps others’ secrets
  6. in need, forsakes one not
  7. despises one not when one is ruined.
                                 (from A Pali Word a Day, BuddhaNet pdf)
:thumbsup:
"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Sattha Deva-Manussanam

The translation of this term is that the Buddha was a Teacher of devas and men. It is to be noted that 'devas' as used in this context refers to beings who, by their own good Karma, have evolved beyond the human stage which is not regarded as the final stage of biological evolution. Devas in the Buddhist context have no connection with ancient traditional theological myths. The Buddha was a remarkable Teacher who was flexible and capable of devising diverse techniques suited to the calibre and different mentalities of devas and human beings. He instructed everyone to lead a righteous way of life. The Buddha was indeed a universal Teacher.




Buddho

This particular epithet, Buddho, would appear to be a repetition of the second in this category, although it has its own connotation. Buddho means that the Master, being omniscient, possessed extraordinary powers of being able to convince others of His great discovery through His exquisite art of teaching others His Dhamma. His techniques were unsurpassed by any other Teacher. The term Buddho has its secondary meaning translated as 'Awakened' since the ordinary state of man is perpetually in a state of stupor. The Buddha was the first to be 'awakened' and to shake off this state of stupor. Subsequently He convinced others to be awake and to steer clear from the state of lethargic samsaric sleep or stupor.




Bhagava

Of all the terms used to describe the Buddha, the words ‘Buddho’ and ‘Bhagava’, used separately or together as ‘Buddho Bhagava’ meaning the ‘Blessed One’ are most popular and commonly used.

Deserving awe and veneration, Blessed is His name. Therefore, the word ‘Bhagava’ had various meanings as suggested by some commentators. The Buddha was termed ‘Bhagava’ or the ‘Blessed One’ because He was the happiest and most fortunate amongst mankind for having managed to conquer all evils, for expounding the highest Dhamma and for being endowed with supernormal and superhuman intellectual faculties.

These nine great qualities of the Buddha could serve as a subject for meditation if the various interpretations of each particular term are carefully scrutinized and their real intent and the essence grasped and absorbed. Mere utterance of the passage, without its full comprehension could not be considered effective even as a devotional tract. The best method would be to recite repeatedly and at the same time comprehend the full meaning of these utterances. Whilst so doing, one should also concentrate on these sterling qualities as true noble virtues to be emulated by all followers of the Buddha.
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Here is probably the most famous phrase in chant form for Theravada Buddhists:

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

(usually recited three times)

It is one of the only chants that I know of that you see in the Pali Canon where lay people are reported chanting this to the Buddha in his presence.
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Namo: Homage, Honour
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Tassa: to him
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Bhagavato: the worthy one
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Arahato: the one without any defilements
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Re: Pali word of the day

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SammaSambuddhassa: the fully self enlightened
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Re: Pali word of the day

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Tanhā

lit. 'thirst': 'craving', is the chief root of suffering, and of the ever-continuing cycle of rebirths.;What, o Bhikkhus, is the origin of suffering? It is that craving which gives rise to ever-fresh rebirth and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now there, finds ever fresh delight. It is the sensual craving kāma-tanhā the craving for existence bhava-tanhā the craving for non-existence vibhava-tanhā D. 22. T. is the 8th link in the formula of the dependent origination.

Corresponding to the 6 sense-objects, there are 6 kinds of craving craving for visible objects, for sounds, odours, tastes, bodily contacts, mental contacts rūpa-, sadda-, gandha-, rasa-, photthabba-, dhamma-tanhā M. 9; D. 15

Corresponding to the 3-fold existence, there are 3 kinds: craving for sensual existence kāma-tanhā for fine-material existence rūpa-tanhā for immaterial existence arūpa-tanhā D. 33

There are 18 'thought-channels of craving' tanhā-vicarita induced internally, and 18 induced externally; and as occurring in past, present and future, they total 108; see A. IV, 199; Vibh., Ch. 17 Khuddakavatthu-Vibhanga.

According to the dependent origination, craving is conditioned by feeling; on this see D. 22 section on the 2nd Truth.

Of craving for existence bhava-tanhā it is said A. X, 62:;No first beginning of the craving for existence can be perceived, o Bhikkhus, before which it was not and after which it came to be. But it can he perceived that craving for existence has its specific condition. I say, o Bhikkhus, that also craving for existence has its condition that feeds it sāharam and is not without it. And what is it? 'Ignorance', one has to reply.; - Craving for existence and ignorance are called;the outstanding causes that lead to happy and unhappy destinies courses of existence; see: Vis.M XVII, 36-42.

The most frequent synonyms of tanhā are raga and lobha.
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Re: Pali word of the day

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In English we only have one word for 'desire' and this may be one of the reasons that some feel that all desires are bad and that one should not try to achieve anything. But there is a wholesome desire:

Chanda

Zeal, intention, desire, will.

1. As an ethically neutral psychological term, in the sense of 'intention', it is one of those general mental properties taught in the Abhidhamma, the moral quality of which is determined by the character of the intention cetanā associated therewith. The Com. explains it as 'a wish to do' kattu-kamyatā-chanda If intensified, it acts also as a 'predominance condition.'

2. As an evil quality it has the meaning of 'desire', and is frequently coupled with terms for 'sensuality', 'greed', etc., for instance:kāma-cchanda, sense-desire', one of the 5 hindrances see: nīvarana chanda-rāga 'lustful desire' see: kāma It is one of the 4 wrong paths see: agati.

But most commonly used as:

3. As a good quality it is a righteous will or alertness dhamma-chanda and occurs, e.g. in the formula of the 4 right efforts see: padhāna The Bhikkhu rouses his will chandam janeti...; If intensified, it is one of the 4 roads to power see: iddhipāda
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Re: Pali word of the day

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nāma-rūpa

The words for today, since it is being discussed right now in this topic: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4277" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(lit. 'name and form'): 'mind-and-body', mentality and corporeality. It is the 4th link in the dependent origination (s. paticcasamuppāda 3, 4) where it is conditioned by consciousness, and on its part is the condition of the sixfold sense-base. In two texts (D. 14, 15), which contain variations of the dependent origination, the mutual conditioning of consciousness and mind-and-body is described (see also S. XII, 67), and the latter is said to be a condition of sense-impression (phassa); so also in Sn. 872.

The third of the seven purifications (s. visuddhi), the purification of views, is defined in Vis.M. XVIII as the "correct seeing of mind-and-body," and various methods for the discernment of mind-and-body by way of insight-meditation (vipassanā, q.v.) are given there. In this context, 'mind' (nāma) comprises all four mental groups, including consciousness. - See nāma.

In five-group-existence (pañca-vokāra-bhava, q.v.), mind-and body are inseparable and interdependent; and this has been illustrated by comparing them with two sheaves of reeds propped against each other: when one falls the other will fall, too; and with a blind man with stout legs, carrying on his shoulders a lame cripple with keen eye-sight: only by mutual assistance can they move about efficiently (s. Vis.M. XVIII, 32ff). On their mutual dependence, see also paticca-samuppāda (3).

With regard to the impersonality and dependent nature of mind and corporeality it is said:
"Sound is not a thing that dwells inside the conch-shell and comes out from time to time, but due to both, the conch-shell and the man that blows it, sound comes to arise: Just so, due to the presence of vitality, heat and consciousness, this body may execute the acts of going, standing, sitting and lying down, and the 5 sense-organs and the mind may perform their various functions" (D. 23).
"Just as a wooden puppet though unsubstantial, lifeless and inactive may by means of pulling strings be made to move about, stand up, and appear full of life and activity; just so are mind and body, as such, something empty, lifeless and inactive; but by means of their mutual working together, this mental and bodily combination may move about, stand up, and appear full of life and activity."
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Nāma

lit. 'name': 'mind', mentality. This term is generally used as a collective name for the 4 mental groups arūpino khandha viz. feeling vedanā perception saññā mental constructions sankhāra and consciousness viññāna Within the 4th link nāma-rūpa in the formula of the paticcasamuppāda, however, it applies only to kamma-resultant vipāka feeling and perception and a few kamma-resultant mental functions inseparable from any consciousness. As it is said M. 9; D. 15; S. XII, 2:;Feeling vedanā perception saññā, intention cetanā contact phassa mental directing manasikāra : this, o brother, is called mind nāma. With the addition of 2 more mental properties, namely, mental vitality jīvita and concentration samādhi here 'stationary phase of mind' cittatthiti these 7 factors are said in the Abhidhammattha Sangaha to be the inseparable mental properties in any state of consciousness.

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