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| Term | Description |
| ajahn (Thai) | Teacher. Often used as the title of the senior monk or monks at a monastery |
| anagarika | Homeless one. An anagarika, still technically a lay person |
| anapanasati | A widely used meditation technique |
| anatta | Impersonal, not self, without individual essence |
| anicca | Impermanent, transitory |
| arahant | An enlightened being, free from all delusion |
| bhikkhu | Alms mendicant; the term for a monk, who lives on alms and abides by training precepts which defines a life of renunciation and simplicity |
| bodhisattva | A term from Mahayana Buddhism, referring to one who delays complete enlightenment for the sake of helping other beings reach enlightenment first |
| dana | Generosity; hence, often used to refer to an offering, especially food |
| Dhamma | This word is used in several ways. It can refer to the Buddha's Teaching, as contained in the scriptures; to the Ultimate Truth, towards which the teaching points; and to a discrete moment of life seen as it really is |
| dhutanga (Thai: tudong) | Special strict monastic observances. Dhutanga bhikkhus are noted for their diligence and impeccability. In Thailand, such monks often undertake the mendicant's wandering practice of the Buddha's time-hence the phrase, to wander (or go) tudong |
| dukkha | Imperfect, unsatisfying, hard to bear |
| kamma | Action or cause which is created or recreated by habitual impulse volitions, natural energies. In popular usage, it often includes the sense of the result or effect of the action, although the proper term for this is vipaka (karma) |
| kuti | Hut; typical abode of a forest monastery bhikkhu |
| metta | Loving-kindness, goodwill, friendliness |
| mudita | Happiness at another's good fortune; sympathetic joy |
| Nibbana | Freedom from attachments The basis for the enlightened vision of things as they are (Nirvana) |
| panna | Discriminative wisdom |
| pindapada (pindabaht) | Alms food; or the alms round on which the food is received |
| Rains | The monsoon-season retreat period. A bhikkhu's seniority is determined by the number of Rains he has spent in the order |
| samana | One who has entered the holy life; a religious; originally, a religious recluse or wanderer |
| samanera | Whereas a bhikkhu is a fully ordained monk who follows 227 precepts. a samanera is a 10- precept novice |
| samsara | The unenlightened, unsatisfactory experience of life; the world as conditioned by ignorance |
| Sangha | The community of those who practice the Buddha's Way. Often more specifically, those who have formally committed themselves to the lifestyle of a mendicant monk or nun |
| sankhara | Conditions, i. e. the sum of the properties making up existence |
| sila | Moral virtue; also used to refer to the precepts of moral conduct |
| sima | A bounded area, within which official Sangha acts may take place. The main use of a sima is for upasampada, the ceremony of acceptance into the Bhikkhu- Sangha (ordination) |
| sotapanna | The first of the four stages of the realisation of liberation |
| tanha | Desire, craving |
| upajjhaya | A preceptor, i.e. a bhikkhu of more then ten Rains who has the authority to confer full monastic ordination |
| upasampada | Acceptance into the order of bhikkhus (ordination.) This must take place within a prescribed boundary called a sima |
| vassa | The Rains retreat period. As established by the Budda, it occurs during the Asian monsoon season |
| vibhava-tanha | Desire to get rid of something; annihilationism |
| vihara | A residence; often used as the name for a small monastery |
| vinaya | The monastic discipline, or the scriptural collection of its rules and commentaries. |
| vipaka | The effect or result of kamma (the cause or action) |
| wat pah | Forest monastery (often a place of dhutanga observance |
Copyright Spiritual Journey 2007