Glossary of Technical Terms and Names
Abhidharma/Abhidhamma 'higher teaching'; one of the three main divi-
sions of the ancient Buddhist canon
Abhidharmika/Abhidhammika a specialist in Abhidharma
Agama a division of the Siitra Pitaka section of the ancient Buddhist
canon(= Nikaya)
aggregate (skandha/khandha) the five aggregates (physical form, feel-
ing, recognition, other mental forces, consciousness) that together con-
stitute a living being
akusala/akusala bad, unskilful, unwholesome
Ananda one of the Buddha's principal disciples; his attendant
anatman/anatta 'not self'; the Buddhist depial of a permanent and sub-
stantial self
arhat/arahat an awakened Buddhist saint; cf. srtivaka
Asanga c-4th-century CE Indian Buddhist thinker associated with the
Yogacara school of thought
Asoka/Asoka Indian emperor who reigned c.268-232 BCE and was a
patron of Buddhism
iitman/atta 'self'
afthakathii a primary Pali commentary to a text of the Buddhist canon
Bhagavat 'the Blessed One', 'the Lord'; an epithet of the Buddha
bhii~ya an exegetical commentary
bhiivana '(mentaVspiritual) development'; Buddhist meditation
bhik~u/bhikkhu a Buddhist monk
bhik~u~i/bhikkhuni a Buddhist nun
bodhisattva/bodhisatta one on the path to Buddhahood
Brahmii a class of high gods
Buddhaghosa sth-century CE compiler and author of Pali commentarial
and exegetical works associated with the Theravada school
dependent arising (pratityasamutpiida/paficcasamuppiida) the Bud-
dhist doctrine of causality
deva a god
Dharma/Dhamma the underlying law of reality; the teaching of the
Buddha ·
dharmas/dhammas the mental and physical phenomena, or the teach-
ings, that constitute Dharma