Glossary
ãcariya: Teacher, mentor; also used as a term of respect when refer-
ring to a senior monk. When capitalized, Ãcariya is the respect-
ful title given to a teacher by his disciples, as in Ãcariya Mun and
Ãcariya Sao.
akãliko: Timeless, not conditioned by time or season; existing beyond time
and space; eternal. Akãliko is a traditional epithet for Dhamma.
Anãgãmï: Non-returner. An Anãgãmï is a person who has abandoned
the five lower fetters that bind the mind to the cycle of rebirth, and
who after death will appear in one of the worlds called the Pure
Abodes, to eventually attain Nibbãna and thus never again to return
to this world.
anattã: Not-self; the truth that all phenomena are devoid of anything
that can be identified as “self”. This means that none of the phys-
ical and mental components of personality (the 5 khandhas) make
up an entity, either individual or collective, nor can a self-entity be
found anywhere within the heart (citta). Therefore, what is experi-
enced as being an abiding self is no more than a phantom personal-
ity born of ignorance and delusion – inherently transient, unstable,
and bound up with suffering.
anicca: The unstable, impermanent, transient nature of all phenomena
in all realms of existence. In other words, all things arise and cease,
are subject to change, and will become otherwise, making them all
inherently unsatisfactory and bound to cause suffering.
appanã: Full-absorption samãdhi. In appanã samãdhi the citta completely
‘converges’ to the very base of samãdhi. Perceptions of body and mind
totally disappear from awareness at that time, leaving only the essen-
tial “knowing nature” of the citta alone on its own. Clear, bright, and
expansive, the citta simply “knows”. There is no object, no dual-
ity, just “knowing”. The previous sense of dividedness is replaced
by a wholly unified mental state, and a feeling of pure and harmo-