Glossary
L
earning about another vision oflife, such as that of Buddhists, requires
learning some of the language in which the vision is conceptualized.
Often our English equivalents for specific terms carry connotations un-
warranted for a different worldview. Thus, it is necessary to view the terms in
their context in order to understand them properly. For this reason, the fol-
lowing glossary is an interlocking one. Many of the key terms are defined
-using terms defined elsewhere in the glossary. If not already known, these
other terms-which are italicized-should be consulted as well. Numbers
given in brackets indicate sections of the text that provide further background
for the term in question.
Unless otherwise noted, all foreign-language terms are in Sanskrit. When
the Pali form of the term is sufficiently different from the Sanskrit as to cause
possible confusion, the Pali form follows in parentheses. A word immediately
following in quotation marks is the literal English meaning of the term, but
not necessarily a good translation equivalent. Generally, the first word or
phrase that follows the literal equivalent is the translation equivalent chosen
for this text.
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