community in the Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Chah
Some of the Pali and foreign terms used in the Forest Sangha Newsletter
Please note: due to typographical limitations, Pali diacritics have been omitted throughout the newsletter. Below are brief descriptions of how these words are being used in the Forest Sangha Newsletter, intended for reference while reading FSN articles. Note that they are not necessarily full definitions; rather they describe the word’s usage in this particular context. Because of their common occurrence and familiarity to many readers, they have generally not been italicized.
For a more complete glossary of Pali terms including useful references,
John Bullit’s collection on accesstoinsight.org is recommended:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/
Ajahn : (Thai) Senior monk or nun; literally ‘teacher’. Used for those with ten vassas or more, regardless of their role in the community.
anagarika: A male or female postulant in the preliminary noviciate stage.
anumodana: An expression of appreciative acknowledgment of goodness performed.
bhikkhu : A Buddhist monk.
bhikkhuni (Pali)/ bhikshuni (Sanskrit): A Buddhist nun.
bodhisatta : "A being (striving) for Awakening"; the term used to describe the Buddha before he became Buddha.
Buddha : Awakened One; the perfectly enlightened historical teacher of the Dhamma.
dana : Giving, generosity; offering, alms.
Dhamma : The Truth; the teaching of the Buddha.
Dhammacakka : "Dhamma-wheel"; the symbol of a wheel representing the Buddha’s teaching.
dukkha (dukkha): Stress; suffering; pain; distress; discontent.
garudhammas: Eight ' vows of respect' pertaining to the Bhikkhu Sangha.
Kathina : A requisites-offering ceremony held at a monastery after the vassa has been completed.An almsgiving ceremony at the end of the vassa
kuti : A hut, a small dwelling for meditation, usually in the forest.
Luang Por : (Thai) A title of affectionate respect (lit. "Venerable Father")
maechee: (Thai) An eight-precept nun in Thailand.
metta : loving-kindness
Mahayana: The school of Buddhism mainly practised in Tibet and E.Asia.
pabbajja : "Going forth"– ordination into the mendicant life.
Patimokkha : The basic code of discipline the Buddha established for his ordained disciples.
puja : devotional observances such as chanting and offering incense.
samana: One who has entered the Holy lif; religious recluse or wanderer.
samsara: The 'endless round' of birth and death.
samanera : A novice monk.
Sangha : The community of ordained Buddhist monks and nuns.
sasana: The dispensation of the Buddha's teaching.
siladhara : A Buddhist nun from the community of Luang Por Sumedho.
sutta : A discourse of the Buddha.
Tan: (Thai) A common title of respect.
thera : A bhikkhu of ten or more vassas.
Theravada : The school of Buddhism mainly practised in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos and Cambodia.
tudong : austere contemplative wandering, relying on faith and meditation
theri: A Siladhara of ten or more vassas.
upasaka : A male lay-follower of the Buddha
upasampada: "Acceptance": ordination as a bhikkhu.
upasika : A female lay-follower of the Buddha.
vassa: The summer "Rains" retreat; a mark of how many years ("vassas") a monk or nun has been in robes.
vihara : A monastic dwelling.
Vinaya : The monastic discipline.