s. a^sava.
”volition”, will, is one of the seven mental factors (cetasika, q.v.) inseparably bound up with all consciousness, namely sensorial or mental impression (phassa), feeling (vedana^), perception (san~n~a^), volition (cetana^), concentration (sama^dhi), vitality (ji^vita), advertence (manasika^ra). Cf. Tab. II, III.
With regard to karmical volition (i.e. wholesome or unwholesome karma) it is said in A. VI, 13: "Volition is action (karma), thus I say, o monks; for as soon as volition arises, one does the action, be it by body, speech or mind." For details, s. paticca-samuppa^da (10), karma.
Charity == 布施
Or almsgiving, the first Paramita. There are three kinds of charity in terms of goods, doctrines (Dharma) and courage (fearlessness). Out of the three, the merits and virtues of doctrines charity is the most surpassing. Charity done for no reward here and hereafter is called pure or unsullied, while the sullied charity is done for the purpose of personal benefits. In Buddhism, the merits and virtues of pure charity is the best.
ma^na (q.v.); further s. samyojana.
effort of: s. padha^na.
image (during concentration): s. nimitta, kasina, sama^dhi.
tanha^ (q.v.), ra^ga (q.v.); further s. múla.
the: sankhata (q.v.).
(in morality, wisdom, etc.): s. ha^na-bha^giya-si^la. - Liable to °, pariha^na-dhamma (q.v.).
mental: s. cetasika. - F. of absorption, s. jha^na - F. of enlightenment, s. bojjhanga.
magga, Atthangika: the ”eightfold wrong path”, i.e. (1) wrong view (miccha^-ditthi), (2) wrong thought (miccha^-sankappa), (3) wrong speech (miccha^-va^ca^), (4) wrong bodily action (miccha^-kammanta), (5) wrong livelihood (miccha^-a^ji^va), (6) wrong effort (miccha^-va^ya^ma), (7) wrong mindfulness (miccha^-sati), (8) wrong concentration (miccha^-sama^dhi). Just as the Eightfold Right Path (samma^-magga), so also here the 8 links are included in the group of mental formations (sankha^ra-kkhandha; s. khandha). The links 2, 6, 7, 8, are inseparably bound up with every karmically-unwholesome state of consciousness. Often are also present 3, 4, or 5, sometimes link 1.
ditthi, -sankappa, -va^ca etc.: s. foll.
s. pa^tiha^riya.
This term occurs often in the old sutta texts in such expressions as: ”ko hetu, ko paccayo”, ”yam yad eva paccayam paticca uppajjati vin~n~a^nam”, etc., or as abl. adverb in ”avijja^paccaya^ sankha^ra^”. All the 24 paccaya are for the first time enumerated, explained and applied to the phenomena of existence in the Abh. Canon (Patth). Of these 24 paccaya, 5 are already mentioned in Pts.M. (II, 49-54, 59f., 72-77), namely, sahaja^ta-, an~n~aman~n~a-, nissaya-, sampayutta-, vippayutta-paccaya.
1. Hetu is already used in the sutta texts as ”condition” in a general and indefinite way, as a synonym of paccaya. In the sense of kusala and akusala roots (múla; s. M. 9), however, it is only found in the Abh. Canon and Com.
2. a^rammana has in the ”sutta texts only the meaning of ”foundation”, or ”basis”, or ”dependent on”, e.g. M. 21: ”tada^rammanan~ca sabbalokam metta^sahagatena cetasa^ pharitva^....” or D.33; S.XXII.53: ”vin~n~a^nam ... rúpa^rammanam ... vedana^ram-manam....” As term for the 6 objects, rúpa^rammana, sadda^rammana, etc.,
it is first used in the Abh. Canon, though the teaching of dependency of the 6 kinds of vin~n~a^na on the 6 sense-objects is an integral part of the suttas. Cf. e.g. M.38: ”cakkhun~ca paticca rúpe ca uppajjati vin~n~a^nam sotan~ca paticca sadde ca ...” etc.
3. Adhipati, as a philosophical term, occurs for the first time in the Abh. Canon (esp. Patth.). The 4 adhipati are in the suttas called iddhipa^da (e.g. S. LI. 11). In the old sutta texts, 3 adhipateyya are however mentioned: atta-, loka-, dhamma- (A. III, 38).
4.& 5. Anantara- and samanantara-paccaya occur, as paccaya, for the first time in the Abh. Canon (esp. Patth.). In a veiled form, however, we find the first term in the old sutta texts (e.g. Ratana Sutta in Khp. and Sn.): ”sama^dhim a^nantarikan~n~ama^hu”: the concentration (associated with the arahatta-magga), which is called the ”immediate” condition (for arahatta-phala).
6.& 7. Sahaja^ta and an~n~aman~n~a-paccaya. Though these terms, as such, are not found in the older sutta texts, still the teaching of the conascent and mutual conditionedness of the 4 mental groups (vedana^, san~n~a^, sankha^ra, vin~n~a^na) is taught in the old texts, e.g. M. 28, 43; S. XXII, etc.
8. Nissaya-paccaya is mentioned in Pts; s. first paragraph of this article, above.
9. Upanissaya-paccaya. Though this name is not found in the suttas, the teaching expressed thereby is, however, frequently met with there, sometimes even in the form of upanisa^ (apparently a contraction of upanissaya), e.g. S. XII, 23: ”Yam pi”ssa tam bhikkhave khayasmim khaye n~a^nam, tam sa-upanisam vada^mi, no anupanisam ”. The terms pakati-, a^rammana- and anantara-upanissaya are later developments of the Abh. Com.
All the remaining terms are met with only in the Abh. literature though the substance is, perhaps in all cases, already dealt with in the old sutta texts.
”condition”, is something on which something else, the so-called ”conditioned thing”, is dependent, and without which the latter cannot be. Manifold are the ways in which one thing, or one occurrence, may be the condition for some other thing, or occurrence. In the Pattha^na, the last book of the Abhidhamma Pitaka (comprising 6 large vols. in the Siamese edition), these 24 modes of conditionality are enumerated and explained, and then applied to all conceivable mental and physical phenomena and occurrences, and thus their conditioned nature is demonstrated.
The first two volumes of the Pattha^na have been translated into English by the Venerable U Na^rada (Múlapattha^na Sayadaw) of Burma, under the title Conditional Relations (Published by the Pa^li Text Society, London 1969, 1981). For a synopsis of this work, see Guide VII.
The 24 modes of conditionality are:
1. Root condition : hetu paccaya
2. Object " : a^rammana "
3. Predominance " : adhipati "
4. Priority " : anantara "
5. Contiguity " : samanantara "
6. Co-nascence " : sahaja^ta "
7. Mutuality " : an~n~aman~n~a "
8. Support " : nissaya "
9. Decisive Support " : upanissaya "
10. Pre-nascene " : pureja^ta "
11. Post-nascene " : paccha^ja^ta "
12. Repitition " : a^sevana "
13. Karma " : kamma "
14. Karma-result " : vipa^ka "
15. Nutriment " : a^ha^ra "
16. Faculty " : indriya "
17. Jha^na " : jha^na "
18. Path " : magga "
19. Associaton " : sampayutta "
20. Dissociation " : vippayutta "
21. Presence " : atthi "
22. Absence " : natthi "
23. Disappearance " : vigata "
24. Non-disappearance " : avigata "
(1) Root-condition (hetu-paccaya) is that condition that resembles the root of a tree. Just as a tree rests on its root, and remains alive only as long as its root is not destroyed, similarly all karmically wholesome and unwholesome mental states are entirely dependent on the simultaneity and presence of their respective roots, i.e, of greed (lobha), hate (dosa), delusion (moha), or greedlessness (alobha), hatelessness (adosa), undeludedness (amoha). For the definition of these 6 roots, s. múla.
"The roots are a condition by way of root for the (mental) phenomena associated with a root, and for the corporeal phenomena produced thereby (e.g. for bodily expression)" (Patth).
(2) Object-condition (a^rammana-paccaya) is called something which, as object, forms the condition for consciousness and mental phenomena. Thus, the physical object of sight consisting in colour and light (”light-wave”), is the necessary condition and the sine qua non for the arising of eye-consciousness (cakkhu-vin~n~a^na), etc.; sound (”sound wave”) for ear-consciousness (sota^-vin~n~a^na), etc.; further, any object arising in the mind is the condition for mind-consciousness (mano-vin~n~a^na). The mind-object may be anything whatever, corporeal or mental, past, present or future, real or imaginary.
(3) Predominance-condition (adhipati-paccaya) is the term for 4 things, on the preponderance and predominance of which are dependent the mental phenomena associated with them, namely: concentrated intention (chanda, q.v.), energy (viriya, q.v.), consciousness (citta) and investigation (vi^mamsa^). In one and the same state of consciousness, however, only one of these 4 phenomena can be predominant at a time."Whenever such phenomena as consciousness and mental concomitants are arising by giving preponderance to one of these 4 things, then this phenomenon is for the other phenomena a condition by way of predominance" (Patth.). Cf. iddhi-pa^da.
(4-5) Proximity and contiguity (or immediacy)-condition (anantara and samanantara-paccaya) - both being identical - refer to any state of consciousness and mental phenomena associated with them, which are the conditions for the immediately following stage in the process of consciousness. For example, in the visual process, eye-consciousness is for the immediately following mindelement - performing the function of receiving the visible object - a condition by way of contiguity; and so is this mind-element for the next following mind-consciousness element, performing the function of investigating the object, etc. Cf. vin~n~a^na-kicca.
(6) Co-nascence condjtion (sahaja^ta-paccaya), i.e. condition by way of simultaneous arising, is a phenomenon that for another one forms, a condition in such a way that, simultaneously with its arising, also the other thing must arise. Thus, for instance, in one and the same moment each of the 4 mental groups (feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness) is for the 3 other groups a condition by way of co-nascence or co-arising; or again each of the 4 physical elements (solid, liquid, heat, motion) is such a condition for the other 3 elements. Only at the moment of conception in the mother”s womb does corporeality (physical base of mind) serve for the 4 mental groups as a condition by way of conascence.
(7) Condition by way of mutuality (an~n~a^man~n~a-paccaya). All the just mentioned associated and co-nascent mental phenomena, as well as the 4 physical elements, are, of course, at the same time also conditioned by way of mutuality, "just like three sticks propped up one by another." The 4 mental groups are one for another a condition by way of mutuality. So also are the 4 elements, and also mentality and corporeality at the moment of conception.
(8) Support-condition (nissaya-paccaya). This condition refers either to a pre-nascent (s. 10) or co-nascent (s. 6) phenomenon which is aiding other phenomena in the manner of a foundation or base, just as the trees have the earth as their foundation, or as the oil-painting rests on the canvas. In this way, the 5 sense-organs and the physical base of the mind are for the corresponding 6 kinds of consciousness a prenascent, i.e. previously arisen, condition by way of support. Further all co-nascent (s. 6) phenomena are mutually (s. 7) conditioned by each other by way of support.
(9) Decisive-support (or inducement) condition (upanissaya-paccaya) is threefold, namely (a) by way of object (a^rammanúpanissaya-paccaya), (b) by way of proximity (anantarúpanissaya), (c) natural decisive support (pakatupanissaya). These conditions act as strong inducement or cogent reason.
(a) Anything past, present or future, corporeal or mental, real or imaginary, may, as object of our thinking, become a decisive support, or strong inducement, to moral, immoral or karmically neutral states of mind. Evil things, by wrong thinking about them, become an inducement to immoral life; by right thinking, an inducement to moral life. But good things may be an inducement not only to similarly good things, but also to bad things, such as self-conceit, vanity, envy, etc.
(b;) is identical with proximity condition (No. 4).
(c) Faith, virtue, etc., produced in one”s own mind, or the influence of climate, food, etc., on one”s body and mind, may act as natural and decisive support-conditions. Faith may be a direct and natural inducement to charity, virtue to mental training, etc.; greed to theft, hate to murder; unsuitable food and climate to ill-health; friends to spiritual progress or deterioration.
(10) Pre-nascence-condition (pureja^ta-paccaya) refers to something previously arisen, which forms a base for something arising later on. For example, the 5 physical sense-organs and the physical base of mind, having already arisen at the time of birth, form the condition for the consciousness arising later, and for the mental phenomena associated therewith.
(11) Post-nascence-condition (paccha^-ja^ta-paccaya) refers to consciousness and the phenomena therewith associated, because they are - just as is the feeling of hunger- a necessary condition for the preservation of this already arisen body.
(12) Repetition-condition (a^sevana-paccaya) refers to the karmical consciousness, in which each time the preceding impulsive moments (javana-citta, q.v.) are for all the succeeding ones a condition by way of repetition and frequency, just as in learning by heart, through constant repetition, the later recitation becomes gradually easier and easier.
(13) Karma-condition (kamma-paccaya). The pre-natal karma (i.e karma-volitions, kamma-cetana^, in a previous birth) is the generating condition (cause) of the 5 sense-organs, the fivefold sense-consciousness, and the other karma-produced mental and corporeal phenomena in a later birth. - Karmical volition is also a condition by way of karma for the co-nascent mental phenomena associated therewith, but these phenomena are in no way karma-results.
(14) Karma-result-condition (vipa^ka-paccaya). The karma-resultant 5 kinds of sense-consciousness are a condition by way of karma-result for the co-nascent mental and corporeal phenomena.
(15) Nutriment-condition (a^ha^ra-paccaya). For the 4 nutriments, s. a^ha^ra.
(16) Faculty-condition (indriya-paccaya). This condition applies to 20 faculties (indriya, q.v.), leaving out No. 7 and 8 from the 22 faculties. Of these 20 faculties, the 5 physical sense-organs (1 - 5), in their capacity as faculties, form a condition only for uncorporeal phenomena (eye-consciousness etc.); physical vitality (6) and all the remaining faculties, for the co-nascent mental and corporeal phenomena.
(17) Jha^na-condition (jha^na-paccaya) is a name for the 7 so-called jha^na-factors, as these form a condition to the co-nascent mental and corporeal phenomena, to wit: (1) thought-conception (vitakka), (2) discursive thinking (vica^ra), (3) interest (pi^ti), (4) joy (sukha), (5) sadness (domanassa), (6) indifference (upekkha^), (7) concentration (sama^dhi). (For definition s. Pa^li terms. )
1, 2, 3, 4, 7 are found in 4 classes of greedy consciousness (s. Tab. I. 22-25); 1, 2, 5, 7 in hateful consciousness (ib. 30, 31); 1, 2, 6, 7 in the classes of deluded consciousness (ib. 32, 33).
This condition does not only apply to jha^na alone, but also to the general intensifying (”absorbing”) impact of these 7 factors.
(18) Path-condition (magga-paccaya) refers to the 12 path-factors, as these are for the karmically wholesome and unwholesome mental phenomena associated with them, a way of escape from this or that mental constitution, namely: (1) knowledge (pan~n~a^ = samma^ditthi, right understanding), (2) (right or wrong) thought-conception (vitakka), (3) right speech (samma^-va^ca^), (4) right bodily action (samma^-kammanta), (5) right livelihood (samma^-a^ji^va), (6) (right or wrong) energy (viriya), (7) (right or wrong) mindfulness (sati), (8) (right or wrong) concentration (sama^dhi), (9) wrong views (miccha^ditthi), (10) wrong speech (miccha^-va^ca^), (11) wrong bodily action (miccha^-kammanta), (12) wrong livelihood (miccha^-a^ji^va). Cf. magga.
(19) Association-condition (sampayutta-paccaya) refers to the co-nascent (s. 6) and mutually (s. 7) conditioned 4 mental groups (khandha), "as they aid each other by their being associated, by having a common physical base, a common object, and by their arising and disappearing simultaneously" (Patth. Com.).
(20) Dissociation-condition (vippayutta-paccaya) refers to such phenomena as aid other phenomena by not baving the same physical base (eye, etc.) and objects. Thus corporeal phenomena are for mental phenomena, and conversely, a condition by way of dissociation, whether co-nascent or not.
(2l) Presence-condition (atthi-paccaya) refers to a phenomenon - being pre-nascent or co-nascent - which through its presence is a condition for other phenomena. This condition applies to the conditions Nos. 6, 7, 8, 10, 11.
(22) Absence-condition (natthi-paccaya) refers to consciousness, etc., which has just passed, and which thus forms the necessary condition for the immediately following stage of consciousness by giving it an opportunity to arise. Cf. No. 4.
(23) Disappearance-condition (vigata-paccaya) is identical with No. 22.
(24) Non-disappearance-condition (avigata-paccaya) is identical with No. 21.
These 24 conditions should be known thoroughly for a detailed understanding of that famous formula of the dependent origination (paticcasamuppa^da, q.v.). Cf. Fund. III, Guide p. 117 ff. (App.) .
See The Significance of Dependent Origination, by Nyanatiloka (WHEEL 140).
up robes, the practice of wearing: is one of the ascetic rules of purification (dhutanga, q.v.).
one, the: tatha^gata (q.v.).
Buddhist Dictionary
Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, by NYANATILOKA
Fourth Revised Edition, edited by Nyanaponika
Buddhist Publication Society
P. O. Box 61
54, Sangharaja Mawatha
Kandy, Sri Lanka
First Edition 1952
Second Revised Edition 1956
Third Revised & Enlarged Edition 1972
(Pub. by Frewin & Co., Ltd., Colombo)
Fourth Revised Edition 1980
(Buddhist Publication Society)
Reprinted 1988
1980 by Buddhist
Publication Society
ISBN - 955 - 24 - 0019 - 8
From The Preface To The First Edition
As a first attempt of an authentic dictionary of Buddhist doctrinal terms, used in the Páli Canon and its Commentaries, this present manual will fill a real gap felt by many students of Buddhism. It provides the reader not with a mere superficial enumeration of important Páli terms and their English equivalents, but offers him precise and authentic definitions and explanations of canonical and post-canonical terms and doctrines, based on Sutta, Abhidhamma and Commentaries, and illustrated by numerous quotations taken from these sources, so that, if anyone wishes, he could, by intelligently joining together the different articles, produce without difficulty a complete exposition of the entire teachings of Buddhism.
As already pointed out by the author in the preface to his Guide through the Abhidhamma-Pitaka (Colombo 1938), there are found in the Abhidhamma Canon numerous technical terms not met with in the Sutta Canon; and again other terms are found only in the Commentaries and not in Sutta and Abhidhamma. The author therefore has made a first attempt - without, however, laying any claim to absolute reliability or completeness in this by no means easy undertaking - to indicate in the Appendix all the terms that in the oldest Sutta texts are either not found at all, or at least not in the same form or meaning, and to set forth how far these are deviations from the older texts, or further developments.
In this connection, the author wishes to state that the often quoted Patisambhidá-Magga, as well as Niddesa, Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka, though included in the Khuddaka Nikáya of the Sutta Pitaka, nevertheless bear throughout the character of Commentaries, and though apparently older than the Sutta Commentaries handed down to us in Buddhaghosa”s version, must doubtless belong to a later period of origin than the Abhidhamma Canon.
In rendering the terms into English, I often had to differ considerably from the interpretation of Western scholars, and to introduce quite new words. A great number of such earlier translations must be considered partly as totally incorrect, partly as misleading, or at the very least ambiguous. Incorrect are, for instance, the English renderings of náma-rúpa by ”name and form”; javana (impulsion, i.e. the karmic impulsive moments) by ”apperception”, etc.
The expositions concerning the true nature of the 8-fold Path, the 4 Noble Truths, the paticca-samuppáda and the 5 groups of existence - doctrines which, with regard to their true nature, have been often misunderstood by Western authors - are sure to come to many as a revelation.
On the doctrine of anattá, or ”egolessness”, i.e. the impersonality and emptiness of all phenomena of existence, the author repeatedly felt the necessity of throwing light from every possible point of view, for it is exactly this doctrine which, together with the doctrine of the conditionality of all phenomena of existence, constitutes the very essence of the whole Teaching of the Buddha without which it will be by no means possible to understand it in its true light. Thus the doctrine of impersonality runs like a red thread right through the whole book.
May this little manual provide an ever-helpful companion and vade mecum to all earnest students in their study of the original Buddhist scriptures, and also give to Buddhist authors and lecturers the opportunity of supplementing and deepening their knowledge of the profound teachings of the Buddha!
Should it, for a better understanding, prove necessary to give to certain subjects a more detailed treatment, the carrying out of this task may be reserved for a later edition of this work.
NYANATILOKA
Central Internment Camp
Dehra-Dun, India
28-8-1946
Editor”s Preface To The Third Edition
The present revised and enlarged Third Edition was intended to be issued in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the venerable author”s passing away on 28th May 1957. But due to unavoidable circumstances the publication had to be delayed.
It was the venerable author”s wish to enlarge the first edition of this work, but when a second edition became necessary, he was prevented from expanding it by the illness to which he later succumbed. It rested, therefore, with his pupil, the present editor, to make, within the original scope and character of the work, such additions and revisions as seemed useful.
Over seventy articles have been expanded and partly rewritten; others were slightly revised; more source references were included, and information on literature for further study of the respective subjects was added to some of the articles. But only very few new words have been added (e.g. anupassaná, ánupubbi-kathá, etc.). This restriction was observed because the venerable author himself thought only of ”a more detailed treatment” of existing articles (see Preface to the 1st ed.) as he obviously wished to preserve the original form and character of the book. It was also considered that the adding of more words such as those coined in later commentarial and abhidhammic literature, would be superfluous as in the English language such terms will generally be found only in a few scholarly books and translations which themselves give the explanations needed.
This book is chiefly intended for those who study the Buddhist teachings through the medium of the English language, but wish to familiarize themselves with some of the original Páli terms of doctrinal import. They are in the same position as a student of philosophy or science who has to know the terminology of his field, which for common parlance is mostly not less ”unfamiliar” than are the words of the Páli language found in the Dictionary.
Such acquaintance with the Páli terms of the original texts will also be useful to the student for the purpose of identifying the various renderings of them favored by different translators. It is deplorable that there is a considerable multiplication of new English coining for the same doctrinal term. This great variety of renderings has proved to be confusing to those students of Buddhism who are not familiar with the Páli language. Even at this late stage when many translations of Páli texts are in print, it will be desirable if, for the sake of uniformity, translators forgo their preference for their own coining, even if they think them better than others. In any case, doctrinal terms have to be known by definition, just as in the case of philosophical and technical terms in a Western language.
As a small help in the situation described, a number of alternative renderings used by other translators have been included in some articles of this edition. In a very few cases, unacceptable though familiar renderings have been bracketed. The Venerable Nyanatiloka”s own preferences have been placed in inverted commas. Generally it may be said that his renderings, based on his comprehensive knowledge of texts and doctrine, are very sound and adequate. Only in a very few cases has the editor changed the author”s preferred rendering e.g.”canker” for ásava (instead of ”bias”), ”right view” for sammá-ditthi (instead of ”right understanding”). The latter change was made for the sake of economizing with the few English equivalents for the numerous Páli synonyms for ”knowing”, etc.; and also to avoid having to render the opposite term, micchá-ditthi, by ”wrong understanding”.
This Dictionary appeared also in the author”s own German version (published by Verlag Christiani, Konstanz, Germany) and in a French translation made by the late Mme Suzanne Karpeles (published by ”Adyar”, Paris, 1961).
NYANAPONIKA
Kandy, Ceylon
February 1970
Only few and minor revisions have been made to the text of the Fourth Edition which is now issued by the Buddhist Publication Society.
NYANAPONIKA
Kandy, Sri Lanka
March 1980