11
votes
What is the meaning and origin of “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhasa”?
Namo -- Homage (perhaps from a root meaning to bend)
Tassa -- to him
Bhagavato -- usually translated "blessed one" or "fortunate one"
Arahato -- I'm not sure whether this means ...
- 46.3k
6
votes
Why is the Pali word 'sattānaṃ' in Dependent Origination plural?
why does 'birth' ('jati'), seemingly a singular process, seem to refer to the multiple births of multiple beings into the multiple orders/groups of beings?
jāti is singular in the passage quoted, so ...
- 24.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Is the Sinhalese language very different to Pali?
OP: Is the Sinhalese language very different to Pali?
No, Sinhalese language has many similarities to Pali. Many of the words in Sinhalese language were derived from Pali and Sanskrit.
In the ...
- 1,231
5
votes
Did the Buddha invent any words?
The Buddha invented his own terms and defined them, using everyday words that already existed in the local dialects.
First, discussion on the language he used, is found in "The Authenticity of ...
- 37.4k
4
votes
Accepted
The pali word for this concept
A Pali word for the view that the outer world is a reflection of one's own life state is 'namati', which means 'inclination' or 'bent'.
The Dependent Origination explains when ignorant sankhara arise ...
- 40.5k
4
votes
What did the Buddha say about motivation?
Right effort(sammā-vāyāma) in terms of mindfulness is not a forceful , grit your teeth kind of effort. It's a moment by moment, continuous, good cyclical habit kind of effort.
Cetanā is Pali for
1- ...
- 7,144
4
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between moha (delusion) and avijja (ignorance)?
I think it requires a lot of research or another's excellent research to answer this question.
Often ignorance & delusion are used as synonyms, for example, as follows:
Bhikkhus, I do not ...
- 40.5k
4
votes
Why are the words "mano" & "manasa" used in the opening Dhammapada verses?
As to the word manas, Thrangu Rinpoche said (paraphrasing):
All mental events—all thoughts, memories and anticipation of the future with all its emotions of happiness, sadness, excitement, and ...
- 58.3k
4
votes
Difference between Kamma, Kammanto, and Kammanta?
They are basically the same word, though the anta suffix does give it some specific meaning. Remember that the word karma has heavy religious baggage in ancient India every though it simply means ...
- 24.1k
4
votes
Accepted
What is ariya or noble?
Good householder,
although wondering why one who steady teaches others about what is Sublime, Higher, Perfect, ask about the meaning of Ariya...
PTS-dictionary:
Ariya, (adj. -n.) (Vedic ārya, of ...
- 106
4
votes
Why are pleasant feelings "stressful" & "unpleasant"?
This is what it says in MN 44 sutta.
"Pleasant feeling is pleasant in remaining, & painful in changing,
friend Visakha. Painful feeling is painful in remaining & pleasant in
changing. ...
- 5,627
4
votes
Is samadhi the same as samatha? Is there khanika samatha?
If I sit dow on the cushion for a moment, that's momentary samatha. Samatha is simply calmimg. It can take place anywhere. Samatha can lead to samadhi, but the two are by no means identical. It ...
- 307
4
votes
What is the meaning and origin of “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhasa”?
Good householder: To extend a little the answer by good householder Chris.
Bhagavato: The Liberal, The (real) Giver, The Liberated One
Arahato: Perfect One, Complete One
Sammāsambuddho: The rightly ...
- 41
4
votes
Does a Pali thesaurus exist?
A Pali dictionary will likely be of more use than a thesaurus. A thesaurus provides synonyms that support a variety of expression. However, the Buddha taught in a very precise manner, using the exact ...
- 9,336
3
votes
What did the Buddha say about motivation?
'Chanda' as an 'iddhipada', translated as 'zeal', 'desire', 'will', 'love'. I prefer 'devotion'.
Some suttas: SN 51.15 and SN 51.20.
- 40.5k
3
votes
Accepted
I'm interested in precise piece-by-piece translations of the 5 precepts
The Five Precepts (pañca-sila)
These basic training rules are observed by all practicing Buddhist lay men and women. The precepts are often recited after reciting the formula for taking refuge in the ...
- 9,695
3
votes
'Dukkha': What is the difference between 'suffering' & 'unsatisfactoriness'?
Dukkha is a vast subject. After 50 years of practicing Buddhist mindfulness meditation based upon the Satipatthana Sutta as taught by the late Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche, I am able to talk about the ...
- 779
3
votes
'Dukkha': What is the difference between 'suffering' & 'unsatisfactoriness'?
'Unsatisfactoriness' is one of the Three Characteristics. 'Unsatisfactoriness' refers to an inherent quality of all (conditioned) material & mental things.
The cause of unsatisfactoriness is ...
- 40.5k
3
votes
Where to get the Pali Canon in Pali?
Digital Pāli Reader provides two editions of the Pāli Canon: one from Myanmar and one from Thailand. This is the best Pāli reader that I've come across. It can recognise inflected words and analyse ...
- 2,710
3
votes
Did the Buddha speak Pali? Are the suttas his word verbatim?
According to the Buddha's advice, early Buddhists composed and taught the Suttas in their respective vernaculars. So there was not an official language of Buddhism. Wherever Buddhism went, it adopted ...
- 642
3
votes
What titles apply to non-monastic/lay Buddhists? (upasaka/upasika savaka/sravaka)
There's Saddhānusārī translated "faith follower".
And Dhammānusārī translated "follower of the law".
According to SN 25.1 these appear to be on the road to stream entry.
- 46.3k
3
votes
What is the difference between moha (delusion) and avijja (ignorance)?
Dictionary definitions here:
moha
avijjā
I think of avijjā as (quite literally) describing something which you don't have (the a- prefix implies a negative, i.e. an absence of vijjā), and moha as ...
- 46.3k
3
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of uppajjati versus upapajjati?
I think there are two rather different words confused here.
One is Sanskrit "utpada"/"anutpada" (to arise / not to arise) and its Pali corruption "uppada" with a past form "uppanna".
Another one is ...
- 58.3k
3
votes
How can we know the original meaning of a word with certainty?
How can we know the original meaning of a word with certainty?
Yes.
I'm sure there's a scholarly answer -- not this from me though.
Your mentioning "chakras" reminds of something similar, i....
- 46.3k
3
votes
How can we know the original meaning of a word with certainty?
When possible, the suttas give physical references for clarity:
They’re like a flax flower that’s blue, with blue color, blue hue, and blue tint. Or a cloth from Bāraṇasī that’s smoothed on both ...
- 9,336
3
votes
Accepted
Recommendation for Suttas
Well DN and Mn are long copies of suttas from AN and SN. The problem with AN and SN is their size.
Since people today say that the suttanipata [=Snp] chapter 4 and 5 are the oldest texts, and that ...
- 1,614
3
votes
Best Pali to English translation source
Here is a slightly modified B.Thanissaro translation of that passage (etam santam...), with pali + english lined up side by side, nearly word for word order.
http://lucid24.org/an/an09/an09-0036/toc-...
- 1,832
3
votes
Accepted
Was is the difference between "uparujjhati" & "nirujjhati"?
They are not synonyms, they have different meanings derived from the same root and different prefixes.
Nirodha means stop, suppress, not allow to go on.
Uparodham means enclose, blockade.
So ...
- 58.3k
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