IX. Glossary

(ANATTALAKKHAṆA SUTTA)

Venerable MAHASI SAYADAW

-IX-

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GLOSSARY

[A]

Abhiññā: Higher Knowledge: there are six abhiññā: (1) magical powers; (2) the "divine eye" (clairvoyance); (3) the "divine ear" (clair-audience); (4) the ability to read the minds of others; (5) the ability to recollect past lives; (6) knowledge of the cessation of the outflows (āsava)

Ādīnava ñāṇa: See TheSixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge (p. 258)

Adukkhamasukha: "neither happiness nor suffering", one of the three kinds of feeling (vedanā).

Akusala: unwholesome, unskillful.

Anāgāmi: See Noble One.

Anāgāmimagga: See Noble One.

Anattā: not-self.

Anicca: impermanence.

Aniccānupassanā ñāṇa: insight into impermanence.

Āpo: the water element, cohesion.

Arahat: See Noble One.

Arahattamagga: See Noble One.

Ariyamagga: the Noble Path; the attainment of the Noble Path is commensurate with transcendent insight.

Ariyamagga ñāṇa: insight knowledge of the Noble Path.

Ariyaphala: Noble Fruit: see magga and phala

Āsava: outflow, canker: the four deep-rooted seeds of defilements: kāmāsava(sensual desire), bhavāsava(becoming), diṭṭhāsava(views) and avijjāsava (ignorance)

Assaji, Venerable: one the Group of Five who heard the Buddha's first Sermon and became his first five bhikkhu disciples.

Atman: self.

Attā: self.

Āvajjana citta:apprehending, averting consciousness.

[B]

Bhaṅga ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.Bhaddiya, Venerable: one of the Group of Five who heard the Buddha's first sermon and became his first five bhikkhu disciples.

Bhavaṅga: latent or inactive consciousness. See The Functions of Consciousness(p. 259).

Bhāvanā: development, cultivation, meditation.

Bhaya ñāṇa: See TheSixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Bhikkhu:a Buddhist monk

Bojjhaṅga: Enlightenment Factors; sati(mindfulness) dhamma-vicaya(investigation of dhamma), viriya(effort), pīti(rapture), passaddhi(calm), samādhi(concentration), upekkhā(equanimity).

Brahma: a "god," a being in one of the higher celestial realms.

[C]

Cakkhuviññāṇa: eye-consciousness

Cetanā: intention

Citta vithī: the mental process. See The Functions of Consciousness (p.259).

Cuti citta: the "death mind" or death consciousness; the last moment of consciousness before death. See The Functions of Consciousness.

[D]

Deathless: Nibbāna.

Deva: a celestial being.

Dhamma: the Truth, the Buddha's teaching.

Dhātu: element.

Diṭṭhāsava: see Āsava.

Dukkha:suffering; unpleasant feeling, one of the three types of feeling (vedanā).

[E]

Ehi bhikkhu ordination: "Come, bhikkhu,"the words used by the Buddha in the early stages of the Dispensation to admit a man into the Order of Monks. As the Order grew, this informal admittance was replaced by a more formal procedure conducted by a quorum of at least five monks.

[F]

Foundations of Mindfulness: See Satipaṭṭhāna.

Four Noble Truths: (1): the Truth of Suffering; (2) the Truth of the Cause of Suffering; (3) the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering; (4) the Truth of the Way leading to the Cessation of Suffering.

Fruit: See magga and phala

[G]

Gati nimitta:"destination image," a sign appearing in consciousness just before cuti citta, the last moment of consciousness before death.

Gotrabhū: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Group of Five: the group of five mendicants who had previously practiced with the Bodhisattaand who listened to the Buddha's First Sermon and subsequently became his first five bhikkhudisciples.

[H]

Hadāya vatthu: the "heart base," the seat of consciousness.

[J]

Jīva: life, the life principle.

Javana: See The Functions of Consciousness (p.259).

Jhāna: "absorption," advanced states of concentration.

[K]

Kāmāvacara:the "sensual realm," as opposed to the realms of form and formlessness.

Kamma: intentional action.

Kamma nimitta: an image appearing in consciousness representing a certain act of kamma just before the moment of death.

Kāraka attā: "active" or "agent" self.

Khandha: "group," "aggregate;" the five groups of formations that make up existence: rūpa (corporeality); vedanā(feeling), saññā(perception); saṅkhāra(volitional activities); viññāṇa(consciousness).

Khaya, vaya: cessation and dissolution.

Kilesa: mental defilements.

Kiriyā citta: "active mind".

Koṇḍañña, Venerable: one of the Group of Five who heard the Buddha's first sermon and became his first five bhikkhudisciples; he was the first to see the Dhamma, and as a result was given the name Aññā Koṇḍañña: "Koṇḍañña who knows".

Kusala javana citta: skillful impulse mind, skillful impulse.

[M]

Magga and phala: Path and Fruit; the experience of enlightenment is divided again at all four stages into two further stages, experience of the Path, and experience of the Fruit, but both are virtually the same.

Mahānama, Venerable: one of the Group of Five who heard the Buddha's first sermon and became his first five bhikkhudisciples.

Majjhima Nikāya: One of the Five nikāyasof the Sutta Piṭaka, the collections of discourses.

Māna: conceit, one of the ten fetters (saṁyojana). Note the distinction between mānaand another of the ten fetters, sakkāyadiṭṭhi, which is self view. Māna is only given up on the attainment of Arahatship, whilesakkāyadiṭṭhi is givenup on the attainment of Stream Entry. See alsoNoble One.

Mano: mind.

Manodvārāvajjana: "apprehension by the mind door". SeeThe Functions of Consciousness, Āvajjana.

Manodvāravithī: the thought process.

Muñcitukamyatā ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

[N]

Ñāṇa: gnosis, vision.

Nibbāna: the Unconditioned, the Deathless, Enlightenment. Nibbidā ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Niriya: Hell.

Nirodha: cessation.

Nivāsī attā: continuous self.

Noble One:One who has experienced transcendent insight and thus removed defilements. There are four main classes of Noble One:

The first stage of transcendent insight is known as sotāpatti magga, attainment of Stream Entry. One who attains this level of insight is called a sotapanna(Stream Enterer) as he has "entered the stream to Nibbāna" and is assured of final enlightenment in no more than seven lifetimes. Three of the ten fetters (saṁyojana)are removed: sakkāyadiṭṭhi, personality belief; sīlabbataparāmāsa, attachment to rites and rituals; and vicikicchā, doubt.

The second stage of transcendent insight is known as sakadāgāmimagga, attainment of "Once Returning." One who reaches this stage is called a sakadāgāmi, a "Once Returner" as he is said to be assured of full enlightenment in no more than one more birth. A Once Returner removes no further fetters, but mitigates the power of greed, hatred and delusion in the mind.

The third stage of transcendent insight is known as anāgāmi magga,attainment of "Non-Returning." One who reaches this stage is called an anāgāmi, a Non Returner, and is assured of full enlightenment without returning to the sensual realm. A Non-Returner gives up two more fetters, kāmarāga, sensual desire and paṭigha, aversion.

The fourth and final stage of transcendent insight is known as Arahatship, full enlightenment.

An Arahatis fully enlightened, having given up all ten fetters that bind the mind to saṁsāra. In addition to the first five, this includes rūparāga, desire for states of form (i.e.,jhāna),arūparāga, desire for states of formlessness (i.e., the formless jhānas),uddhacca, restlessness, māna, conceit and avijjā, ignorance.

[P]

Pīti: rapture.

Paṭhavī: the earth element.

Paṭiccasamuppāda: the Principle of Dependent Origination.

Paṭisaṅkhāra ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Paṭisandhi citta: "re-linking consciousness" See The Functions of Consciousness.

Pañcadvārāvajjana:"apprehension by the five sense doors". See The Functions of Consciousness.

Paccekabuddha: a "lone Buddha", one who is fully self-enlightened but who lacks the inclination or ability to teach others.

Pāramita: accumulated virtue.

Parinibbāna: "Final Nibbāna," the death of a Buddha or an Arahat.

Path: The Noble Path, the Eight fold Path of practice leading to Nibbāna; also usedto refer to the attainment of transcendent insight: See magga and phala.

Peta: ahungry ghost.

Phala: See maggaand phala.

Phassa:sense contact.

Puthujjana: an unenlightened being.

[R]

Rūpa: material form, corporeality; visual form.

[S]

Sīla: morality, restraint.

Saṁsāra: "wandering," the world of delusion.

Saṅkhāra: volitional formations, one of the five khandhas; also all conditioned things.

Saṅkhārakkhandha: the khandhaof volitional formations. Saṅkhārupekkha ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Saṅkhata: conditioned things.

Saññā: perception, one of the five khandhas.

Sakadāgāmi: a Once Returner; see Noble One.

Sakadāgāmimagga: the Path of Once Returner.

Sakkāyadiṭṭhi: selfview, personality belief; one of the ten fetters (saṁyojana).Note the Distinction between sakkāyadiṭṭhiand another of the ten fetters, māna, which is conceit. Mānais only given up on the attainment of Arahatship, while sakkāyadiṭṭhiis given up on the attainment of Stream Entry. See also Noble One.

Sāmaṇera: a Buddhist novice.

Samādhi: concentration.

Samaṇa: a "striver," a religious practicer.

Sāmi attā: controlling self.

Sammasana ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Sampaṭicchana: See The Functions of Consciousness.

Santīraṇa: See The Functions of Consciousness.

Satipaṭṭhāna:Foundations of mindfulness, the areas to which mindfulness is to be directed: body, feelings, mind and dhammas(natural phenomena). Satipaṭṭhānameditation is meditation in which these four Foundations of Mindfulness are noted, rather than the mind being simply absorbed into a single object.

Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta: the Sutta in which the Buddha puts forth the teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

Sotāpanna: Stream Enterer; See Noble One.

Sotāpattimagga: attainment of Stream Entry.

Stream Enterer:See Sotāpanna.

Sukha: happiness; pleasant feeling, one of the three kinds of feeling (vedanā).

Sutta: a teaching recorded in the Sutta Piṭakaof the Pali Canon.

[T]

Tadālambana: See The Functions of Consciousness.

Tejo: the fire element.

[U]

U: a respectful title used to precede a man's name in Burma.

Uccheda: annihilation, one of the two extreme views. Udayabbaya ñāṇa: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Upādānakkhandha: the grasped at groups (khandha).

Upekkhā: equanimity, one of the three types of feelings (vedanā)(also called adukkhamasukha vedanā: neither pleasant nor painful feeling); upekkhāas one of the three feelings should be distinguished from upekkhāin the higher meaning of equanimity as a skillful quality of mind, as in the Seven Factors of Enlightenment.

[V]

Vappa, Venerable: one of the Group of Five who heard the Buddha's first sermon and became his first five bhikkhudisciples.

Vāyo: the wind element.

Vedaka attā: a self that experiences feelings.

Vedanā: feeling, one of the five khandhas.

Vedanakkhandha: the khandhaof feeling.

Viññāṇa: consciousness, one of the five khandhas.

Vipāka citta: resultant consciousness.

Vipassanā: insight.

Vipassanā ñāṇa: insight knowledge; See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

Virāga: dispassion.

Voṭṭhapana: See The Functions of Consciousness.

Vuṭṭhānagāminī: See The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge.

[W]

Worldling: an unenlightened being.

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The Sixteen Stages of Insight Knowledge

1. Nāmarūpapariccheda ñāṇa: knowledge of the distinction between mentality-corporeality (nāmarūpa).

2. Paccayapariggaha ñāṇa: knowledge of the discernment of the conditions of mentality-corporeality.

3. Sammasana ñāṇa: knowledge of comprehension of mentality-corporeality as impermanent (anicca)suffering (dukkha)and not-self (anattā).

4. Udayabbaya ñāṇa: knowledge of contemplation of arising and falling (of formations, or mentality-corporeality).

5. Bhaṅga ñāṇa: knowledge of contemplation of dissolution.

6. Bhaya ñāṇa: knowledge of fearsomeness.

7. Ādīnava ñāṇa: knowledge of contemplation on the fault of formations.

8. Nibbidā ñāṇa: knowledge of contemplation on disenchantment

9. Muñcitukamyatā ñāṇa: knowledge of desire for deliverance.

10. Paṭisaṅkhāñāṇa: knowledge of reflective contemplation.

11. Saṅkhārupekkhā ñāṇa: knowledge of equanimity toward all formations.

12. Saccānulomika ñāṇa: conformity (with reality/ the Four Noble Truths) knowledge.

13. Gotrabhū ñāṇa: knowledge at the moment of "change of lineage" (From unenlightened being to Noble One).

14. Magga ñāṇa: knowledge of the Path.

15. Phala ñāṇa: knowledge of the Fruit.

16. Paccavekkhaṇa ñāṇa: knowledge of reviewing.

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1. Paṭisandhi: re-linking.
2.Bhavaṅga: life-continuum, latent consciousness.
3. Āvajjana: apprehending, averting.
4. Dassana: seeing.
5. Savana: hearing.
6. Ghāyana: smelling.
7. Sāyana: tasting.
8. Phusana: contacting, touching.
9. Sampaṭicchana: receiving.
10. Santīrana: investigating.
11. Voṭṭhapana: determining
12. Javana: apperception, impulsion.
13. Tadālambana: retention, registration.
14.Cuti: decease, shifting.