Complete Glossary
| Term | Pāli / Sanskrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Suffering | Dukkha | Unsatisfactoriness; the basic instability of conditioned experience |
| Craving | Taṇhā / Tṛṣṇā | Thirst for pleasure, existence, or non-existence; root cause of suffering |
| Liberation | Nirvāṇa / Nibbāna | The unconditioned; cessation of craving and suffering |
| Impermanence | Anicca / Anitya | The transience of all compounded things |
| Non-Self | Anatta / Anātman | The absence of a permanent, independent self or soul |
| Emptiness | Śūnyatā | The absence of inherent, independent existence in all phenomena |
| Dependent Origination | Paṭicca-samuppāda / Pratītyasamutpāda | The principle that all things arise in dependence on conditions |
| Action & Result | Kamma / Karma | Intentional action and its corresponding fruit |
| Mind | Citta | The knowing quality of experience; mind or heart-mind |
| Loving-Kindness | Mettā / Maitrī | Unconditional goodwill toward all beings |
| Compassion | Karuṇā | The wish to relieve the suffering of others |
| Awakened Mind | Bodhicitta | The mind aspiring to enlightenment for the benefit of all beings |
| Community | Saṅgha | The community of practitioners, monastic and lay |
| Meditative Absorption | Jhāna / Dhyāna | Deep states of unified, concentrated mind |
Quick Reference Tables
Four Noble Truths
Suffering · Its Cause · Its Cessation · The Path
Noble Eightfold Path
View · Intention · Speech · Action · Livelihood · Effort · Mindfulness · Concentration
Three Marks of Existence
Impermanence · Unsatisfactoriness · Non-Self
Five Aggregates
Form · Feeling · Perception · Formations · Consciousness
Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
Ignorance → Formations → Consciousness → Name-and-Form → Six Senses → Contact → Feeling → Craving → Clinging → Becoming → Birth → Aging & Death
Six Perfections
Generosity · Ethics · Patience · Effort · Meditation · Wisdom
Four Stages of Enlightenment (Theravada)
Stream-Enterer → Once-Returner → Non-Returner → Arahant
Recommended Study Approach
Read
Begin with the Buddha's life and the Four Noble Truths before moving into deeper theory.
Reflect
Consider each teaching against your own experience rather than accepting it on authority alone.
Practice
Bring mindfulness, ethics, and meditation into daily life — theory completes itself in practice.
Finding a Teacher or Centre
Because lineages, emphasis, and language vary widely, the most reliable next step is usually a reputable meditation centre or teacher connected to an established Theravada, Mahayana, or Vajrayana lineage in your own region, rather than unverified sources online.