Pali
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Pali is an ancient Indic language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is the language of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. Pali is closely related to the Sanskrit family of languages[1]. Pali's grammar is simplified as compared with Sanskit, and the vocabulary is similar, in many cases varying only by a set of common phonological transformations, such as:
Sanskrit | Pali | definition |
---|---|---|
arhat | arahant | "deserving": one who sees the true nature of existence and has conquered their own negative tendencies so that they no longer take karmic actions (those with negative consequences for themselves or anyone else); similar to 'saint' in Christianity |
Dharma | Dhamma | "upholding": refers, among other things, to the teachings of the Buddha about how the universe works and how a person can minimize or avoid suffering for themselves and others |
karma | kamma | "action": a thought, speech or deed which results in immediate or future (negative) consequences; or, the part of one's fate which is a consequence of past karmic actions by oneself and/or others |
nirvāna | nibbāna or nibbāṇa | "quenching (as of fire)": a state of peacefulness; a complete lack of suffering |
śānti | santi | "peace" |
sūtra | sutta | "discourse" in Buddhist literature |
sangha | saṅgha or saṃgha | either monastic order or the totality of those with certain spiritual attainments |
- ↑ Maurice Walshe (1996). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya by Maurice Walshe, 1st Edition. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-8617-1103-3. p. 17