Pali
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Pali is an ancient Indic language (written sources exist from roughly 300 BCE to 500 CE) 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. 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 | "to uphold": refers 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 | "quenching (as of fire)": a state of peacefulness; a complete lack of suffering |
| shanti | santi | "peace" |
| sutra | sutta | "discourse": in Buddhist literature, a verse (or collection of verses on one topic) |
| sangha | sangha | a community of friends helping each other to practice the teachings of the Buddha |