This working glossary collects non-English Buddhist, philosophical, and religious terminology identified in the published writings of Dharmata. Entries are alphabetised by term. Related Pali and Sanskrit forms are listed separately. English renderings are given with the most customary or contextually prominent first; their order is editorial, not a verified statistical count of translations across the site. A blank English field indicates a name or expression for which no single English equivalent is supplied here. This reference can be expanded as the archive is reviewed.
| Term | Language | English equivalents |
|---|---|---|
| Abhidhamma | Pali | higher teaching, systematic analysis of the teaching |
| Abhidharma | Sanskrit | higher teaching, systematic analysis of the teaching |
| Ananda | Pali/Sanskrit | |
| anapanasati | Pali | mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation |
| anatta | Pali | not-self, non-self, absence of a permanent self |
| anicca | Pali | impermanence, inconstancy |
| arahant | Pali | worthy one, perfected one, liberated one |
| arhant | Sanskrit | worthy one, perfected one, liberated one |
| arhat | Sanskrit | worthy one, liberated one |
| ariya | Pali | noble, spiritually noble |
| arupa | Pali/Sanskrit | formless, immaterial |
| arupadhatu | Sanskrit | formless realm, immaterial sphere |
| asava | Pali | influxes, taints, corruptions |
| asura | Sanskrit/Pali | titan, antigod, demigod |
| atman | Sanskrit | self, soul |
| atta | Pali | self |
| Avalokiteshvara | Sanskrit | |
| avidya | Sanskrit | ignorance, unawareness |
| avijja | Pali | ignorance, unawareness |
| ayatana | Pali/Sanskrit | sense base, sphere |
| bhavana | Pali/Sanskrit | cultivation, development, meditation |
| bhavanga | Pali | life continuum, underlying continuity of consciousness |
| bhikkhu | Pali | monk, mendicant |
| bhikkhuni | Pali | nun, female mendicant |
| bhumi | Sanskrit | stage, ground, level |
| bodhi | Pali/Sanskrit | awakening, enlightenment |
| bodhicitta | Sanskrit | mind of awakening, aspiration to enlightenment |
| bodhisattva | Sanskrit | being devoted to awakening, awakening being |
| bojjhanga | Pali | factor of awakening, enlightenment factor |
| Brahma | Sanskrit/Pali | |
| brahman | Sanskrit | ultimate reality, sacred power, absolute |
| brahmavihara | Pali/Sanskrit | divine abiding, sublime state |
| buddha | Pali/Sanskrit | awakened one, enlightened one |
| buddhadhatu | Sanskrit | buddha element, buddha nature |
| buddhavacana | Pali/Sanskrit | word of the Buddha, Buddha’s teaching |
| cakkavatti | Pali | wheel-turning monarch, universal ruler |
| cakra | Sanskrit | wheel, energy centre |
| Chenrezig | Tibetan | |
| citta | Pali/Sanskrit | mind, heart, consciousness |
| dana | Pali/Sanskrit | generosity, giving |
| deva | Pali/Sanskrit | god, celestial being, shining one |
| dhamma | Pali | teaching, truth, phenomenon, law |
| dharma | Sanskrit | teaching, truth, phenomenon, law |
| dharmadhatu | Sanskrit | realm of phenomena, sphere of reality |
| dharmakaya | Sanskrit | truth body, reality body |
| dharmata | Sanskrit | nature of reality, suchness |
| dhatu | Pali/Sanskrit | element, realm |
| dhyana | Sanskrit | meditative absorption, contemplation |
| dukkha | Pali | suffering, unsatisfactoriness, stress |
| Dzogchen | Tibetan | great perfection, great completeness |
| gandharva | Sanskrit | celestial musician, intermediate-state being |
| gati | Pali/Sanskrit | destination, course, realm of rebirth |
| guru | Sanskrit | spiritual teacher, master |
| Hinayana | Sanskrit | lesser vehicle, small vehicle |
| jataka | Pali/Sanskrit | birth story, previous-life narrative |
| jhana | Pali | meditative absorption, contemplation |
| jnana | Sanskrit | wisdom, gnosis, knowledge |
| kalachakra | Sanskrit | wheel of time, time cycle |
| kalpa | Sanskrit | aeon, cosmic age |
| kamma | Pali | action, intentional action, karma |
| karma | Sanskrit | action, intentional action |
| karuna | Pali/Sanskrit | compassion |
| kasina | Pali | totality, meditation object |
| khandha | Pali | aggregate, constituent group |
| koan | Japanese | public case, meditation case |
| lama | Tibetan | spiritual teacher, master |
| loka | Pali/Sanskrit | world, realm |
| Madhyamaka | Sanskrit | middle way, middle-way philosophy |
| mahamaya | Sanskrit | great illusion, great magical power |
| mahamudra | Sanskrit | great seal |
| mahasattva | Sanskrit | great being |
| mahasiddha | Sanskrit | great adept, accomplished master |
| Mahayana | Sanskrit | great vehicle |
| Maitreya | Sanskrit | |
| mandala | Sanskrit | sacred diagram, circle, sphere |
| Manjushri | Sanskrit | |
| mantra | Sanskrit | sacred formula, sacred utterance |
| Mara | Pali/Sanskrit | |
| metta | Pali | loving-kindness, goodwill, benevolence |
| moksha | Sanskrit | liberation, release |
| mudra | Sanskrit | gesture, seal |
| nama | Pali/Sanskrit | name, mentality |
| nibbana | Pali | extinguishment, liberation, nirvana |
| nidana | Pali/Sanskrit | cause, condition, origin |
| nikaya | Pali | collection, group |
| nirmanakaya | Sanskrit | emanation body, manifestation body |
| nirodha | Pali/Sanskrit | cessation, stopping |
| nirvana | Sanskrit | extinguishment, liberation, cessation |
| niyama | Pali/Sanskrit | order, regularity, principle |
| Padmasambhava | Sanskrit | |
| panna | Pali | wisdom, insight |
| parami | Pali | perfection, transcendent virtue |
| paramita | Sanskrit | perfection, transcendental virtue |
| paticcasamuppada | Pali | dependent origination, dependent arising |
| patimokkha | Pali | monastic discipline, code of restraint |
| phala | Pali/Sanskrit | fruit, result |
| piti | Pali | rapture, joy, delight |
| prajna | Sanskrit | wisdom, insight |
| prajnaparamita | Sanskrit | perfection of wisdom, transcendent wisdom |
| pratimoksha | Sanskrit | individual liberation, disciplinary vows |
| pratityasamutpada | Sanskrit | dependent origination, dependent arising |
| pratyekabuddha | Sanskrit | solitary buddha, independently awakened one |
| pudgala | Sanskrit | person, individual |
| punya | Sanskrit | merit, beneficial spiritual potential |
| qi | Chinese | vital energy, breath |
| rigpa | Tibetan | awareness, pristine awareness |
| rupa | Pali/Sanskrit | form, material form |
| saddha | Pali | faith, confidence, trust |
| samadhi | Pali/Sanskrit | concentration, collectedness, meditative absorption |
| samana | Pali | renunciant, ascetic, striver |
| samantabhadra | Sanskrit | |
| samatha | Pali/Sanskrit | calm abiding, tranquillity |
| sambhogakaya | Sanskrit | enjoyment body, bliss body |
| sambodhi | Pali/Sanskrit | complete awakening, perfect enlightenment |
| samsara | Pali/Sanskrit | cycle of rebirth, cyclic existence, wandering |
| samskara | Sanskrit | formations, conditioned activities, volitional formations |
| sangha | Pali/Sanskrit | community, spiritual assembly, monastic order |
| sankhara | Pali | formations, conditioned phenomena, volitional activities |
| sanna | Pali | perception, recognition |
| sati | Pali | mindfulness, recollection |
| satipatthana | Pali | establishment of mindfulness, foundations of mindfulness |
| sattva | Sanskrit | being, sentient being |
| Shambhala | Sanskrit | |
| shunyata | Sanskrit | emptiness, lack of inherent existence |
| sila | Pali/Sanskrit | ethical conduct, virtue, morality |
| sutra | Sanskrit | discourse, scripture |
| sutta | Pali | discourse, scripture |
| tanha | Pali | craving, thirst |
| tantra | Sanskrit | continuum, esoteric scripture, tantric system |
| Tao | Chinese | way, path |
| Tara | Sanskrit | |
| Tathagata | Pali/Sanskrit | thus-gone one, thus-come one |
| tathagatagarbha | Sanskrit | buddha nature, embryo of buddhahood, womb of the thus-gone one |
| tathata | Sanskrit | suchness, reality as it is |
| Theravada | Pali | teaching of the elders, doctrine of the elders |
| Tipitaka | Pali | three baskets, three collections |
| trikaya | Sanskrit | three bodies |
| tulku | Tibetan | emanation body, recognised reincarnate lama |
| upadana | Pali/Sanskrit | clinging, attachment, appropriation |
| upaya | Sanskrit | skillful means, expedient means, method |
| vajra | Sanskrit | diamond, thunderbolt, indestructible reality |
| Vajrayana | Sanskrit | diamond vehicle, thunderbolt vehicle |
| vedana | Pali/Sanskrit | feeling, feeling tone, sensation |
| vijnana | Sanskrit | consciousness, discriminative awareness |
| vinaya | Pali/Sanskrit | discipline, monastic discipline |
| vinnana | Pali | consciousness, awareness |
| vipassana | Pali | insight, clear seeing |
| viriya | Pali | energy, effort, vigour |
| yang | Chinese | sunny, active principle |
| yidam | Tibetan | meditational deity, chosen deity |
| yin | Chinese | shaded, receptive principle |
| yoga | Sanskrit | discipline, union, spiritual practice |
| Yogacara | Sanskrit | practice of yoga, yoga practice school |
| yuga | Sanskrit | age, era |
| zazen | Japanese | seated meditation |
| Zen | Japanese | meditation |
