A Dictionary Of Buddhist Terms And Terminologies

Since its first publication in 1952, Buddhist Dictionary has been a trusted companion and helper in the study of Buddhist literature. The author, Nyanatiloka Thera, was qualified as few others have ever been to serve as a reliable guide through the field of Theravada Buddhist terminology and doctrine. In this book he offers authentic and lucid explanations of Pali Buddhist terms, with cross-references in English and source references as well. Amidst the welter of modern works on Buddhism, and translations differing one from the other, this book will help in identifying the doctrinal terms and in correcting misleading renderings. Not a mere word dictionary but an aid to the terminology of Theravada Buddhism. Buddhist Dictionary will be as helpful to the serious lay student as to the professional scholar.

This highly important book translates and clearly explains foundational Pali terms that are vital to a complete understanding of Buddhist philosophy and religion. It is an accurate, detailed, and authentic Buddhist dictionary of doctrinal terms from the Pali Canon and its Commentaries. It is of value for understanding the early Buddhist tradition and the Theravada tradition which grew out of it, but does not cover the later Buddhist traditions. The author, Nyanatiloka, was a German monk who compiled the book while interned in India by the British during World War II. Since then, it has been enlarged and revised-this being the third revised and enlarged edition. The main entries are listed under the Pali terms, and the English expressions commonly used are explained and included. Original Pali words are often used in Buddhist texts and remain untranslated, since writers often did not know their accurate meanings. Therefore, this book is widely known as an essential work for all serious students of Buddhism.

Here is an outstanding work for which two eminent scholars of Chinese Buddhism separated by 2000 miles of ocean collaborated for complete ten years during which the manuscript crossed the Atlantic four times. The authors aim has been to provide a key for the student with which to unlock a closed door and which does serve to reveal the riches of the great Buddhist thesaurus in China. In the absence of a dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms it was small wonder that the translation of Chinese texts has made little progress important thought these are to the understanding of Mahayana buddhism especially in its Far Eastern development.

This book contains translations of important Pali words and meditation terms arranged in alphabetical order (Roman-script - normal English); definitions include a longer discussion of certain complex concepts and source references. There are translations of both English and Pali words mixed together, making it easy to look up important Pali words or terms, or finding them when knowing only the English equivalent. "This sixth revised edition is a cooperative effort of the BPS and Pariyatti. In this edition the abbreviation scheme and reference systems have been modernised. Moreover, some of the “source notes”—made in an age when digital search tools were not available, and originally located in an appendix—have been revised by me in order to accurately reflect the first occurrences of terms and to avoid duplication of statements already found in the entries. The British spelling of words has been retained." —Nyanatusita Kandy, Sri Lanka September 2017.

Anyone reading English translations of Buddhist texts will encounter a host of names, terms, and phrases whose meanings are not clear even though they appear in English. Buddhism is famous for its specialized terminology and translation alone may not communicate its full meaning. East Asian Buddhist diction is layered with several languages -Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Japanese -and the only way to make one's way through this linguistic maze without getting lost is with the aid of a good dictionary. The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism, a revised and expanded version of A Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts (1983), is a welcome addition that serves this purpose. Written clearly for the general reader, the Dictionary contains over 2,700 entries. While it is designed primarily for use with the Soka Gakkai's translations of Nichiren's works, the Dictionary contains a wealth of terms found in all other traditions of Buddhism. Definitions are given for technical terms, historical figures, doctrinal texts, institutions, and place names. The entries provide complete cross-references so that readers may know and further pursue meanings of term equivalents as rendered in other ways or languages. Ten appendixes provide maps and world lists that enable the reader to find terms in English, Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, or Japanese. Like all Buddhist masters, Nichiren presented his particular message in the wider context of other Buddhist teachings and practices. To know the particular, one must also understand the general context, and the Dictionary, in addressing both levels, provides essential knowledge not only for students of Nichiren Buddhism but for anyone reading Buddhist texts.