THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS By Ajahn Sumedho - DharmaFlower.Net

GLOSSARYAJAHN - the Thai word for ‘teacher’; often used as the title of thesenior monk or monks at a monastery. This is also spelt ‘achaan’,‘acharn’ (and several other ways - all derived from the Pali word‘acariya’).BHIKKHU - alms mendicant; the term for a monk, who lives on almsand abides by training precepts which define a life of renunciation andmorality.BUDDHA RUPA - an image of the Buddha.DEPENDENT ORIGINATION - a step-by-step presentation of howsuffering arises dependent on ignorance and desire, and ceases withtheir cessation.DHAMMA - a phenomenon when seen as an aspect of the universe,rather than identified with as personal. When capitalised, it refers tothe teaching of the Buddha as contained in the scriptures or theUltimate Truth towards which the teaching points. (In Sanskrit:‘dharma’).KAMMA - action or cause which is created or recreated by habitualimpulse, volitions, natural energies. In popular usage, it oftenincludes the sense of the result or effect of the action, although theproper term for this is vipaka. (In Sanskrit: karma).OBSERVANCE DAY (in Pali: Uposatha) - a sacred day or ‘sabbath’,occurring every lunar fortnight. On this day, Buddhists re-affirm theirDhamma practice in terms of precepts and meditation.TIPITAKA - literally means ‘three baskets’ - the collections of theBuddhist Scriptures, classified according to Sutta (Discourses),Vinaya (Discipline or Training) and Abhidhamma (Metaphysics).