Nyanatiloka Buddhist Dictionary

misunderstood by Western authors - are sure to come to many as a revelation.On the doctrine of anattá, or 'egolessness', i.e. the impersonality and emptiness of all phenomena ofexistence, the author repeatedly felt the necessity of throwing light from every possible point of view, for it isexactly this doctrine which, together with the doctrine of the conditionality of all phenomena of existence,constitutes the very essence of the whole Teaching of the Buddha without which it will be by no meanspossible to understand it in its true light. Thus the doctrine of impersonality runs like a red thread rightthrough the whole book.May this little manual provide an ever-helpful companion and vade mecum to all earnest students in theirstudy of the original Buddhist scriptures, and also give to Buddhist authors and lecturers the opportunity ofsupplementing and deepening their knowledge of the profound teachings of the Buddha!Should it, for a better understanding, prove necessary to give to certain subjects a more detailed treatment,the carrying out of this task may be reserved for a later edition of this work.NYANATILOKACentral Internment CampDehra-Dun, India28-8-1946Editor's Preface To The Third EditionThe present revised and enlarged Third Edition was intended to be issued in commemoration of the tenthanniversary of the venerable author's passing away on 28th May 1957. But due to unavoidable circumstancesthe publication had to be delayed.It was the venerable author's wish to enlarge the first edition of this work, but when a second edition becamenecessary, he was prevented from expanding it by the illness to which he later succumbed. It rested,therefore, with his pupil, the present editor, to make, within the original scope and character of the work,such additions and revisions as seemed useful.Over seventy articles have been expanded and partly rewritten; others were slightly revised; more sourcereferences were included, and information on literature for further study of the respective subjects was addedto some of the articles. But only very few new words have been added (e.g. anupassaná, ánupubbi-kathá,etc.). This restriction was observed because the venerable author himself thought only of 'a more detailedtreatment' of existing articles (see Preface to the 1st ed.) as he obviously wished to preserve the original formand character of the book. It was also considered that the adding of more words such as those coined in latercommentarial and abhidhammic literature, would be superfluous as in the English language such terms willgenerally be found only in a few scholarly books and translations which themselves give the explanationsneeded.This book is chiefly intended for those who study the Buddhist teachings through the medium of the Englishlanguage, but wish to familiarize themselves with some of the original Páli terms of doctrinal import. Theyare in the same position as a student of philosophy or science who has to know the terminology of his field,which for common parlance is mostly not less 'unfamiliar' than are the words of the Páli language found inthe Dictionary.Such acquaintance with the Páli terms of the original texts will also be useful to the student for the purposeof identifying the various renderings of them favored by different translators. It is deplorable that there is aconsiderable multiplication of new English coining for the same doctrinal term. This great variety ofrenderings has proved to be confusing to those students of Buddhism who are not familiar with the Pálilanguage. Even at this late stage when many translations of Páli texts are in print, it will be desirable if, forthe sake of uniformity, translators forgo their preference for their own coining, even if they think them betterthan others. In any case, doctrinal terms have to be known by definition, just as in the case of philosophical