A Wisdom Archive on Pali

Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. Monks and nuns are responsible for preserving and spreading Buddhist teachings, as well as educating and guiding Buddhist lay followers. The ultimate goal of Buddhist monasticism is liberation from the cycle of rebirth through Nirvana. Collectively, the ordained male and female Buddhist monastics constitute two of the four groups that compose the Buddhist sangha (the other two groups being male and female lay followers). All four groups are seen as being important an ... Including: Buddhist monasticism - History and Development Buddhist monasticism - Monastic Life Buddhist monasticism - Local Variations Buddhist monasticism - East Asia Buddhist monasticism - Southeast Asia

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Dharma (Sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. Dharma forms the basis for philosophies, beliefs and practices originating in India. The oldest of these, widely known as Hinduism, is Sanatana Dharma or Eternal Dharma. Buddhism, Ayyavazhi, Jainism and Sikhism also retain the centrality of Dharma. In these traditions, beings that live in harmony with Dharma proceed more quickly towards moksha, nirvana, or personal liberation. Dharma also refers to the teachings and doctrines of t ... Including: Dharma - Meanings and origins of the word Dharma Dharma - Dharma in Hinduism Dharma - Proto-dharma: rta in the Vedas Dharma - Developing conceptions Dharma - Dharma as a Purushartha Dharma - Kane's view Dharma - In Jainism Dharma - The two Dharmas Dharma - In Buddhism Dharma - The teachings of the Buddha Dharma - Qualities of Buddha Dharma Dharma - Dharmas in Buddhist phenomenology Dharma - Dharma as righteousness

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Buddha (Sanskrit, Pali, others: literally Awakened One, from the root: √budh, "to awaken") is a title used in Buddhism for anyone who has discovered their enlightenment (bodhi), although it is commonly used to refer to Siddhartha Gautama, the historical founder of Buddhism, who was born in Lumbini--a place situated in modern Nepal. Generally, Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama—who lived in ancient India from about 623 BC to 543 BC, and attained bodhi around 588 BC—to have been ... Including: Buddha - Eternal Buddha Buddha - Names of the Buddhas Buddha - Sources

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Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th century BCE, before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its diffusion through the rest of Asia and the world. A first, essentially Indian, aniconic phase (avoiding direct representations of the Buddha), was followed from around the 1st century CE by an iconic phase (with direct representations of the Buddha). From that time, Buddhist art diversified and evolved ... Including: Buddhist art - Aniconic phase 5th century - 1st century BCE Buddhist art - Iconic phase 1st century CE – present Buddhist art - Northern Buddhist art Buddhist art - Central Asia Buddhist art - China Buddhist art - Korea Buddhist art - Japan Buddhist art - Tibet and Bhutan Buddhist art - Vietnam Buddhist art - Southern Buddhist art Buddhist art - Burma Buddhist art - Cambodia Buddhist art - Thailand Buddhist art - Indonesia

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Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. Buddhaghosa means "Voice of the Buddha" in the Pali language. Buddhaghosa - Writings and translations. He translated extensive Sinhalese commentaries on the Pali Buddhist texts in Pali. Certain commentaries are also attributed to him, including one on the Vinaya. His Visuddhimagga (Pali, Path of Purification) is a comprehensive manual of Theravada Buddhism that is still read and studied today. Th ... Including: Buddhaghosa - Writings and translations

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"Ajahn" (Thai: อาจารย์) is "teacher" in the Thai language; it is derived from the (Pali) word ācārya. In the Theravada tradition it is generally a title given to a Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni who has been fully ordained for ten rain retreats (10 years). Other related archivesBhikkhu, Pali, Thai, Thai language, Theravada, ācārya

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Alms or almsgiving, or, simply, charity, is the practice of giving money or other material aid to the poor. In many religions, charity is considered a mandatory element of ones spiritual practice. For instance, although the practical applications differ, the Islamic scriptural rules on alms are quite reminiscent of the biblical instructions: If you give alms openly, it i ...

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There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ... Including: Buddhist texts - Canonical texts Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools Buddhist texts - Sutta Buddhist texts - Abhidharma Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts Buddhist texts - References Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

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The first lay precept in Buddhism is usually translated as "I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures." Many see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat the meat of animals. However, this is not necessarily the case. There is a divergence of views within Buddhism on the need for vegetarianism, with the majority of schools of Buddhism rejecting such a claimed need and with most Buddhists in fact eating meat. A minority of Mahayana Buddhists, howeve ...

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Abhidharma (Sanskrit; Pāli Abhidhamma) is a category of Buddhist scriptures that attempts to use Buddhist teachings to create a systematic, abstract description of all worldly phenomena. The Abhidharma represents a generalization and reorganization of the doctrines presented piecemeal in the narrative sutra tradition. The literal translation of the term Abhidharma is unclear. Two possibilities are most commonly given: 1) abhi- higher or special + dharma- teaching, philosophy, thus making Abhidharma ... Including:

• Abhidhamma - Origins
• Abhidhamma - Theravada Abhidharma
• Abhidhamma - Sarvastivada Abhidharma

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