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a Contemplative's Pali to English Dictionary
(a work in progress)
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-C-
(updated 11-01-05 with 56 Pali terms & 92 English terms defined)
ca: and
cága: 'liberality', is one of the 'blessings' (s. sampadá), 'foundations' (s. adhitthána), 'recollections' (s. anussati), 'treasures' (s. dhana).
cakka: 'wheel', is one of the seven 'precious possessions' (ratana) of a righteous World Emperor (cakkavatti: 'He who owns the Wheel,' cf. D. 26), and symbolizes conquering progress and expanding sovereignty. From that derives the figurative expression dhamma-cakkam pavatteti, 'he sets rolling the Wheel of the Law' and the name of the Buddha's first sermon, Dhamma-cakkappavattana Sutta (s. dhamma-cakka).
Another figurative meaning of C. is 'blessing'. There are 4 such 'auspicious wheels' or 'blessings': living in a suitable locality, company of good people, meritorious acts done in the past, right inclinations (A. IV, 31).
Bhava-cakka, 'wheel of existence', or of life, is a name for 'dependent origination' (s. paticca-samuppáda).
See The Buddhist Wheel Symbol, by T. B. Karunaratne (WHEEL 137/138); The Wheel of Birth and Death, by Bhikkhu Khantipalo (WHEEL 147/149)
cakkh' áyatana: 'the base "visual organ" ' (s. áyatana).
cakkhu: 'eye' s. áyatana. - The foll. 5 kinds of 'eyes' are mentioned and explained in CNid. (PTS, p. 235; the first 3 also in It. 52): 1. the physical eye (mamsa cakkhu), 2. the divine eye (dibba-cakkhu; s. abhiññá), 3. the eye of wisdom (paññá-cakkhu), 4 the eye of a Buddha (Buddha-c.), 5. the eye of all-round knowledge (samanta-c.; a frequent appellation of the Buddha).
cakkhu-dhátu: 'the element "visual organ" '(s. dhátu).
cakkhu-viññána: Lit. 'eye-cognition' visual perception (s. viññána).
Canda - m. moon.
cankers: s. ásava.
carana: s. vijjá-carana.
Carati - (cara) wanders.
Care - ádara. m.
carita: 'nature, character'. In Vis.M. III there are explained six types of men: the greedy-natured (rága-carita), the hate-natured (dosa-carita), the stupid or dull-natured (moha-carita), the faithful-natured (saddhá-carita), the intelligent-natured (buddhi-carita), the ruminating-natured (vitakka-carita). - (App.).
cáritta- and váritta-síla: 'morality consisting in performance and morality consisting in avoidance,' means "the performance of those moral rules which the Blessed one has ordained to be followed, and the avoidance of those things that the Blessed One has rejected as not to be followed" (Vis.M. III). - (App.).
Carries - harati.
Catu -
four.
catu-dhátu-vavatthána: 'analysis of the four elements'; s. dhátu-vavatthána.
catu-mahárájika-deva a class of heavenly beings of the sensuous sphere; s. deva.
catu-párisuddhi-síla: s. síla.
Catuttha - fourth.
catu-vokára-bhava: 'four-group existence', is the existence in the immaterial
world (arúpa-loka; s. loka), since
only the four mental groups (sensing, perception, mental structures, cognition,
s. khandha) are found there, the anatomical group being absent.
Cf. pañca-vokára-bhava, eka-vokára-bhava. (App.: vokára).
cause: cf. paccaya (1). - For the five c. of existence, s. paticca-samuppáda (10).
cemetery: ascetic practice of living in a c.; s. dhutanga.
cemetery-meditations: s. sívathiká.
Ceta - n. mind.
cetaná: 'volition'; The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision, will, intent; is one of the seven mental factors (cetasika, q.v.) inseparably bound up with all cognition, namely mental impression (phassa), sensory(vedaná), perception (saññá), volition (cetaná), absorption (samádhi), vitality (jívita), advertence (manasikára). Cf. Tab. II, III.
With regard to karmical volition (i.e. wholesome or unwholesome karma) it is said in A. VI, 13: "Volition is action (karma), thus I say, o monks; for as soon as volition arises, one does the action, be it by body, speech or mind." For details, s. paticca-samuppáda (10), karma. Other suttic references: A. VI, Nissayavaggo cetaná sutta.
cetasika: 'mental things, mental factors', are those mental concomitants which are bound up with the simultaneously arising cognitive state (citta = viññána) and conditioned by its presence . Whereas in the Suttas all phenomena of existence are summed up under the aspect of 5 groups: bodily, sensory, perception, mental structures, cognition (s. khandha), the Abhidhamma as a rule treats them under the more philosophical 3 aspects: cognition, mental factors and bodily (citta, cetasika, rúpa). Thus, of these 3 aspects, the mental factors (cetasika) comprise sensing, perception and the 50 mental structures, altogether 52 mental concomitants. Of these, 25 are lofty qualities (either karmically wholesome or neutral), 14 karmically unwholesome, while 13 are as such karmically neutral, their karmical quality depending on whether they are associated with wholesome, unwholesome or neutral cognitive states. For details s. Tab. II, III. Cf. prec. (App . )
cetaso vinibandha: 'mental bondages', are 5 things which hinder the mind from making right exertion, namely: lust for sensuous objects, for the body, for visible things, for eating and sleeping, and leading the monk's life for the sake of heavenly rebirth. For details, s. A.V, 205; X, 14; D. 33; M. 16. Cf. foll.
cetokhila: 'mental obduracies', are 5 things which stiffen and hinder the mind from making right exertion, namely: doubt about the Master, about the Doctrine, about the (holy) Brotherhood, about the training, and anger against one's fellow-monks. For details s. A.V, 206, X 14; D. 33; M. 16. Cf. prec.
ceto-pariya-ñána: 'penetrating knowledge of the mind (of others)', is one of the 6 higher powers (abhiññá 3, q.v.).
ceto-vimutti: 'deliverance of mind'. In the highest sense it signifies the fruition of Arahatship (s. ariya-puggala), and in particular, the absorption associated with it. It is often linked with the 'deliverance through wisdom' (paññá-vimutti, q.v.), e.g. in the ten powers of a Perfect One (s. dasa-bala). See vimokkha I.
It is also called 'unshakable deliverance of mind' (akuppa-c.); further 'boundless d. of m'. (appamána-c.); 'd. of m. from the conditions of existence, or signless d. of m.' (animittá-c.); 'd. of m. from the appendages' (ákincañña-c.), since that state of mind is free from the 3 bonds, conditions and appendants, i.e. from greed, hatred and ignorance; and since it is void thereof, it is called the 'void deliverance of mind' (suññatá-c.)
In a more restricted sense, 'boundless deliverance of mind' is a name for the 4 boundless states, i.e. loving-kindness, compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity (s. brahma-vihára); 'd. of m. from the appendages' stands for the 'sphere of nothingness' (ákiñcaññáyatana s. jhána 7); 'd. of mind from the conditions of existence', for d. of mind due to non-attention to all conditions of existence; 'void d. of m' for d. of m. due to contemplating voidness of self. For further details, s. M. 43.
Cha - six.
Chair – pí.tha. n.
chal-abhiññá: the 6 'higher powers'; s. abhiññá.
chal-abhiñño: an Arahat who is a 'possessor of the 6 higher powers' (s. abhiññá).
chanda: intention, desire, will.