Pali Vocabulary

止

Calm / Tranquillity (meditation)

masculine noun (a-stem)

Tranquillity meditation — the development of one-pointed mental concentration (samādhi) through sustained focus on a single meditation object (kammaṭṭhāna). Samatha leads to the jhānas and the various supernormal knowledges (abhiññā). Contrasted with vipassanā (insight), the two wings of Buddhist meditation are often described as samatha-vipassanā.

觀

Insight Meditation

feminine noun (ā-stem): vi- (clearly/distinctively) + passanā (seeing)

Insight meditation — the direct investigation of the Three Characteristics (anicca, dukkha, anattā) in one's immediate experience of body, feeling, mind, and mental objects. Unlike samatha which aims at concentration, vipassanā aims at liberating wisdom (paññā). The direct seeing of anicca, dukkha, and anattā in one's own experience progressively weakens and eliminates the fetters (saṃyojana) binding one to saṃsāra.

禪那

Meditative Absorption / Jhana

neuter noun (a-stem): from jhāyati (to meditate/contemplate)

The meditative absorptions — profound states of unified, blissful concentration. The four rūpa-jhānas (form-sphere absorptions) are: (1) first jhāna — applied thought (vitakka) + sustained thought (vicāra) + rapture (pīti) + pleasure (sukha) + one-pointedness (ekaggatā); (2) second jhāna — internal stillness + pīti + sukha + ekaggatā; (3) third jhāna — equanimity (upekkhā) + sukha + ekaggatā; (4) fourth jhāna — pure equanimity + ekaggatā. Four more arūpa-jhānas (formless absorptions) follow. The Chinese character for 'Chan' (禪) and 'Zen' (禅) both derive from this Pali/Sanskrit term.

念

Mindfulness / Awareness / Memory

feminine noun (i-stem)

Mindfulness — the quality of present-moment aware attention, clear and non-reactive. Sati is the seventh factor of the Eightfold Path (sammā-sati) and is developed through the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna): contemplation of body (kāya), feeling tone (vedanā), mind (citta), and mind-objects (dhammā). The word also carries the meaning of 'memory' and 'recollection' — remembering to stay present.

慧

Wisdom / Insight / Understanding

feminine noun (ā-stem)

Wisdom — the direct understanding of the nature of reality, especially the Three Characteristics (anicca, dukkha, anattā) and the Four Noble Truths. Paññā is the third of the three trainings (sikkhā): sīla (ethics), samādhi (concentration), and paññā. It is also the third component of the Noble Eightfold Path's wisdom (paññā) group alongside sammā diṭṭhi and sammā saṅkappa. Paññā is what distinguishes Buddhist insight from ordinary knowledge.

四念處

Four Foundations of Mindfulness

neuter noun compound: sati + upaṭṭhāna (establishment/presence)

The four domains for mindfulness practice outlined in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10): (1) kāyānupassanā — contemplation of body (breath, postures, clear comprehension, parts, elements, cemetery meditations); (2) vedanānupassanā — contemplation of feeling tone (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral); (3) cittānupassanā — contemplation of mind states; (4) dhammānupassanā — contemplation of mind-objects (Five Hindrances, Five Aggregates, Six Sense Bases, Seven Factors of Awakening, Four Noble Truths). The Buddha declared this the 'direct path' to Nibbāna.