Buddhist Dictionary - Manual of Buddhist Terms & Doctrines - 4th Edition

Sep 28, 2026

Buddhist Dictionary - Manual of Buddhist Terms & Doctrines presents precise, canonical and post-canonical definitions of Pàli doctrinal terms, integrating explanations grounded in Sutta, Abhidhamma, and Commentaries. The fourth revised edition, edited by Nyanaponika and published by the Buddhist Publication Society, explains how and why certain technical terms differ across textual collections. It also discusses translation choices into English, clarifying frequent misinterpretations of key teachings such as the eightfold Path, the four Noble Truths, dependent origination, and anattà.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages402

Reading Time10 h 19 min

AccessFree to download

From The Preface To The First Edition

Purpose and scope of the manual

Relationship between Sutta Canon, Abhidhamma Canon, and Commentaries

Translation principles into English

Doctrinal explanations highlighted (8-fold Path, 4 Noble Truths, dependent origination, anattà)

Editor’s Preface To The Third Edition

Reasons for revision and enlargement

Types of editorial updates and added references

Buddhist Dictionary Manual of Buddhist Terms & Doctrines (4th Edition) by Ven. Nyanatiloka E-mail: bdea@buddhanet.net Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Buddhist Dictionary Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines Nyanatiloka Fourth Revised Edition edited by Nyanaponika Buddhist Publication Society Kandy / Sri Lanka Buddhist Publication Society P. O. Box 61 54, Sangharaja Mawatha Kandy, Sri Lanka First Edition 1952 Second Revised Edition 1956 Third Revised & Enlarged Edition 1972 (Pub. by Frewin & Co., Ltd., Colombo) Fourth Revised Edition 1980 (Buddhist Publication Society) Reprinted 1988 ©1980 by Buddhist Publication Society ISBN – 955 – 24 – 0019 – 8 From The Preface To The First Edition As a first attempt of an authentic dictionary of Buddhist doctrinal terms, used in the Pàli Canon and its Commentaries, this present manual will fill a real gap felt by many students of Buddhism. It provides the reader not with a mere superficial enumeration of important Pàli terms and their English equivalents, but offers him precise and authentic definitions and explanations of canonical and post-canonical terms and doctrines, based on Sutta, Abhidhamma and Commentaries, and illustrated by numerous quotations taken from these sources, so that, if anyone wishes, he could, by intelligently joining together the different articles, produce without difficulty a complete exposition of the entire teachings of Buddhism. As already pointed out by the author in the preface to his Guide through the Abhidhamma-Piñaka (Colombo 1938), there are found in the Abhidhamma Canon numerous technical terms not met with in the Sutta Canon; and again other terms are found only in the Commentaries and not in Sutta and Abhidhamma . The author therefore has made a first attempt – without, however, laying any claim to absolute reliability or completeness in this by no means easy undertaking – to indicate in the Appendix all the terms that in the oldest Sutta texts are either not found at all, or at least not in the same form or meaning, and to set forth how far these are deviations from the older texts, or further developments. In this connection, the author wishes to state that the often quoted Patisambhidà-Magga, as well as Niddesa, Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka, though included in the Khuddaka Nikàya of the Sutta Piñaka, nevertheless bear throughout the character of Commentaries, and though apparently older than the Sutta Commentaries handed down to us in Buddhaghosa’s version, must doubtless belong to a later period of origin than the Abhidhamma Canon . In rendering the terms into English, I often had to differ considerably from the interpretation of Western scholars, and to introduce quite new words. A great number of such earlier translations must be considered partly as totally incorrect, partly as misleading, or atthe very least ambiguous. Incorrect are, for instance, the English renderings of nàma-råpa by ‘name and form’; javana (impulsion, i.e . the karmic impulsive moments) by ‘apperception’, etc . The expositions concerning the true nature of the 8-fold Path, the 4 Noble Truths, the pañiccasamuppàda and the 5 groups of existence – doctrines which, with regard to their true nature, have been often misunderstood by Western authors – are sure to come to many as a revelation . On the doctrine of anattà, or ‘egolessness’, i.e . the impersonality and emptiness of all phenomena of existence, the author repeatedly felt the necessity of throwing light from every possible point of view, for it is exactly 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 means possible to understand it in its true light. Thus the doctrine of impersonality runs like a red thread right through the whole book. May this little manual provide an ever-

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this Buddhist dictionary manual?

It aims to provide precise, authentic definitions and explanations of Buddhist doctrinal terms, based on Sutta, Abhidhamma, and Commentaries, supported by quotations from these sources.

Why does the manual address differences between Sutta, Abhidhamma, and Commentaries?

Because many technical terms appear in the Abhidhamma Canon but not in the Sutta Canon, and other terms are found only in the Commentaries; the appendix indicates where oldest texts differ or develop.

How does the book approach translating Pàli terms into English?

The preface explains that earlier translations by Western scholars are often incorrect, misleading, or ambiguous, and the translator sometimes introduced new words to better reflect meaning.

Sep 28, 2026

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