[In the text of the present booklet all unnecessary terms have been
avoided. Whenever a good English equivalent could be found, the foreign
expression has been dropped. Nevertheless, the introduction not only of
many foreign-sounding names, but also of some of the original terms, was
unavoidable.
Now we have to state that the Eastern people, at least those of Hindu
culture during the golden age of Buddhism in India, adopted the habit of
translating not only terms but also names. A German whose name is
Schmied is not called Smith in English, but Buddhists, when translating
from Pāli into Sanskrit, change Siddhattha into Siddhartha. The reason
of this strange custom lies in the fact that Buddhists originally
employed the popular speech and did not adopt the use of Sanskrit until
about five hundred years after Buddha. Since the most important names
and terms, such as Nirvāna, Karma and Dharma, have become familiar to us
in their Sanskrit form, while their Pali equivalents, Nibbāna, Kamma and
Dhamma, are little used, it _appeared advisable to prefer for some terms
the Sanskrit forms_, but there are instances in which the Pāli, for some
reason or other, has been preferred by English authors [e. g. Krishā
Gautamī is always called Kisāgotamī], we present here in the Glossary
both the Sanskrit and the Pāli forms.
Names which have been Anglicised, such as "Brahmā, Brahman, Benares,
Jain, and karma," have been preserved in their accepted form. If we
adopt the rule of transferring Sanskrit and Pali words in their
stem-form, as we do in most cases (e.g. Nirvāna, ātman), we ought to
call Brahmā "Brahman," and karma "karman." But us us est tyrannus. In a
popular book it is not wise to swim against the stream.
Following the common English usage of saying "Christ," not "the Christ,"
we say in the title "Buddha," not "the Buddha."]
* * * * *
Abni'ññā, _p._, Abhi'jññā, _skt._, supernatural talent. There are six
abhijññās which Buddha acquired when attaining perfect
enlightenment:--(i) the celestial eye, or an intuitive insight of the
nature of any object in any universe; (2) the celestial ear, or the
ability to understand any sound produced in any universe; (3) the power
of assuming any shape or form; (4) knowledge of all forms of
pre-existence of one's self and others; (5) intuitive knowledge of the
minds of all beings; and (6) knowledge of the finality of the stream of
life.
Acira'vatī, _p._ and _skt._, a river.
Agni, _p._ and _skt._, a god of the Brahmans, the god of fire.
Ajatasa'ttu, _p._, Ajatasa'tru, _skt._, the son of king Bimbisāra and
his successor to the throne of Magadha.
Alā'ra, _p._, Ārā'da, _skt._, a prominent Brahman philosopher. His full
name is Ālāra Kālāma.
Ambapā'lī, the courtesan, called "Lady Amra" in Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King.
It is difficult for us to form a proper conception of the social
position of courtesans at Buddha's time in India. This much is sure,
that they were not common prostitutes, but ladies of wealth, possessing
great influence. Their education was similar to the hetairs in Greece,
where Aspasia played so prominent a part. Their rank must sometimes have
been like that of Madame Pompadour in France at the court of Louis XIV.
They rose to prominence, not by birth, but by beauty, education,
refinement, and other purely personal accomplishments, and many of them
were installed by royal favor. The first paragraphs of Khandhaka VIII of
the Mahāvagga [S. _B_., Vol. XVII, pp. 171--172] gives a fair idea of
the important role of courtesans in those days. They were not
necessarily venal daughters of lust, but, often women of distinction and
repute, worldly, but not disrespectable.
Amitā'bha, _p._ and _skt._, endowed with boundless light, from _amita_,
infinite, immeasurable, and _ābbā_, ray of light, splendor, the bliss of
enlightenment. It is a term of later Buddhism and has been personified
as Amitābha Buddha, or Amita. The invocation of the all-saving name of
Amitābha Buddha is a favorite tenet of the Lotus or Pure Land sect, so
popular in China and Japan. Their poetical conception of a paradise in
the West is referred to in Chapter LX. Southern Buddhism knows nothing
of a personified Amitābha, and the Chinese travellers Fa-hien and
Hiuen-tsang do not mention it. The oldest allusion to Amita is found in
the Amitāyus Sūtra, translated A.D. 148--170. [See Eitel, _Handbook_,
pp. 7--9.]
Āna'nda, _p._ and _skt._, Buddha's cousin and his favorite disciple. The
Buddhistic St. John (Johannes).
Anāthapi'ndika, _p._ and _skt._, (also called Anāthapi'ndada in _skt._)
literally "One who gives alms (pinda) to the unprotected or needy
(anātha)." Eitel's etymology "one who gives without keeping (anātha) a
mouthful (pinda) for himself" is not tenable. A wealthy lay devotee
famous for his liberality and donor of the Jetavana vihāra.
Annabhā'ra, _p._ and _skt._, literally "he who brings food"; name of
Sumana's slave.
Aññā'ta, _p._, Âjñā'ta, _skt._, literally "knowing", a cognomen of
Kondañña, the first disciple of Buddha.
Anuru'ddha, a prominent disciple of Buddha, known as the great master of
Buddhist metaphysics. He was a cousin of Buddha, being the second son of
Amritodana, a brother of Suddhodana.