<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RC7D5.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>There are many synonyms to the words given in the table. Only mentioning some of the popular words.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-31T06:56:16.680Z
According to the discussion under this question: http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/3062/760 the translation of "enlightenment" should be bodhi, not nibbana.
kami
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2014-08-31T07:47:07.720Z
The distinction made there is with regards to Magga & Phala nana.
More at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mahasi/progress.html 

But the word 'enlightenment' is commonly used to refer to Nibbana.
Sankha Kulathantille
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2014-08-09T17:53:00.780Z
2014-08-10T20:40:58.207Z
2014-08-10T20:40:58.207Z
Sankha Kulathantille
<ul>
<li>Enlightenment - <em>bodhi</em> (awakening), <em>vimokṣa</em>, <em>vimukti</em> (liberation).</li>
<li>Meditation -    <em>bhāvanā</em> (cultivation), <em>samādhi</em> (concentration), <em>śamatha</em> (calmness), <em>samāpatti</em>, <em>dhyāna</em>.</li>
<li>Loving-kindness - <em>maitrī</em>. </li>
<li>Soul - as permanent entity which doesn't exists is <em>ātman</em>. Soul as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul" rel="nofollow"><em>psyche</em></a> or mind is <em>citta</em>, <em>manas</em>, or as life force is <em>jīvita-indriya</em>.</li>
<li>Reincarnation - is uncommon in Buddhist discourse. </li>
<li>Rebirth - <em>pratisaṃdhi</em>. Where birth is <em>jāti</em> or <em>bhāva</em>. </li>
<li>Pure - <em>śubha</em>. </li>
<li>Heaven - <em>deva-loka</em>. </li>
<li>Repentance - 懺 (ch'an) which is <em>kṣamā</em>. </li>
<li>Pure land - <em>buddha-kṣetra</em>. </li>
<li>Deity - <em>devatā</em>.</li>
</ul>

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2014-08-10T14:11:04.590Z
I think śubha means beautiful; suddha (śuddha in Skt) is pure.
yuttadhammo
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2014-08-10T14:25:50.703Z
@yuttadhammo 'Beautiful' is one of the [meanings](http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/tamil/recherche?dictionary=mwd&prst=exact&st=zubha), but also "*good (in moral sense) , righteous , virtuous , honest; pure (as an action)*".
catpnosis
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2014-08-10T14:39:22.980Z
Sure, but it's not the best literal translation for pure, that's all.
yuttadhammo
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2014-08-10T16:26:39.947Z
@yuttadhammo I thought MatthewMartin meant not just some abstract purity, but purity of action and personality, where *śubha* is good fit.
catpnosis
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-10T19:03:35.403Z
What is your source for thinking that?  It means literally 
"beautiful"; that it can be in some cases glossed as meaning "pure" doesn't make it a good fit. See http://sanskritdictionary.com/?q=%C5%9Bubha or http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/word/237402/subha or http://vedabase.net/s/subha - nowhere is it defined as "pure".
yuttadhammo
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2014-08-10T20:06:51.237Z
@yuttadhammo Because OP said '*clean of earthly dirt*', where 'earthly' I read as *mundane*, and not some physical dirt. *Śubha/subha* is definitely have connotations of [purity](http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/dic3_s.htm) and [cleanliness](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:336.pali), and [goodness](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:530.pali). Sobhana cittas and cetasikas are w/o defilements, i.e. *pure* in ethical sense.
catpnosis
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2014-08-10T20:51:36.773Z
the only reference to purity in your first link is parenthetical for subha-sa~n~naa; cleanliness in the PED is for the noun form, and it's not a literal translation; goodness is also not a literal translation. Sobhana cittas are so-called because it is beautiful to be without defilements; the word still doesn't mean "pure".
yuttadhammo
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2014-08-11T12:13:45.757Z
I even provided links to dictionaries where it says in plain text 'purity', 'cleanliness', and 'good'. (I have even more links.) And you say it still doesn't have such *meaning*. Just because you don't like something doesn't make it non-existent. "Noun form", "not a literal translation" - who cares? Word does **have** such *meaning* and *use* (in the context of actions), literal or not. If I'm correct that OP asked in the context of *ethics* then word is correct. Beauty in actions or personality **is** purity. It's not context of beautiful dance moves or material art form. It's ethics.
catpnosis
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2014-08-11T12:19:47.030Z
OP was asking for "the" word for it. subha isn't it. It just doesn't mean "pure", except in the same way as, say, anavajja (non-guilt) does - i.e. obliquely. The CEPD has eleven words for pure and none of them are subha. `"pure: (adj.) suddha; suci; nimmala; accha; pasanna; pūta; asaṅkiṇṇa; amissa; kevala; niddosa; anavajja."`
yuttadhammo
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2014-08-11T13:21:33.280Z
OP was asking how some Western ideas & words, which he thinks of, and which he tried to express sometimes metaphorically (note: not literally), is correspond to words in Buddhist discourse. Not just to accidental dictionary words, but to word & ideas of Buddhist discourse. Idea of ethical (persona & actions) purity (from defilements) **is** 'beauty'. Nowhere I said it's exhausting meaning for purity. I'm not against other translations. I just said that śubha *have* such reading in particular context. Several references I provided. If some dictionary not includes that, so what? Others do.
catpnosis
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-09T19:55:59.897Z
2014-08-09T20:01:48.327Z
2014-08-09T20:01:48.327Z
catpnosis
<p>I think I know some of these, but the rest are a translation muddle. The west seems to <strong>not</strong> attempt to translate nirvana, sangha, dharma, mantra, mudra, buddha, bodhisattva (and probably a few more) and that for me is actually helpful. I expect that some of these correspond to multiple Pali/Sanskrit words.</p>

<p><strong>Enlightenment</strong>. In English, it is an anachronistic reference to the European age of Enlightenment.</p>

<p><strong>Meditation</strong>. This word predates the west's contact with Buddhism. I have no idea what non-Buddhist baggage it brings along.</p>

<p><strong>Loving-kindness</strong>. This sounds like Christianity projected on Buddhism.</p>

<p><strong>Soul</strong>. Seems like this is atman, but everyone seems determined to call it something like "self," which is for a man-in-the-street just a reflexive pronoun. (Does the self exist? Well, as much as any other pronoun, like "he" or "they")</p>

<p><strong>Reincarnation/rebirth</strong>. Synonyms in man-in-the-street's English, but I've seen people argue passionately how Buddhism believes one but not the other, sort of like believing in leasing but not renting (which are synonyms).</p>

<p><strong>Repentance</strong>. I know for sure this is a big deal in Chinese Buddhism. </p>

<p><strong>Pure/Purity</strong>. Means scrubbed clean of earthly dirt. I know this is a metaphor, but somehow, after 2000 years it falls as flat as if I tried to use a computer metaphor to explain to a 500BC farmer how the brain and cellular DNA works. </p>

<p><strong>Heaven/Pure Land</strong>.  Sukhāvatī comes to mind, but I'm not sure if this is a specific pure land, or the jargon for pure lands in general. Again, 'pure' makes it sound either homogenous or really well scrubbed, like a hospital. I'd rather just use whatever jargon word the originators used.</p>

<p><strong>Deity</strong>. This in man-in-the-street English mean a god, or God, just like the one's the Christian's pray to. In Vajrayana, people seem to argue that yidams are something else. </p>

<terminology>
What are the Pali or Sanskrit words for these things?
# What are the Pali or Sanskrit words for these things?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-09)

I think I know some of these, but the rest are a translation muddle. The west seems to **not** attempt to translate nirvana, sangha, dharma, mantra, mudra, buddha, bodhisattva (and probably a few more) and that for me is actually helpful. I expect that some of these correspond to multiple Pali/Sanskrit words.

**Enlightenment**. In English, it is an anachronistic reference to the European age of Enlightenment.

**Meditation**. This word predates the west's contact with Buddhism. I have no idea what non-Buddhist baggage it brings along.

**Loving-kindness**. This sounds like Christianity projected on Buddhism.

**Soul**. Seems like this is atman, but everyone seems determined to call it something like "self," which is for a man-in-the-street just a reflexive pronoun. (Does the self exist? Well, as much as any other pronoun, like "he" or "they")

**Reincarnation/rebirth**. Synonyms in man-in-the-street's English, but I've seen people argue passionately how Buddhism believes one but not the other, sort of like believing in leasing but not renting (which are synonyms).

**Repentance**. I know for sure this is a big deal in Chinese Buddhism.

**Pure/Purity**. Means scrubbed clean of earthly dirt. I know this is a metaphor, but somehow, after 2000 years it falls as flat as if I tried to use a computer metaphor to explain to a 500BC farmer how the brain and cellular DNA works.

**Heaven/Pure Land**. Sukhāvatī comes to mind, but I'm not sure if this is a specific pure land, or the jargon for pure lands in general. Again, 'pure' makes it sound either homogenous or really well scrubbed, like a hospital. I'd rather just use whatever jargon word the originators used.

**Deity**. This in man-in-the-street English mean a god, or God, just like the one's the Christian's pray to. In Vajrayana, people seem to argue that yidams are something else.

**Tags:** terminology


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-08-09. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

* Enlightenment - *bodhi* (awakening), *vimokṣa*, *vimukti* (liberation).
* Meditation - *bhāvanā* (cultivation), *samādhi* (concentration), *śamatha* (calmness), *samāpatti*, *dhyāna*.
* Loving-kindness - *maitrī*.
* Soul - as permanent entity which doesn't exists is *ātman*. Soul as [*psyche*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul) or mind is *citta*, *manas*, or as life force is *jīvita-indriya*.
* Reincarnation - is uncommon in Buddhist discourse.
* Rebirth - *pratisaṃdhi*. Where birth is *jāti* or *bhāva*.
* Pure - *śubha*.
* Heaven - *deva-loka*.
* Repentance - 懺 (ch'an) which is *kṣamā*.
* Pure land - *buddha-kṣetra*.
* Deity - *devatā*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: I think śubha means beautiful; suddha (śuddha in Skt) is pure.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 'Beautiful' is one of the [meanings](http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/tamil/recherche?dictionary=mwd&prst=exact&st=zubha), but also "*good (in moral sense) , righteous , virtuous , honest; pure (as an action)*".  
> **username_4**: Sure, but it's not the best literal translation for pure, that's all.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 I thought username_0 meant not just some abstract purity, but purity of action and personality, where *śubha* is good fit.  
> **username_4**: What is your source for thinking that?  It means literally  "beautiful"; that it can be in some cases glossed as meaning "pure" doesn't make it a good fit. See http://sanskritdictionary.com/?q=%C5%9Bubha or http://dictionary.buddhistdoor.com/en/word/237402/subha or http://vedabase.net/s/subha - nowhere is it defined as "pure".  
> **username_3**: @username_4 Because OP said '*clean of earthly dirt*', where 'earthly' I read as *mundane*, and not some physical dirt. *Śubha/subha* is definitely have connotations of [purity](http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/dic3_s.htm) and [cleanliness](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:336.pali), and [goodness](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:530.pali). Sobhana cittas and cetasikas are w/o defilements, i.e. *pure* in ethical sense.  
> **username_4**: the only reference to purity in your first link is parenthetical for subha-sa~n~naa; cleanliness in the PED is for the noun form, and it's not a literal translation; goodness is also not a literal translation. Sobhana cittas are so-called because it is beautiful to be without defilements; the word still doesn't mean "pure".  
> **username_3**: I even provided links to dictionaries where it says in plain text 'purity', 'cleanliness', and 'good'. (I have even more links.) And you say it still doesn't have such *meaning*. Just because you don't like something doesn't make it non-existent. "Noun form", "not a literal translation" - who cares? Word does **have** such *meaning* and *use* (in the context of actions), literal or not. If I'm correct that OP asked in the context of *ethics* then word is correct. Beauty in actions or personality **is** purity. It's not context of beautiful dance moves or material art form. It's ethics.  
> **username_4**: OP was asking for "the" word for it. subha isn't it. It just doesn't mean "pure", except in the same way as, say, anavajja (non-guilt) does - i.e. obliquely. The CEPD has eleven words for pure and none of them are subha. `"pure: (adj.) suddha; suci; nimmala; accha; pasanna; pūta; asaṅkiṇṇa; amissa; kevala; niddosa; anavajja."`  
> **username_3**: OP was asking how some Western ideas & words, which he thinks of, and which he tried to express sometimes metaphorically (note: not literally), is correspond to words in Buddhist discourse. Not just to accidental dictionary words, but to word & ideas of Buddhist discourse. Idea of ethical (persona & actions) purity (from defilements) **is** 'beauty'. Nowhere I said it's exhausting meaning for purity. I'm not against other translations. I just said that śubha *have* such reading in particular context. Several references I provided. If some dictionary not includes that, so what? Others do.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-08-09. Score: 2

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/RC7D5.png)

There are many synonyms to the words given in the table. Only mentioning some of the popular words.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: According to the discussion under this question: http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/3062/760 the translation of "enlightenment" should be bodhi, not nibbana.  
> **username_1**: The distinction made there is with regards to Magga & Phala nana. More at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mahasi/progress.html   But the word 'enlightenment' is commonly used to refer to Nibbana.  

---

