A Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Terminologies

Ancient Buddhist literature contains mine of information as regards to the Buddhist terms and terminologies. The need for a dictionary of the Buddhist terms was felt as far back of Nagarjuna’s time and he compiled a list of technical terms. His kosa solved difficulties experienced by the students of Buddhist studies to understand Buddhist literature. Being on the work of Nagarjuna Prof. Max Muller has edited the work of his student Kenjiu Kasawara on the subject as early as in 1885 and brought out a monumental work on Buddhist terms but limiting his research only to one aspect of Buddhism. Another book on this subject that Nayanatilaka’s Buddhist Dictionary published in 1952. The present book A Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Terminologies, in a sense is a continuation of past research but with its wings spread to the various other aspects of Buddhism and remains an outcome of the results after and long spell of time, however, without laying any claim to its absolute completeness. Prof. Krishna Murthy a devoted scholar of Buddhism has prepared this dictionary bringing the Buddhist religion, theology, philosophy, literature, art, architecture, inconography and material culture within the compass of his study. The project is exhaustive, ambitious and vast. Such widely covered range of Buddhism is to divulge the Buddhist terms and terminologies couched in the Buddhist literature is attempted for the first time on such a large and ambitious scale and the author with his immaculate scholarship and indefatigable research brings out this vast study meticulously in three major sections. Section I embodies the subjects on Buddhist religion, theology, and philosophy. Section II covers the Buddhist terms and terminologies contained in the field of Buddhist art, architecture and iconography. Section III highlights the Buddhist terms relating to the material culture exemplifying the topics such as furniture, dress, military equipment, musical instruments, etc. all composing the Buddhist culture.