Glossary of Buddhist temple terminology

Abbithaya ඇබ්ත්‍තයා

a boy usually over ten years of age, who has been chosen by his parents to join the priesthood; he serves as a novitiate for three years under a senior priest at the temple before he can be ordained as a samanera (qv).

Agula

door bolt; also dandu agula (dandu = wood or timber)

Antarala

porch or vestibule.

Arama

Buddhist Monastery

Asana

elevated seat for a priest. In the present context, and as used in this book, a throne for the Buddha Image.

Avasa

building for bhikkhus.

Bahirawa figure

demon figure

Bana maduwa

See maduwa

Bemme

parapet wall. Walakulu bemme symbolising a cloud effect; and diyareli bemme symbolising a wave effect.

Bodhi maluwa

see maluwa

Bodhisattva

one who temporarily renounces attaining Nibbana so that he may help others to attain that state of Enlightenment.

Buddha carita

incidents in the life of the Buddha, viz.,birth, leaving home, His first awareness of disease, old age and death, etc.

Buddhist era, B.E.

Begins 543 B.C., with the death of the Buddha (though some scholars prefer the date 483 B.C.).

Budu-gé

image house

Buddhu-res

the six-coloured aura emanating from the body of the Buddha when he finally attained Enlightenment. Often represented as a halo of coloured rays.

Ceitiya

stupa, dagaba. Also spelt dagaba. pinnacle.

Cubit

one and a half feet.

Dagaba

stupa, dagaba. Also spelt cetiya.

Devata Kotuwa

abode of the gods. A squat cylindrical structure lying directly on the hataras kotuwa(qv); usually with mouldings of devas on its surface. Above it is the conical spire.

Devale

temple of Hindu gods or deities, attached to or within the precincts of a Buddhist temple. The Buddha Image is prayed to for spiritual solace, while the deity within the devale is approached for material returns. Is in charge of a laycustodian or kapurala, who will solicit the god or gods on one’s behalf

Devas

deities; Hindu gods.

Dharma salawa

hall used for preaching.

Dhyani

hand positions indicating meditation.

Dig-gé

porch of a devale

Gaja-sinha

mythical elephant-lion figure, usually decorating balustrades or other entrances to religious buildings. Appears in the religious architecture of the 14th century and gradually displaces the makara balustrade that is characteristic of the Classical period. Is also found moulded in friezes and in paintings.

Ganninanse

unordained secularised monks who, whenever it suited them, would put aside their robes and carry out services normally forbidden them by the Sangha, eg., ploughing the fields. Some even had families.

Gedi-gé

a brick or stone building with vaulted roof.

Gnati sishya paramparawa

hereditary or familial succession in an Incumbency.

Gramavasin

in the early days of Buddhism the priest who chose to go amongst the people to preach and advise rather than stay in seclusion and lead an ascetic life. (Skt. grama; Pali, gama).

Gru-ha

covering over a stupa.

Gurula, gurulu

a mythical bird

Hansa putuwa

two swans with necks intertwined.

Hataras kotuwa

the four-sided (hatara) box sitting atop the dome of the stupa. Usually has the ira-handa motif moulded on each face.

Hewisi-gé

drummers’ hall. Also called hewisi mandapa.

ira-handa

sun and moon motif in painting, sculpture etc.

Jataka stories

stories of the Buddha’s previous births.

Karanduwa

casket for Relics.

Kasina meditation

meditation by concentrating on a single colour (red, blue or yellow) or a coloured disc. Based on the phenomenon of the after-image.

Ketumala

see siraspata.

Kibihi-muna

lion’s head/face at keystone of the torana. Usually with goggling eyes and protruding tongue.

Kiri mati

white clay

Kuti

cells or rooms used as residences for bhikkhus; a single-unit residence for a bhikkhu.

Maduwa

open hall

Maduwe service

military service as rajakariya.

Maitreya Buddha

the Buddha that is yet to come 2500 years from now.

Makara

a composite animal, with head of a crocodile, a snout like an elephant’s trunk but short and curled up, the ears of a pig, feet of a lion, and body and tail like that of a bird or fish. The tail may be curled in like that of a crayfish.

Makara torana

an ornamental arch, supported by a carved or moulded makara on either side, and with a kibihi as keystone.

Makulu

white magnesite

Mal asana

raised platform in front of shrine for flower offerings.

Maluwa

terrace or platform without roof, eg..bodhi maluwa.

Mandapa

open hall.

Mati

clay. Also spelt mate.

Mangal lakunu

signs of the Zodiac; seen sometimes on the footprint of the Buddha.

Mara Yuddhaya

the battle against Mara, the Evil One. This was just before the Buddha’s final Enlightenment. Representations of this are frequently seen in temple murals.

Mithuna

man and woman coupled totether in one panel.

Moonstone

usually a half-moon shaped doorstep. But occasionally a full circle. Has finely carved figures of four animals the elephant, horse, lion and bull, just within its periphery; a row of swans (hansa) further in, and entwining creepers in other concentric rows. At centre is the lotus

Netra pinkama

eye-painting ceremony and festival. Also called netra mangalaya. The painting of the Buddha’s eyes was an elaborate ceremony carried out at an auspicious hour and day at the completion of the construction of the statue. Strictly, the artist dressed to represent the King, does not look directly at the Buddha’s face when doing this but does it over his shoulder while looking into a mirror. The same procedure is more or less followed even today.

Nikaya

a religious sect. Three sects are represented in Sri Lanka: Siyam nikaya, the original sect following the upasampada introduced from Siam; Amarapura nikaya formed in 1803 A. D.,and the Ramannya nikaya formed in 1864 A.D. These last two sects were founded by leaders who took their upasampada in Burma, and returned to found the respective nikayas here.

Niyera

raised ridge dividing paddy fields into workable lots.

Padmasana

the ‘lotus’ posture seen in the Indian Buddha Image. (See also virasana). Refers also to the lotus throne.

Pansala .

residence for bhikkhus. Literally “house of leaves’

Parinibbana

the final emancipation of the Buddha from samsara. Represented in the statue showing a recumbent Buddha lying on his right side with his right hand placed between head and pillow. His eyes are three-quarter closed, and his left foot is slightly withdrawn from the right foot so that the left big toe is shown lying further back than the right toe.

Pattirippuwa

octagonal tower. Served various purposes,processions etc. or to present himself to public. Though originally set up for the king to watch view. Often, in recent times, used to house ola manuscripts and other ancient books, ie. serving as a library.

Pesava

circular terraces, usually three in number, round the base of the dome of a ceitiya. Also called “vedika bumi”.

Pethi-kada

paintings on cloth; either kept as a scroll or may be hung upon the wall.

Pilimagé

image house

Pirivena

school attached to the monastery; not necessarily for monks only.

poya-gé, pohoya-gé

separate building within the vihara precincts set aside for ordinations, confessionals and other religious duties.

Pratima gruha

shelter for the Buddha image(s); image house.

Raja-guru

royal preceptor or advisor to the King. A position usually held by a monk, though not always so. Aratagama Rajaguru Bandara, the poet and author of the Nampotha, was a layman.

Rajakariya

Obligatory labour/duties imposed by the King. Usually hereditary.

Saka era

78 A.D. onwards.

Samadhi

the posture of the Buddha image in meditation

Samanera

a young ordained priest, before taking the Higher Ordination or Upasampada. The samanera will continue his training and studies under his mentor until he is twenty years of age, when he may ask for the Higher Ordination. To be successful here he is examined bythe Chapter (of twenty priests) and if found satisfactory, he becomes fully ordained into the higher Order. His further progress (nayaka, anunayaka, mahanayaka) is by election by the Sangha.

Sangha paramparawa

nati sishya paramparawa or relative succession to the Incumbency. Two sub-gruops: varga paramparawa where the successor is a relative but not necessarily a priest; and suvuru paramparawa, where the relative has to be a priest as well.

Sannasa, pl. sannas

royal edict on copper plate or talipot leaf, or occasionally on stone.

Sariputra

an ancient work on the proportions of the Buddha image; named after its author.

Siraspata

flame or lyre-shaped aura on head of the Buddha. Came into prominence after the Polonnaruwa period and become well established during the Gampola & Kandy periods.

Sishyanu-sishya paramparawa

pupillary succession from teacher to pupil; not familial or hereditary as in nati-sishya succession.

Torana

archway, pandol

Tuda potha

a legal document, similar to the sannasa (qv).

Uposatta

the Buddhist fast days.

Uposatta ghara

a special building set aside for the meeting of monks during these days, when they have to confess their transgressions. See also poya-ge.

Usnisa, ushnisha

a protuberance on the top of the Buddha’s head, symbolising Enlightenment. In Thai images of the Buddha a lotus bud is added to the top of the usnisa; in others, this takes the shape of a pointed flame. See also siraspata.

Vahal-kada

an elaborately ornamented structure seen at the foot of many stupas at the four cardinal points. Some of the stele at the corners of this structure have been compared to the ancient Asoka pillars as they have a carved figure of an animal, a lion or an elephant, atop each column. The actual function of the structure is uncertain. (See J.B. Dissanayake, “Mihintale.”).

Vahana

animal figure, often serving as base of pedestal.

Vajra

gem, diamond.

Vajr-asana

throne ornamented with vajras’ for the Buddha image; adamantine throne.

Vanavasin

the early ascetic monks who chose to lead a secluded life, often living in remote hermitages away from the people.

Vatahapata

fan; monk’s fan.

Vehera

ceitiya

Veda-bhikkhu

a monk (bhikkhu) who practises medicine, the ayuveda. He usually does this without expecting renumeration. Similarly, veda-paramparawa.being the ineage of those practising medicine.