TERMINOLOGY

One problem we have in the Western world, is that Buddhism comes with multiple choices and options. Many of us get a taste of it through several different lineages and schools before finding the one that clicks with us. This can lead to confusion in many areas, including with the terminology.

For example, if referring to the person known in one lingo as an Arhat, they may also be known in different languages as a Foe Destroyer or an Arahant, as well as other terms from other places and languages.

Whereas I have found it easy to connect the right word to the right being, it remains difficult to recall which language the words I use stem from. This can lead to a written paragraph or spoken conversation using words from multiple sources. For example, I may refer to Sanskrit, Pali, Thai, and Tibetan, all in the same paragraph.

Once you have completed much study, it is not so bad - as you come across the various terms for the same matter so often that you may eventually learn them all. But at first, it can be exceedingly confusing to have to learn three or four different words for the same item.