GLOSSARY
Anicca
(Pali; anitya in Sanskrit) the belief that all things, including the self, are impermanent and constantly changing: the first of the three basic characteristics of existence.
Buddha
(Pāli and Sanskrit): a personal title, meaning “the awakened one” or “the enlightened one;” most commonly used for Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
Dāna
(Pāli and Sanskrit): Generosity; charity. Traditionally refers to the giving of alms or donations to monastic or spiritually-developed people.
Dharma
(Sanskrit; Dhamma in Pāli): the teachings of the Buddha; the nature of reality; phenomena.
Dukkha
(Pāli; Duḥkha in Sanskrit): sorrow; stress; unsatisfactoriness; the suffering in life caused by clinging to temporary phenomena as if they were permanent.
Kalyāṇa-mitta
(Pāli; Kalyāṇa-mitra in Sanskrit): good friend; wise companion; a teacher or mentor in understanding the Dharma.
Karma
(Sanskrit; Kamma in Pāli): action; doing; cause and effect; intentional activity that leads to immediate and future consequence(s).
Karuṇā
(Pāli and Sanskrit): compassion; kindness; the desire for harm and suffering to be removed from oneself and others.
Mettā
(Pāli; Maitrī in Sanskrit): lovingkindness; benevolence; friendliness; goodwill; an active desire for the well-being and happiness of oneself and others.
Muditā
(Pāli and Sanskrit): the sympathetic, appreciative joy in the success and happiness of others.
Saṅgha
(Pāli; Saṃgha in Sanskrit): traditionally, the communities of Buddhist monks and nuns; followers of the Buddha, whether monastics or lay-people.
Sati
(Pali; smṛti in Sanskrit) mindfulness or awareness, a spiritual or psychological faculty (indriya) that forms an essential part.
Sukha
(Pāli and Sanskrit): quiet joy; ease; unhindered flow; the opposite of Dukkha.
Upekkhā
(Pāli; Upekṣā in Sanskrit): equanimity; evenness of mind; serenity; unshakeable freedom of mind; a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss.
The Gift We Give to Ourselves
Recovery is the lifelong process of recovering our true natures and finding a way to an enduring and nonharmful sense of happiness. In recovery, we can finally find the peace so many of us had been searching for in our addictions. We can break through our isolation and find a community of wise friends to support us on our path. We can build a home for ourselves, within ourselves, and we can help others do the same.