balas powers, strengths. The five powers, balas, are the same realities as the five spiritual faculties, indriyas, but when the indriyas have been developed so that they are unshakable by their opposites, they have become powers.

bhanga dissolution or breaking up.

bhanga khana dissolution moment of citta.

bhava-tanha craving for existence.

bhavana mental development, comprising the development of calm and development of insight.

bhavanga calana vibrating bhavanga arising shortly before a process of cittas experiencing an object through one of the six doors.

bhavanga-citta life-continuum, citta which does not arise within a process but in between processes.

bhavangupaccheda arrest bhavanga, last bhavangacitta before a process starts. The bhavangupaccheda which arises before a mind-door process is the mind-door of that process.

bhavogha the flood of desire for rebirth.

bhinkkhu monk.

bhinkkhuni nun.

bhumi plane of existence.

bodhipakkhiya dhammas thirty-seven factors: the four bases of success, iddhipadas, are: wish-to-do (chanda), energy (viriya), citta and vímamsa (investigation) . The four right efforts, samma-padhanas, are: the effort of avoiding akusala, of overcoming akusala, of developing kusala and of maintaining kusala. The five (spiritual) faculties, indriyas, are: confidence, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. Indriya means leader, ruler or controlling faculty. The faculties are “leaders”, each in their own field. The five powers (balas) are the same realities as the five spiritual faculties, indriyas, but when the indriyas have been developed so that they are unshakable by their opposites, they have become powers. The seven factors of enlightenment are: sati, investigation of the Dhamma (dhamma-vicaya), energy (viriya), rapture (píti), tranquillity (passaddhi), concentration (samadhi) and equanimity (upekkha) . All these thirty-seven factors (bodhipakkhiya dhammas) are the factors pertaining to enlightenment; if they are developed, they lead to enlightenment.

bodhisatta a being destined to become a Buddha.

bojjhangas the seven factors of enlightenment are: sati, investigation of the Dhamma (dhamma-vicaya), energy (viriya), rapture (piti), tranquillity (passaddhi), concentration (samadhi) and equanimity (upekkha) .

Brahma heavenly being born in the Brahma world, as a result of the attainment of jhana.

brahma-cariya pure or holy life. This term is used for the life of the monks and for the life of laypeople who observe eight precepts. However it is also used with regard to all those who develop the Eightfold Path. The goal of the 'brahma-cariya' is the eradication of all defilements.

brahma-viharas the four 'divine abidings', meditation subjects which are lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

brahmavihara-upekkha equanimity, one of the “divine abidings”.

Buddha a fully enlightened person who has discovered the truth all by himself, without the aid of a teacher.

Buddhaghosa the greatest of Commentators on the Tipitaka, author of the Visuddhimagga in 5 A.D.