Hello Pali students and teachers;
I am a student of Buddhism and I've begun to study some of the literature
translated from the Pali. I've noticed that in Bhikkhu Nanamoli's
translations the English word "taint" has an important role in expounding
the Dhamma. For example, when Buddha replied to the monk Upaka's questions
concerning his state he said, "The victors like me, Upaka, are those whose
taints are quite exhausted." (_The Life of the Buddha According to the
Pali Canon_, p.41) Sariputta's state was also characterized this way:
"...his heart was liberated from taints through not clinging." (p.75)

Here are some paragraphs from Sariputta's _The Discourse on Right View_ ,
the _Sammaditthi Sutta_, where the Pali word translated as "taints" is
key.

69. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands the taints, the origin of
the taints, the cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the
cessation of the taints, in that way he is one of right view, whose view
is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.

70. "And what are the taints, what is the origin of the taints, what is
the cessation of the taints, what is the way leading to the cessation of
the taints? There are three taints: the taint of sensual desire, the taint
of being and the taint of ignorance. With the arising of ignorance there
is the arising of the taints. With the cessation of ignorance there is the
cessation of the taints. The way leading to the cessation of the taints is
just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention,
right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness and right concentration.

71. "When a noble disciple has thus understood the taints, the origin of
the taints, the cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the
cessation of the taints, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to
lust, he abolishes the underlying tendency to aversion, he extirpates the
underlying tendency to the view and conceit 'I am,' and by abandoning
ignorance and arousing true knowledge he here and now makes an end of
suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view, whose
view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived
at this true Dhamma."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel377.html

I've looked at the online Pali glossaries but couldn't find the word that
is translated here as "taints". Can someone with a little spare time find
out what this Pali word is and share with me how it is used in different
contexts? I'd be gratefull for the illumination.
Kind regards,
Wayne Turner


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