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Muni
Muni (Skt., etym. uncertain; perhaps from √man, ‘think’, ‘be silent’; or mud, ‘intoxicated ecstasy’; or muka, ‘dumb’). In Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, one who has progressed far on the way to enlightenment. In Hinduism, a muni in the Vedic period is one who possesses magical powers (Ṛg Veda 136. 2), a wise ascetic, especially one who has taken a vow of silence. In the Upaniṣads (e.g. Katha Upaniṣad 1. 4), a muni is one who has transcended attachment to this world and life by the realization of ātman.
In Buddhism, it is used of one who has achieved tranquillity (santi; cf. ŚANTI) as a result of emancipating himself from views (see DIṬṬHI) and passions (rāgā) and who therefore advocates the doctrine of tranquillity (santivāda—Sutta Nipāta 5. 845). In later canonical and post-canonical Buddhist literature the word is used to mean one who practises restraint in the triple activity of thought, word, and deed. In Jainism, it has become the common word to denote the avowed ascetic. |
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Muni." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Muni." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Muni.html JOHN BOWKER. "Muni." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Muni.html |
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muni
muni (Skt.; Pāli, a sage). General term in Indian religion for a holy man or sage. The term occurs mainly in the older verse portions of the Pāli Canon (such as the Sutta Nipāta) as an epithet of Buddhas and Pratyekabuddhas, but rarely of Arhats. The Buddha is referred to as Śākyamuni (Pāli, Sākyamuni), or the ‘sage of the Śākyas’. In the Mahāyāna, with its expanded pantheon of Buddhas, the name Śākyamuni becomes the principal designation for the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (Pāli, Siddhatha Gotama).
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Cite this article
DAMIEN KEOWN. "muni." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "muni." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-muni.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "muni." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-muni.html |
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