Vitarka-vicāra
In Buddhism, vitarka (वितर्क; Pali: 𑀯𑀺𑀢𑀓𑁆𑀓, romanized: vitakka; Tibetan: རྟོག་པ།, Wylie: rtog pa, THL: tokpa), "applied thought,"(initial) inquiry," and vicāra (विचार and 𑀯𑀺𑀘𑀸𑀭; Tibetan: དཔྱོད་པ།, Wylie: dpyod pa, THL: chöpa), "investigating what has been focused on by vitakka, are qualities or elements of the first dhyāna or jhāna.
| Translations of Vitarka | |
|---|---|
| English | thought applied thought inquiry initial inquiry applied attention initial mental application initial intellectual investigative intent reflection |
| Sanskrit | वितर्क |
| Pali | 𑀯𑀺𑀢𑀓𑁆𑀓 |
| Chinese | 尋 (T) / 寻 (S) |
| Japanese | 尋 (Rōmaji: jin) |
| Korean | 심 (RR: sim) |
| Tibetan | རྟོག་པ། (Wylie: rtog pa; THL: tokpa) |
| Thai | วิตก (RTGS: witok) |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
| Translations of Vicāra | |
|---|---|
| English | examination investigation subsequent discursive reasoning and thought investigating what has been focused on by vitakka |
| Sanskrit | vicāra, विचार |
| Pali | vicāra, 𑀯𑀺𑀘𑀸𑀭 |
| Chinese | 伺 (T) / 伺 (S) |
| Japanese | 伺 (Rōmaji: shi) |
| Korean | 사 (RR: sa) |
| Tibetan | དཔྱོད་པ། (Wylie: dpyod pa; THL: chöpa) |
| Thai | วิจาร (RTGS: wichan) |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
In the Pali canon, Vitakka-vicāra form one expression, which refers to directing one's thought or attention on an object (vitarka) and investigating it (vicāra), "breaking it down into its functional components" to understand it [and] distinguishing the multitude of conditioning factors implicated in a phenomenal event."
The later Theravada commentarial tradition, as represented by Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga, interprets vitarka and vicāra as the initial and sustained application of attention to a meditational object, which culminates in the stilling of the mind. According to Fox and Bucknell vitarka-vicāra may also refer to "the normal process of discursive thought," which is quieted through absorption in the second jhāna.