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Search Queries

Search Help

Use the search bar to look in the Suttas (S), Dictionary (D) or Library (L) areas. Choose the area with the S / D / L buttons, then pick a search mode from the dropdown.

Search modes

Sutta references are matched first. Typing mn8, sn 56.11, iti92 will list those suttas.

  • Fulltext Match -- word-based full-text search over the whole text. Pāli words are stemmed, so a query matches its inflected forms. Best for finding a word anywhere in the texts.
  • Contains Match -- literal substring match. Finds the exact letters you typed, wherever they occur.
  • Title Match -- matches only the titles of suttas or books.
  • Combined (Dictionary) -- runs a DPD lookup together with the word deconstructor, the most helpful default for dictionary searches.
  • DPD Lookup -- looks up headwords and roots in the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary.
  • Headword Match -- matches dictionary headwords.

Fulltext Search Examples

The fulltext search uses tantivy's query syntax. The 'must' (+) and 'negative' (-) terms are particulary useful for filtering results.

Words don't have to be exactly near each other, e.g. so ce evam vadeyya will also find so ce bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya

Prefixing a term with + and - can control "Must" or "Must not" include.

santam padam abhisamecca -- each term may be included, but ok if not all are found.

santam padam +abhisamecca -- 'abhisamecca' must be included, even if the others may be absent.

santam padam -abhisamecca -- 'abhisamecca' must not be included.

Fulltext matches Pāli declensions but doesn't do partial word matches, so upasan doesn't find anything (not a valid declension stem) until you type upasankama.

The Contains Match is for exact partial matches.

Typing a query

  • Search-as-you-type runs a plain text query once it is 4 or more characters long; a recognised reference such as mn8 runs from 3. This way, short text queries which would match too many results are held back while you type.
  • Press the search button (or the Enter key) to run a query without waiting: a 3-character query runs straight away, while a 1- or 2-character query first asks you to confirm, because it can return many results.
  • In the Dictionary area, a one- or two-letter word such as i or ko can be looked up as a dictionary id by using the /dpd form (i/dpd, ko/dpd). Confirming the short-query prompt does this for you.

References open directly

  • A sutta reference such as SN 56.11, Dhp 183 or a book uid such as bmc.0 opens that text.
  • A dictionary reference such as dhamma 1.01, 34626/dpd or dhamma-1-01/dpd opens that entry.

Language filter

The language dropdown limits results to one language. Language (the first option) means no filter -- results from all languages are shown.

Query length summary

Length Search-as-you-type Search button

0 nothing nothing 1 held back confirm dialog 2 held back confirm dialog 3 reference (mn8) runs; text (eva) held back runs, no confirm 4 text (dasa) runs runs, no confirm