A transliteration of the Sanskrit aran!ya and Pali aran~n~a. （1） The literal meaning is "forest" "woods" or "wilderness，" but （2） it refers to the forest as a quiet place of practice for the religious seeker， neither too far， nor to near from the centers of population. （3） By association， it can also refer to a hermitage or meditation hut of a religious practitioner. （4） Cessation， quiescence. （HPC 7.49b） （5） A forest-dweller. One who practices meditation in the quiet of the wilderness. Translated into Chinese as 无诤声 （a^ranyaka）.