noun
Only with reading じゃく
Buddhist term for entering the state of nirvana, often used in formal or scriptural contexts.
高僧が寂に入る。
The high priest enters nirvana.
noun, used as a suffix
died (of a monk)
Only with reading じゃく
Suffix attached to a date to indicate the death of a Buddhist monk. Used in historical or religious records.
道元禅師は建長五年八月二十八日寂。
Zen Master Dōgen died on the 28th day of the 8th month of Kenchō 5.
taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Only with reading せき
Literary adjective/adverb describing profound silence or stillness. Usually read せき and used in classical or poetic language.
夜の森は寂として静まり返っていた。
The forest at night was utterly silent and still.
The kanji 寂 carries meanings of quiet, lonely, and nirvana. The reading じゃく is derived from Middle Chinese and is used in Buddhist terminology. The reading せき is also Sino-Japanese and appears in literary descriptions of silence. The historical derivation is uncertain beyond these Sino-Japanese origins.