aranya ［阿蘭若・阿練若・空閑］ (;  arannya, arennya, or kūgen): A secluded place of retirement for Buddhist practice. To concentrate on their Buddhist practice, monks lived in a quiet place such as a forest, with few distractions and far from human habitation. Aranya means forest, wilderness, or a foreign or distant land. In the Chinese version of Buddhist scriptures, aranya is interpreted as “a deserted and quiet place,” “an empty and silent place,” etc.