2025
What's New?
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Individual articles on this page can be linked-to by appending '#' sign plus the abridged form of the entry date [e.g. #O.2.21.19]
to the end of the URL in the address bar.
For example: ~/dhammatalk/dhammatalk_forum/whats.new.2019.htm#O.2.21.19
Remember that this page will be renamed to "whats.new.0000.htm" at the end of the year and a new "whats.new.htm" will be started for the new year.
Disposition of BuddhaDust
The site is intended to be adopted by those interested in making the Dhamma their theme for meditation and for Dhamma researchers of all stripes. It is intended as a pattern, to be used as a basis for a personal desktop work environment or as a basis for promoting some view on the web, and should be seen as incomplete, needing correction, revision and improvement in all departments.
Oblog: [O.2.18.25] Tuesday, February 18, 2025
An Improved
Pāḷi/English Dictionary
for This Site
All non-English words and phrases are now in italics; sources for citations are now in boldface; abbreviations have for the most part[1] been spelled out, the sort order of the text has been changed from Pāḷi to English to make it easier for the non-Pāḷi-savvy reader to find terms (thanks for this feature to the great work of Alexander Genaud) and main entries have been given ids and hrefs so that linking to them from outside the dictionary is now possible.
The Dictionary can be accessed through the image-link
where found or through any of the links to it now being made in files.
A very few main entry terms have had their citations linked to the texts found on this site. This will not likely be a feature that will soon be implemented (I estimate that for one person to link every citation to its source document could take as much as 100 to 200 years!) Some important and often troublesome terms may have their citations to the four Nikāyas linked. See for example 'appamāda' or 'taṇhā' or 'upekkha'. This page, and the What's New? 2024 and What's New? 2019 pages have been re-worked to demonstrate the way the Dictionary can be used to provide extra depth.
To look up a term
Go to the Dictionary with your browser:
Type in CTRL+f
Type :: [main entry word]
To link to a main entry term:
Click the [main entry word] which will place the link to that word in your address bar.
Copy and paste.
—p.p.
For those who wish to have a desktop version or to install this dictionary stripped of the audio files, the letter images, the sidebars and related images, and the links to the texts on BuddhaDust for citations, a version is available on the Files and Downloads page. An internal stylesheet has been used there so the Dictionary is ready to go on installation; it can easily be removed or edited.
In spite of all the improvements, this Dictionary cannot be said to be error-free. Your tolerance is appreciated.
[1] Not all abbreviations will have been spelled out as a consequence of the erratic way — sometime two or three different abbreviations are given for a thing, sometimes the same abbreviation is given for a work cited and for a grammatical term or for a main entry. These and other problems will be corrected over time as this tool is used.
Oblog: [O.2.10.25] Monday, February 10, 2025
Foreshadowing, Tracks and After-Images
There is lots of talk about Nimittas: — What they are, what they mean.
The Vissudhimagga speaks of the nimitta as the reflex image of a kasina. Something like the after-image in green when one stares at red for a time (but without the inversion); a mental image of a physical thing one has used to attain kenning (jhāna), seeing.
The forest dwelling bhikkhus that follow the teachings of Ācariya Mun understand it as a vision that foretells the future or the meaning of some thing in the present.
Others may think of the nimitta as simply a sign that they have reached a certain level in meditation practice. They are able to 'see' a light.
What it is in terms of the phenomena is the partially formed or wholly formed image of a thing or a scene or scenario as it enters, remains and exits the mind.
A thing does not at first manifest itself wholly formed, it is compiled from multiple images. Becoming aware of those images before a thing has actually materialized one sees a foreshadowing.
This can be of a thing one is about to become aware of, or it may be an event in the near or even far future or near or far in the past. And it can be manipulated at certain points by other projections.
Such a thing can be seen in its various stages of development even after it has become manifested in the world or after it has passed from the world. It is another way of understanding memory (sati) "Once-Thus".
When it is an image of a thing having had "self" projected into it, (something saṅkāramed); once it has become a "real" thing, it is a "track". The arahant, having no wishes or thoughts of projecting self into anything, leaves no tracks.
All nimitta are projections made by some being or another; a wish, a thought projecting self into a situation, sometimes as an actor, sometimes as an observer; sometimes as a recognizable object, sometimes as a fantastical one, sometimes with form, sometimes without form.
So a person who has fully developed, say, the space device, can project space into an incompletely-formed foreshadowing of a wall such that he can pass through that wall. Observers without such vision will only see (if they see anything unusual at all) the passing through the wall. They will not see how it was done. The ordinary man wishing to develop such skill will do nothing more than injure his body bounding off the "solid" wall he is certain is there.
Devices (kasinas) are not necessary, and seem to me to be limiting, rather more than helpful. Whatever one wishes to do or see can be visualized mentally. But maybe it is useful for some. For me, all I got was a black eye from staring fixedly at the water device.
Seeing a foreshadowing of a track, or a track, or a vision of a track from the past one will know what the thoughts of the being making such a track were.
Intentional creation of a projected image, (a track) is otherwise called 'iddhi' and for the most part is deprecated by the Buddha as a trick, but certain aspects of it are frequently practiced (for example, visiting other realms in the body or in an astral body, or seeing past lives, or seeing the outcome of an action.
Oblog: [O.1.26.25] Sunday, January 26, 2025
New Olds translation:
SN 5.56.21 Paṭhama Vijjā Suttaṃ Visualizing (1)
The Buddha tells the bhikkhus that it is because of not having knowledge of, not penetrating the four truths that beings have been wandering round this round-and-round so very very long.
Oblog: [O.1.25.25] Saturday, January 25, 2025
New Olds translation:
SN 5.56.19 Saṅkāsanā Suttaṃ Expressions
The Buddha tells the bhikkhus that each of the four truths is capable of unlimited ways of being expressed. See also the Discussion of this sutta.
Oblog: [O.1.24.25] Friday, January 24, 2025
New Olds translation:
SN 4.42.10 Maṇicūḷaka Suttaṃ Maṇicūḷaka
I don't see how this can be understood as anything but a straight-up statement that money is not to be handled by the bhikkhu.
But I am not unaware that this is a hopeless situation, long past the possibility of correction.
Oblog: [O.1.22.25] Wednesday, January 22, 2025
New Olds translation:
SN 5.48.15 Paṭhama Vitthāra Suttaṃ In Detail (1)
The Buddha tells the bhikkhus that it is the degree to which they have mastered faith, energy, memory, serenity and wisdom that determines their having attained the various degrees of accomplishment in his system from Faith Follower to Arahant.
Oblog: [O.1.21.25] Tuesday, January 21, 2025
New Olds translation:
SN 4.42.9 Kula Suttaṃ Clans
Nataputta tries to disgrace the Buddha by suggesting he is doing the families disservice going on begging rounds during a time of famine. The Buddha responds by saying that charity is the basis for prosperity. He then points out the eight real reasons for the ruination of families.
Note that the method for inclusion of the Walshe translations that appear just below has been changed from individual files for each sutta to all his translations appearing on one file. These suttas are now included in the Sutta Index. This was done because there is considerable interaction in the footnotes between suttas in the source document and this was felt to be a more convenient way to manage that. There are several cases where the same and different translations by Walshe appear in the listings together. They come from different sources; mainly from Access to Insight.
The full three book set of suttas named The Saṃyutta Nikāya, An Anthology — Volume I by John Ireland, Volume II by Bhikkhu Ñāṇananda, Volume III by M. O'C Walshe is available in pdf form from the Files and Downloads page.
Oblog: [O.1.17.25] Friday, January 17, 2025
New:
Bhikkhu Thanissaro translations:
SN 3.22.25 Chanda-rāga Suttaṃ, Desire and Passion
The Buddha teaches that it is by putting away wanting and lust associated with body, sense-experience, perception, own-making and consciousness that these things are abandoned in such a way as to prevent their arising again in the future.
Please note that I didn't say nuthin.
SN 3.22.26 Assāda Sutta Suttaṃ, Allure
The Buddha describes how he attained certainty as to his awakening by thoroughly understanding the enjoyment to be had from, the danger of and the way to terminate body, sense-experience, perception, own-making and consciousness.
Oblog: [O.1.15.25] Wednesday, January 15, 2025 3:25 AM
New PDF
Proto-Buddhism, An Alternative Paradigm for Decoding the Buddha's Discourses, by Venerable Madawela Punnaji, Maha Thera.
VENERABLE MADAWELA PUNNAJI
26 November 1929 – 28 July 2018
From the Editor's Preface: "This book is a posthumous publication bought to fruition by a group of the author's devoted pupils. For some, this book will be a treasury of previously unpublished material, shedding novel light on the profound and exacting discourses of the Buddha. It will be intensely provocative for others, querying long-held sentiments and opposing normative modes of Buddhist ideology and application. For others still, the notions expounded in the book will seem heretical to Buddhist tradition, resulting in their dismissal as the views of a recalcitrant monk.
Wherever the reader's reaction may fall on this spectrum, we trust that investing some time with an open mind could be well worth the labor, particularly for those drawn to the early, pre-sectarian Buddhist theories, practices, and texts."
I have not yet read this book so have no comment to make about it, but as for Venerable Punnjai, I would say that the west, particularly the US ows its current interest in meditation and mindfulnes almost entirely to him. I was there. I was there from the beginning. I saw it happening. I was partly responsible for his first coming to this country. I was one of the first, maybe the first, of his followers. I had many disagrements with him about his use of Pāḷi, very little disagreement with his practice. His contribution to the advancement of Buddhism should not be forgotten.
New to this site:
Bhikkhu Thanissaro translations:
SN 4.35.109 Saññojana Suttaṃ, Fetters
The Buddha defines the yokes to rebirth (saṃyojana) distinguishing between the object (the senses) and the yoke itself which is desire and lust.
A very important distinction to get through your head! See also for this idea: SN 3.22.120. It is not the fault of the fairest lass in the land, carelessly dressed, revealing her charms, laughing and singing and dancing, (no matter how much she is trying to make it so), that lust arises in one's heart. It is one's own deficiency of knowledge, perception, vision and self control.
SN 4.35.110 Upādānatta Suttaṃ, Clinging
Because of the distinction made here between the fuel and the thing that makes the fuel fuel living, or between that which supports life and that which makes those supports support life, this is a very good sutta to use to batter out your personal um ... grasp/understanding/translation of 'upādāna'. Grasping works. 'The eye is the thing grasped, the lust is the grasping." Bhk. Bodhi: 'The eye is a thing that can be clung to, the desire and lust for it is the clinging there.' But I don't think the idea is 'clinging' either in regard to the khandhas or in its place in the Paṭicca Samuppāda. This word must stand for 'going after or supporting or fueling getting' or 'going towards, supporting, fueling making' not trying to keep, hang on to, what has already been got.
Snp 2.7 Brahman Principles
A long, rambling sutta about the corruption of Brahmans and the origin of many diseases.
Oblog: [O.1.14.25] Tuesday, January 14, 2025
New to this site:
Maurice O'C. Walshe translation:
SN 1.1.17 Difficult or The Tortoise
This translation seems to have left out its center!
A deva asks The Buddha how the recluse can live such a hard life. The Buddha says that such a one lives like a tortoise under threat, by withdrawing its limbs into its shell and dwelling only in mind.
Bhikkhu Thanissaro translations:
SN 3.22.121 Upādāniya Suttaṃ, Clinging
On making a distinction beween the things of the world and the thirst for those things. Replaces the previous version and adds a few suttas for further reading.
SN 3.22.139 Anicca Suttaṃ, Inconstant
Form, sense-experience, perception, own-making and sense-consciousness are inconstant and lustful desire for that which is inconstant should be put away by ending lust for these objects of lustful desire.
Chanda-rāgo. Bhk. Bodhi and Woodward: desire and lust. Since it is possible in Pāḷi to write such a thing as desire and lust were that the intended idea, it seems to me that we should not be translating compounds in this way, but should be seeking to create translations closer in feeling to the idea of a compound. A single idea, not two or three or a half dozen separate ideas.
Interesting that Bhikkhu Thanissaro should be rendering the term as a compound such as I describe here. I think, though, that in stead of his "desire-passion" I would have used "passionate-desire."
SN 3.22.142 Dukkha Suttaṃ, Stressful
Form, sense-experience, perception, own-making and sense-consciousness are painful and ... um ... passionate-desire for that which is painful should be put away by ending lust for these objects of passionate-desire.
SN 3.22.145 Anattā Suttaṃ, Not-self
Form, sense-experience, perception, own-making and sense-consciousness are not one's own or the self and ... um ... passionate-desire for that which is not one's own or the self should be put away by ending lust for these objects of passionate-desire.
Oblog: [O.1.13.25] Monday, January 13, 2025
New to this site:
Bhikkhu Thanissaro translations:
SN 1.9.3 Kassapa Gotta Suttaṃ, Kassapa Gotta
A deva admonishes Kasspa over his concern with teaching a dull-wit.
SN 1.9.4 Sambahula Suttaṃ, Many
Two devas console themselves in their sadness at the departure of a group of bhikkhus who have been living in their forest abode.
SN 1.9.5 Ānanda Suttaṃ, Ānanda
A deva admonishes Ānanda over his concern about teaching the laity.
SN 2.21.8 Nanda Suttaṃ, About Nanda
Nanda, nephew of the Exalted One's mother, is admonished by the Buddha for wearing fine robes, makeup, and using a new bowl — resulting in Nanda becoming a forest-dwelling beggar wearing rag-robes.
SN 3.22.120 Saññojana Suttaṃ, Fetters
The Buddha teaches that the things that give rise to what yokes one to rebirth are forms, sense-experiences, perceptions, own-making, and sense-consciousness, whereas the yokes themselves are the wants and desires connected to these things.
The point is to not think that it is the world that needs to change, but to focus on what it is within one's self that needs to change. It is by teaching the opposite of this lesion that the activist Buddhists lead people astray.
Oblog: [O.1.12.25] Sunday, January 12, 2025
New to this site:
Bhikkhu Thanissaro translations:
SN 1.4.24 Māradhītu Suttaṃ, Māra's Daughters
Like good daughters everywhere Māra's daughters try to console their father when he is unable to upset the Buddha. They fail.
SN 1.6.13 Andhakavinda Suttaṃ, At Andhakavinda
SN 1.6.14 Aruṇavatī Suttaṃ, At Aruṇavatī
Maurice O'C. Walshe translations:
These suttas were originally published as Wheel No. 318-321 by the Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, 1985 as Volume 3 of Samyutta Nikaya: An Anthology.
SN 1.1.3 The Doomed
SN 1.1.9 Vain Conceits
Oblog: [O.1.11.25] Saturday, January 11, 2025 2:43 AM
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.4.24 Sattavassa Suttaṃ, Seven Years
The Buddha explains to Māra that there is no seeking gain when he teaches because he teaches only in response to inquiries.
There are instances in the suttas which do look like the Buddha is instigating a lesson, but in these cases, which are few, we can see that there has been investigation in mind as to what amounts to inquiry or the situation leads naturally into a lesson. "You say this, we say that." and such like. In any case that is how I read those situations.
Oblog: [O.1.10.25] Friday, January 10, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.4.1 Tapo Kammañ ca Suttaṃ, Ascetic Actions
The opening sutta of a series that deals with some of the Buddha's encounters with Māra, the Evil One. Here Māra chastizes the Buddha for giving up his austere practices. He gets told how useless they are and describes the happiness he has attained being free from the body."
The various versions of this sutta are all different and it would be useful to compare them and compare them all with the Pāḷi.
Oblog: [O.1.9.25] Thursday, January 09, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.3.3 Rāja Suttaṃ, The King
The Buddha responds that "There is not" when King Pasenadi of Kosala asks: "For one who is born, lord, is there anything other than aging and death?"
Oblog: [O.1.8.25] Wednesday, January 08, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.3.13 Doṇapāka Suttaṃ, A Gallon Measure
Bhikkhu Thanissaro's comment: "In this sutta, a king's servant learns a verse from the Buddha to recite in the king's presence and earns a monetary reward for doing so. Because the Buddha doesn't object to this arrangement, it has been argued from this incident that he would have approved of the modern practice of selling Dhamma books as merchandise.
It's a sad day when those who write Dhamma books want to put themselves in the same position as a king's lackey."
Oblog: [O.1.7.25] Tuesday, January 07, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.3.2 Purisa Suttaṃ, A Man
The Buddha tells King Pasanadi of Kosala of the three things that arising in a man, arise for his harm, suffering and discomfort.
Oblog: [O.1.6.25] Monday, January 06, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.2.26 Rohitassa Suttaṃ, Rohitassa the Deva's Son
Without actually spelling it out the Buddha explains to Rohitassa devaputta what he means when he says that the end of the world is not to be got by physically reaching the end of the world, but that there is no escape from kamma, rebirth and pain without reaching the end of the world."
Oblog: [O.1.5.25] Sunday, January 05, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.2.25 Jantu Suttaṃ, Jantu the Deva's Son
Jantu devaputta gives some lax bhikkhus a talking to."
Oblog: [O.1.4.25] Saturday, January 04, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.2.23 Serī Suttaṃ, Serī the Deva's Son
Serī devaputta praises the Buddha's verses about giving and then relates how once he was a king who practiced giving in a high degree."
Oblog: [O.1.3.25] Friday, January 03, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.2.8 Tāyana Suttaṃ, Tāyana the Deva's Son
The devaputta Tāyana recites verses that speak of making strenuous effort and abstaining from wrong conduct. Bhikkhu Thanissaro notes that "verses from this sutta are chanted throughout Thailand after the fortnightly recitation of the Pāṭimokkha."
Oblog: [O.1.2.25] Thursday, January 02, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.2.5 Dāmali Suttaṃ, Dāmali the Deva's Son
The Buddha responds to a deva that makes a statement about the duty of a brahman.
Oblog: [O.1.1.25] Wednesday, January 01, 2025
New to this site: Bhikkhu Thanissaro translation:
SN 1.1.73 Vitta Sutta, Wealth
The Buddha responds in kind to a deva that asks about wealth and the best way to live.
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A Dhamma Curriculum. The Oblog, What's New? listings reformatted as a Dhamma study guide.
What's New? 2024 ■ What's New? 2023 ■ What's New? 2021 ■ 2022 was mostly a write-off; what little that was done is listed under 2021, repeat for 2023 ■ What's New? 2020 ■ What's New? 2019 ■ What's New? 2018 ■ What's New? 2017 ■ What's New? 2016
What's New? 2015 ■ What's New? 2014 ■ What's New? 2010-2013
