[Dittha-Dhamma Loka-Dhamma]

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2024

What's New?

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Oblog: [O.04.20.24] Saturday, April 20, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 2. 1-10.

 

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Oblog: [O.04.15.24] Monday, April 15, 2024

"Incidentally, about Way: it is a noteworthy feature, completely overlooked, that the way as "eightfold' (aṭṭhangiko) finds no place in these Eights ..."

— Mrs. Rhys Davids, in her introduction to E.M. Hare's translation of Aṇguttara-Nikāya Aṭṭhaka-Nipāta. The Book of the Gradual Sayings, Volume IV. Page X, but not included on this site.

"Moreover, lord, by a canker-freed monk the eightfold Ariyan Way is made become and fully so. When, indeed, lord, by a canker-freed monk the eightfold Ariyan Way is made become and fully so; it is, lord, an attribute of the canker-freed monk by which he realizes that the cankers are destroyed and acknowledge: 'Destroyed by me are the cankers.'"

— E.M. Hare in his translation of Aṇguttara-Nikāya Aṭṭhaka-Nipāta. The Book of the Gradual Sayings, Volume IV. Page 152

Puna ca paraṃ Bhante, khīṇ'āsavassa bhikkhuno Ariyo Aṭṭhaṇgiko Maggo,||
bhāvito hoti subhāvito.|| ||

Yam pi Bhante khīṇ'āsavassa bhikkhuno Ariyo Aṭṭhaṇgiko Maggo,||
bhāvito hoti subhāvito,||

Idam pi Bhante, khīṇ'āsavassa bhikkhuno balaṃ hoti,||
yaṃ balaṃ āgamma khīṇ'āsavo bhikkhu āsavānaṃ khayaṃ paṭijānāti:

'Khīṇā me āsavā' ti.|| ||

— Sariputta speaking to Gotama. Aṇguttara-Nikāya Aṭṭhaka-Nipāta. Page 225

This is explicit, but there are numbers of other places where the Way is given without being so named.

 

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Bala: Attributes or Powers?

"Monks, there are these eight attributes. What eight? The attribute of children is crying; of women-folk, scolding; of thieves, fighting; of rajahs, rule; of fools, contention; of wise men, suavity; of the learned, scrutiny; of recluses and godly man, patience."

— Hare, AN 8.27

Here I have translated bala as 'tools'; but most other places, and better, 'powers'.

"Crying, beggars, is the power of children;
anger, the power of mother-folk;
weaponry, the power of crooks;
might, the power of kings;
outrage, the power of fools;
understanding, the power of the wise;
reflection, the power of the learned;
forbearance, the power of the shaman and Brahman."

The difference is that "tools" or "powers" are things that can be used or not, whereas "attributes" are characteristics of all of the sort all of the time.

 

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Oblog: [O.04.7.24] Sunday, April 07, 2024

On Worldly Activism Its an old story. Trying to change the ways of the world. Revenge. Self-defense. Stepping in to protect the underdog. Fighting, killing for the "right" thing. Its like trying to empty the sea with a sieve. In terms of what the Buddha taught, it is going the wrong direction. Paṭhave, apo, tejo, veyo: it all belongs to Māra, Death, The Evil One. Let it go.

 

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Authenticity

"Those doctrines which lead one
not to complete world-weariness,
nor to dispassion,
nor to ending,
nor to calm,
nor to knowledge,
nor to awakening,
nor to Nibbāna —
regard them definitely as not Dhamma,
not discipline,
not the word of the Consummately Self-Awakened One.

But those doctrines which lead one
to complete world-weariness,
dispassion,
ending,
calm,
knowledge,
awakening,
Nibbāna —
regard them unreservedly as Dhamma,
discipline,
the word of the Consummately Self-Awakened One."

— Adopted from Hare's, Pali Text Society translation of AN 7 79

See also below,
Dhammatalk Forum Authenticity

I know I am repeating things. They need to be repeated. New ideas are hard to learn; old ideas are even harder to change. For both reasons they need to be drummed in.

 

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Oblog: [O.04.3.24] Wednesday, April 03, 2024

Honoring The Teacher
The One That Has Shown the Way

All that which is perceived through the senses has come to be and comes to an end.

Locked into, identified with, perception through the senses, one is subject to, is not able to escape from, the coming to be and the destruction of all that which is perceived through the senses.

A visible object coming into contact with the eye is perceived by the individual identifying with perception through the senses through the consciousness of it in the mind of the perceiver. There is no direct perception of the visible object there.

In the same way, that is the same thing as saying: "Everything perceived is perceived as created by the self." There is no escape in Death. Rebirth is just the repetition of the same old problem. Endlessly.

This results, for one who sees the danger of this, for one who is fed-up with this, is the desire to escape the coming to be of perception through the senses.

The result of this is to see that faith in the Dhamma, Saṇghā, training, serenity, non-carelessness, and the willingness to give the method claimed by the Buddha to gain escape a shot is completely dependent on faith that this person has in fact found a way to escape identification with the coming to be of perception through the senses.

How does one establish such faith?

One begins with blind faith coupled with the working hypothesis that such a one did exist and correctly laid out the method for others who followed that path to achieve the same goal.

Here that path is described as:

1. Paṭisanthāra. Translated by Hare as "Good Will"; by Bhikkhu Bodhi (his AN.7#70) as hospitality. I would say, rather, that it was being willing to give this method a shot.

2. Being so willing one acts without carelessness in following the directions found in the method.

3. Being without carelessness one is undisturbed, that is, serene. In the serene state things are clear.

4. Being serene one does not rebel against details of the training and one becomes trained and sees for the self the advantages of being trained.

5. Seeing these advantages, one sees the various stages that will be reached by one who follows the method. This is seeing the Saṇghā. The importance of seeing the Saṇghā is that so seeing one sees that others who have followed this method will have arrived at various stages within it right up to attaining the goal of complete escape from sensory perception ever after.

With this insight being a personal experience one is able to place confidence in the advantages in freedom of conformity with the Dhamma.

Following the method in this way one achieves the goal and in this achievement one no longer depends on trust in the fact that the Buddha has found a way to escape identification with the coming to be of perception through the senses and the destruction that follows. One has seen this as a matter of personal experience.

In this way one respects or honors the Consummately Awakened One.

For greater authenticity I refer readers to AN 7.66.

 

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Oblog: [O.03.23.24] Saturday, March 23, 2024

When it was my stomach I went to grab,
it was my backbone I grabed,
when it was my backbone I went to grab,
it was my stomach I grabbed.

— Image shot by my mother.
See: MN 100

 

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Oblog: [O.03.1.24] Friday, March 01, 2024

A-Dukkha-m-A-Sukhā Vedanā

A-dukkha-m-a-sukhā vedanā, not-unpleasant-but-not-pleasant sense experience, is not "neutral" feeling. This term is a name for the repercussion experienced by a wise person intending to escape kamma. When accompanied by blindness it results in the urge to experience pleasant sense-experience. When accompanied by wisdom it is a taste of Nibbāna.

If this repercussion were some sort of sense-experience, there would be no escaping kamma. This is the experience of not experiencing sense-experience that is either painful or pleasant.

 

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Oblog: [O.02.23.24] Friday, February 23, 2024

Viññāṇā

I think we should be using the literal translation of this term: "Re-knowng-knowing-knowledge".

"Consciousness", the usual translation, is causing us great confusion because "viññāṇā" is used to describe both the state of sense-consciosness of the ordinary sense-bound individual and the state of the freed consciousness of the Arahant.

The careful reader will see my struggles to get this clear throughout the site. Bhikkhus Thanissaro and Bodhi have also had problems with this term which they have handled each differently according to their thinking.

Sometimes "consciousness" will be used by me for both states; sometimes "consciousness" will be used only when describing the state of the Arahant and "sense-consciousness" will be being used for the ordinary person; sometimes "individualized-consciousness" will be used to describe the state of the ordinary person. None of these alternatives really reflect what is found in the Pāḷi.

If we used, instead, "re-knowing-knowing-knowledge" that could be used for both cases as "viññāṇā" is used in the Pāḷi and with this translation it would not be causing the confusion it is now causing.

"Re-knowing-knowing-knowledge" means simply having knowledge of knowing whatever has arisen as a consequence of perception. (There is perception beyond sense-experience. See: AN 11.7 and many others)

If the perception is of named-forms, or the sense realms then it is re-knowing-knowledge of sense-experience; if the perception is of freedom from perception of named-forms or the sense realms then it is re-knowing-knowledge of freedom.

Saññā

Sights, sounds, scents, tastes, touches, ideas.

Vedanā

Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking.

Viññāṇā

Re-knowng-knowing-knowledge of that.

Blind to how that ends,
the arising of identification with the intent to get sense-experience through acts of body, speech and mind,
with the arising of such own-making,
the arising of named-forms
with the arising of named-forms,
the arising of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge of that,
with the arising of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge of that,
the arising of the six realms of sense,
with the arising of the six realms of sense,
the arising of contact,
with the arising of contact,
the arising of sense-experience,
with the arising of sense experience,
the arising of thirst,
with the arising of thirst,
the arising of involvement with the effort to get or get away from,
with the arising of this involvement,
the arising of becoming,
with the arising of becoming,
the arising of birth,
with the arising of birth,
the arising of aging, sickness, and death,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery, and
despair.

Such is the result of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge of things experienced through the senses.

Saññā

But if the perception is:

This is it!
This is the culmination!
That is, the calming of all own-making,
the resolution of all involvements,
the withering away of thirst,
dispassion,
extinction,
Nibbāna.'

Vedanā

the experience will be:

Lived has been the best of lives!
Done is duty's doing!
No further is there this side or that.
No more being any kind of an "it"
at any place of "atness" for me."

Viññāṇā

and the re-knowing-knowledge will be:

Re-knowng-knowing-knowledge of
seeing that how that ends,
there is no arising of identification with the intent to get sense-experience through acts of body, speech and mind,
that when there is no arising of such own-making,
there is no arising of named-forms
that when there is no arising of named-forms,
there is no arising of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge of that,
that when there is no arising of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge of that,
there is no arising of the six realms of sense,
that when there is no arising of the six realms of sense,
there is no arising of contact,
that when there is no arising of contact,
there is no arising of sense-experience,
that when there is no arising of sense experience,
there is no arising of thirst,
that when there is no arising of thirst,
there is no arising of involvement with the effort to get or get away from,
that when there is no arising of such involvement,
there is no arising of becoming,
that when there is no arising of becoming,
there is no arising of birth,
when there is no arising of birth,
there is no arising of aging, sickness, and death,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery, and
despair.

Such is the result of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge of freedom from things experienced through the senses.

There is now little point in my making a change like this (in fact, if the difference is kept in mind, it might even be useful as the idea is understood as "consciousness" today anyway) so readers are advised to make the connection in their minds as they go along: there is consciousness experienced through the senses and there is consciousness apart from the senses. That which is experienced through the senses is said to exist and to have been own-made and therefore comes to an end in pain. That which is apart from experience through the senses is not said to exist and has not been own-made and because of that does not come to and end or bring about the experience of pain.

"Re-knowing-knowing-knowledge" was the translation first used here, I should have stuck with that, but peer pressure caused me to revert to "consciousness". It has been a confusing, debilitating, blind obstruction ever since.

See also: SN 3.22.53; My translation and the Discussion for a more detailed discussion of the situation.

 

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Oblog: [O.02.3.24] Saturday, February 03, 2024

The Cloying Nature of Food

"Cloying" appears quite often in the translations of the suttas and however 'ancient' it may be, is a perfect description of the problem food creates for the student of the Dhamma. One seeking to properly set up the mind should make himself conscious of the cloying nature of food. I think a definition is useful.

To cloy is to create disgust by way of first creating thirst for enjoyment resulting in over-indulgence.

From the OED: Possibly from to claw, or scratch.
The first six meanings relate to problems created by nails.
Meaning 7: To overload with food, so as to cause loathing, to surfeit or satiate (with over-feeding) or with richness, sweetness, or sameness of food);
8: To satiate, surfeit, gratify beyond desire; to disgust, weary (with excess of anything.)

— AN 5 711-760, 511-560 etc.; AN 7 46; MN 50; AN 7 45; AN 5.62. 70, 71, 122, 69; SN 1.1.1

 

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Temporary Freedom

Freedom from Things of Time
Every Once in a While

 

The first term to understand in AN 5.149 is 'samaya,' sam or sa + m = 'on' or 'with' aya: time, age, while. The 'Once upon a Time' or 'at one time' or 'once' of Nidana's. Temporal release; not temporary release; although the subject of the sutta is temporary release. Once in a while. The contemporary Indian English: 'Once in a way.' vimutti = freedom. The thing itself is having let go of some attachment, after the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms have passed off, reflecting on the bondage one had to a past habit one experiences a sense of freedom. This is often a matter of a profound sense of freedom accompanied by a 'sigh of relief.' If this is carefully examined, it is seen to be the whole process of attaining Arahantship in a nutshell.

This careful examination includes, as well as a reflection on the things that lead to falling away from that state (delight in activity, gab, sleep and company, and, in the next sutta, AN 5.150, not guarding the experiences at the senses and immoderate eating) not reflecting on the freedom of heart one has gained.

That last is: "athā-vimuttaṃ cittaṃ na pacc'avekkhati."
My translation: "... he does not reflect on the freedom of heart he has attained."
Hare: "he does not look at the mind apart"
Which he footnotes: "... our Comy. 'just in momentary flashes' (appit'appita-khaṇe, appeti means both to fix and to rush on) 'with the depravities discarded, there is a state of release' ..."
Bhikkhu Bodhi (not among the freely released suttas): "... he does not review the extent to which the mind is liberated." He gives this note: "Mp.: 'One who is liberated in mind through a mundane liberation, a tentative liberation, through the suppression of the defilements in absorption.'" (I object to the idea of 'suppression'. Suppression is the forcing down of a thing which requires continuous contact whereas what is involved here is separation. Mundane here is also not realistic, this is a major accomplishment, next door to Nibbāna, and is directly on the path.

What has happened is that one has attained what is called "freedom from things of Time." This means freedom from any thing that has a beginning, middle, and end. It is temporary because the freedom so attained is focused on this world or on one or another of the things of this world. The problem described here, not reflecting on the mind apart (Hare's translation focuses on an important way of seeing this), is solved, and lasting freedom attained when, in stead of focusing on some worldly object, one focuses in stead on the freedom attained. This is reflecting on the mind as a thing apart from the things of this world.

 

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Unable to Arise Again in the Future

This is not the one-dimensional thing that is restraint. This is when one has gone up a level or more so that a bad thing is not even seen. "This indicates that such and such a bad thing would arise if going that way." For example, one is tempted to go down a certain street but one knows that going that way one will see the fairest lass of the land which will result in lust arising, so one does not go that way and one avoids the arising lust. With repeated practice and habit the not going that way becomes automatic and is unaccompanied even by trepidation. With more practice and a clearer picture of things as they really are, the lust will not arise even when confronted with such a stimulus because one's mind is on something else altogether. One or more steps removed. A thing which gives one time and distance from a bad situation eventually to the point where whatever the stimulus the distance between that and the arising of some bad state will always produce detachment.

 

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Oblog: [O.01.13.24] Saturday, January 13, 2024

Authenticity

If you do not understand rebirth, you do not really have a grasp of the point of Buddhism or the meaning of pain. If you understand these things then you can see that this business of authenticity has been used in these times as a way of not facing the work involved in bringing this system into your life. The whole of this research called "modern linguistic analysis", EBT (Early Buddhist Texts), "stratification", etc., is invalidated with the idea that a person, maybe hundreds or thousands of years after the Buddha's death might remember a saying that was not recorded in the sutta collections. Comparing sutta with sutta means that one is to take the Dhamma, the instructions or advice as to how to achieve Nibbāna or some other good state, or as to how to eliminate some bad state, and to compare that message and its construction with those suttas that are in the already-formed collection. What lines up with Dhamma should be accepted; what does not line up with Dhamma should be put to the side.

 

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Nibbāna is not the Bodhi Mind

Nibbāna is not an existing thing outside there waiting for you to attain it. This is something that is very difficult to see for the translators. Almost all of them (including Bhk. Thanissaro and Bhk. Bodhi) have settled for this existing thing and that is making them, essentially, into Mahāyana Buddhists discovering or reaching a Bodhi Mind.

Nibbāna comes into being for the individual. It is conditioned by the following of the Magga, but it is not own-made (saṇkhāraed).

Following the Magga is a path of not-doings. Not doing this or that, the thing that results is not-done, not saṇkhāred. Following the Magga, Nibbāna is born, but is not "made by the individual".

In AN 5.57, a parallel construction is put this way but the connection between "the path" and Nibbāna: is not made by the translators.

When one often reflects on being subject to aging, sickness, death, separation from the loved, and being the owner of one's kamma, the path comes into existence."

Bhk. Thanissaro:

When he/she often reflects on this, the [factors of the] path take birth.

Bhk. Bodhi:

"As he often reflects on this theme, the path is generated."

E.M. Hare:

"And while he often contemplates this thing, the Way comes into being"

Take birth. The path is generated. Comes into being. Not "is reached," "is discovered."

 

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Oblog: [O.01.06.24] Saturday, January 06, 2024

This image was posted by a user named Gabby on Discuss and Discover, the Sutta Central discussion board. I would like to give credit to the creator, (he carved this word on a bar of soap) but cannnot post on that board. Anyway: credit to Gabby for a really clever way to teach the principle of anicca.

 

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Oblog: [O.01.01.24] Monday, January 01, 2024

You eat, drink, consume, taste,
then:
dumping-out, pouring-out.

This is the outcome.

You love,
then ...

(What did you think?)

... ripening, brings about
grief and lamentation
pain and misery
and despair.

This is the outcome.

 

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Devoted to seeing the signs of ugliness
then
seeing signs of the disagreeable
in the attractive
is established.

This is the outcome.

Living seeing change
in the six spheres of contact,
then,
the disagreeability of contact
is established.

This is the outcome.

Living seeing the coming and going
of the five bound-up stockpiles
then
the disagreeability of the bound-up
is established.

This is the outcome.

—AN 5.30

 

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BACK ISSUES
of
The Oblog

A Dhamma Curriculum. The Oblog, What's New? listings reformatted as a Dhamma study guide.

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

 

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