[Dittha-Dhamma Loka-Dhamma]

---

 

 

2024

What's New?

■

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.20.24] Wednesday, November 20, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.42 Ekanta-Dukkhī Suttaṃ, Exclusively Painful,
The Buddha states that the view that the self is exclusively painful after death and is not diseased arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

---

New Olds translation:
SN 4.35.197 Āsīvis'Opama Suttaṃ, The Simile of the Snakes,
The Buddha makes and explains similes for the four great characteristics, the five fuel stockpiles, desire, the six sense organs, the six sense objects, the corrupting influences, the eightfold path, Nibbāna and the Arahant. A very helpful sutta!

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.19.24] Tuesday, November 19, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.41 Ekanta-Sukhī Suttaṃ, Exclusively Pleasurable,
The Buddha states that the view that the self is exclusively pleasurable after death and is not diseased arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.18.24] Monday, November 18, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.40 N'eva Rūpī N'ārūpī Attā Suttaṃ, Neither Does the Self Have Form, nor Does it Not Have Form,
The Buddha states that the view that the self neither has form nor is without form and is not diseased after death arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of shape, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.17.24] Sunday, November 17, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.39 Rūpī ca Arūpī Attā Suttaṃ, The Self is Both With and Without Form,
The Buddha states that the view that the self both has shape and is without shape and is not diseased after death arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of shape, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.16.24] Saturday, November 16, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.38 Arūpī Attā Suttaṃ, The Self is without Form and is Intact after Death,
The Buddha states that the view that the self is without form and is not diseased after death arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.15.24] Friday, November 15, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 3.24.19-36 Purimagamanam (Aṭṭhārasa-Veyyā-Karaṇāni), Repitition,
Suttas 1 through 18 are here repeated. Actually as this Chapter is identical to the previous (Suttas 1-18) it has been abridged here by the inclusion of the first and last suttas (19 and 36) in their complete form and Suttas 20-35 are given by title only but are linked to their corresponding sutta in the previous Chapter. In fact the review provided by this section is helpful. Do you remember the first view?
SN 3.24.37 Rūpī Attā Suttaṃ, The Self Has Intact Form after Death
The Buddha states that the view that the self has form and is not diseased after death arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.14.24] Thursday, November 14, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.18 Neva Hoti na na ca Hoti Tathāgata Suttaṃ, The Tathāgata Neither Exists nor Does Not Exist
The Buddha states that the view that the Tathāgata (one who has attained the goal) neither exists nor does not exist arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.13.24] Wednesday, November 13, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.17 Hoti ca na ca Hoti Tathāgata Suttaṃ, The Tathāgata Exists and Does Not Exist
The Buddha states that the view that the Tathāgata (one who has attained the goal) exists and does not exist arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.
Note the missing 'both' in my translation.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.12.24] Tuesday, November 12, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.16 Na Hoti Tathāgata Suttaṃ, The Tathāgata Does Not Exist
The Buddha states that the view that the Tathāgata (one who has attained the goal) does not exist arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.11.24] Monday, November 11, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.15 Hoti Tathāgata Suttaṃ, The Tathāgata Exists
The Buddha states that the view that the Thathāgata (one who has attained the goal; but allso the term used by Gotama when referring to himself) exists arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.
The problem here is not really with the term, Tathāgata. "The that that got that." One who has achieved the goal in this system. The problem is, rather, with the understanding of "Hoti" which means, and was the way those at the time understood it, "becoming". So hearing it that way the idea is that one who has "got it" becomes, is, an on-going phenomena (this, by the way, is the view being held by Mrs. Rhys Davids — the error being made is that she insists that this is the only way to see this.) Again what must be remembered is that the objection here is not to the idea of becoming as such but to that as a view; a way of holding "one who has got it" in one way.

---

New Olds translation:
SN 4.35.152 'Atthi Nu Kho Pariyāyo?' Suttaṃ, 'Is There A Curiculum?'
The Buddha describes the manner in which knowledge can be had without resort to faith, inclination, hearsay, methodological deduction, reflection on reasons or approval of a speculative theory.
A really valuable sutta for clarifying the idea that this Dhamma is one which is to be 'seen for one's self in this visible state'.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.10.24] Sunday, November 10, 2024 4:22 AM

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.14 Aññaṃ Jīvan, Aññaṃ Sarīra Suttaṃ, The Self is One Thing and the Body is Another
The Buddha states that the view that that which is the body is something other than that which is life arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

---

The G.P. Malalasekera Dictionary of Pāḷi Proper Names, in 2 Volumes is now available for viewing on or download from this site.

Dictionary of Pāḷi Proper Names, Volume 1, A-Dh, (108,287 MB)
Dictionary of Pāḷi Proper Names, Volume 2, N-H, (130,772 MB).
This is the complete version. Much abbreviated versions are available on other sites, and the Aimwell.org site has the full version set up in such a way as to allow searching for individual terms. This version has had the editing restrictions removed.
This is an invaluable resource which I have used in a hard copy form for many years. Much of the Index of Personalities on this site has been compiled from this source. Be aware that these volumes are both huge. Also note that they are alphabetized according to the Pāḷi: A Ā I Ī U Ū E Ē O K Kh G Gh Ṅ C Ch J Jh Ñ Ṭ Ṭh Ḍ Ḍh Ṇ T Th D Dh N P Ph B Bh M Y R L Ḷ Ḷh V S H
I recommend you use the Aimwell site for looking up individual terms and use this site or the one at Open Buddhist University (which was the source for the version on this site (Thank you bhante! your version of this work is much cleaner than the ones at Archive.org and download much faster and it allows for removal of the editing restrictions) for downloading. The setup here is that you open the file on line and save it from there. The primary reason for having this on this site (aside from ego) is the paranoid thought that there may come a time when having it downloaded will be the only reasonable way to get it.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.09.24] Saturday, November 09, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.13 Taṃ Jīvan, Taṃ Sarīra Suttaṃ, The Self and the Body are One and the Same
The Buddha states that the view that that which is the body is that which is life (jīva) or the self or the soul (I have used self as it is the way most people think of themselves today) arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of shape, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.08.24] Friday, November 08, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.12 Anantavā Suttaṃ, Without Endpoints is the World
The Buddha states that the view that the world does not have beginnings and ends arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

The difference between Ananta (without ends) and Asassata (not eternal) (see the last four suttas) and their individual opposites is the difference between thinking that the world has beginnings and ends and thinking that though it may have beginnings and ends, it lasts in some way forever. Or thinking the opposite. 'The world' means everything that has existence. The whole thing should be applied to the idea of a self. And avoid the thought that one or another or both of these ideas is the correct one. That is the real point of these suttas: that views themselves are dependent on being identified with body. As long as you cling to thinking that this view or that is the correct one, you are attached to the pain that results. Let all views go!

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.07.24] Thursday, November 07, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.11 Antavā Suttaṃ,The World Has Endpoints
The Buddha states that the view that the world has beginnings and ends arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.
'Anta' is 'end' or 'preceding' or 'after' or 'opposite' (as in antler, ante-), but can mean 'limit' or (as per Bhk. Bodhi) 'finite'. PED: 'What faces one at the start' which is a good way to access the point of view mentioned in this sutta — looking out (in your mind's eye) from your face as you sit, see how you can view the world as an ending thing or an endless thing. Is it coming to an end at your face, or is it just taking off from there?

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.06.24] Wednesday, November 06, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.10 Asassata Loka Suttaṃ, Not Eteral is the World
The Buddha states that the view that the world is not eternal arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.05.24] Tuesday, November 05, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.9 Sassata Loka Suttaṃ, Eteral is the World
The Buddha states that the view that the world is eternal arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

---

New Olds translation:
SN 4.35.95 Māluṇkya-Putta (Dutiya Saṅṇgaya) Suttaṃ, Māluṇkyas'son or A Concise Teaching, II
The Buddha gives Malankaya-Putta a teaching in brief.
this sutta contains the famous: "In the seen there will be only the seen" which I have slightly revised and I hope have more clearly shown that what it is saying is that like those sights that have never been seen or wished for, sights in the here and now should be observed without development of identifying marks: it'nz-n-at'nz.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.04.24] Monday, November 04, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.8 Mahā Diṭṭhi Suttaṃ, The Big Picture.
The view of Pakudha Kaccāyana. D. i, 56; Dialog. i, 74. The view following is ascribed to Makkhali of the Cow-pen. D. i, 54; Dialog. i, 72.
Woodward here translates 'diṭṭhi' as 'heresy'. This is not a correct translation, but is an interpretation put on the word when used of certain views. From the Buddhist perspective all views are essentially incorrect. Sammā Diṭṭhi (right view, or, better, consummate or high view) is 'high' or 'consummate' only in so far as it serves the goal.
Perceptions giving rise to views of the sort found in the last three suttas can be encountered by any meditator. The world is seen as arising images, then vibrating atoms and then even the vibration stops as well and it is very easy to conclude that there is no existing as a living being and that therefore there is no doing evil or good deeds as it is just illusions passing through illusions. It is for this reason that a thorough understanding that kamma is action based on intent is so important. Real or not, intentional acts produce subjectively experienced results, and that is as good as saying that the consensus reality must be respected and dealt with as it is subjectively experienced by the ordinary common man and that being the case the view that 'it exists' cannot be rationally denied even when it cannot be rationally asserted.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.02.24] Saturday, November 02, 2024

Not Self

Take a look. It's not that difficult to see. You are a composite. A conglomeration. The body is relatively easy to see: it is entirely the construction of mother and father. The way you see things comes primarily from them. Your attitude towards the world, persons, events the way you experience things, say your political position, usually also comes from them. Your anger. The things that make you happy. Your sense of humor or lack thereof. The way you see good or bad, beauty or ugliness in persons or things. Your ambitions or lack thereof. What you want to create as experiences for yourself. Your very awareness of knowing things all come from the outside. The way you smile. The gestures you use when speaking. The way you stand or sit or lie down. This smile is from that character in that episode on TV. That attitude or expression or style of writing or living 'of mine' comes from that Dylan Thomas, Lenny Levinson, Marcel Proust, Thomas Carlyle book I read. Or movie I saw. I remember a time in N.Y. where half the people were looking and acting like Serpico. (Are you aware that you can be seen by those with good memories (and sooner or later we will be able to remember it all!) of what is to be seen? 'Ah, this one is using terminology used in a song by Carl Sandburg, or Bob Dylan, or Joni Mitchel, or Minni Riverton, or in a speech by F.D.R, or John Kennedy, or Donald Trump, his nature is such as that.) The choice of clothing comes from advertisements and influencers. The implements you use for cooking, the foods you eat, the way you decorate your abode. What you think of as disease. Even the diseases you suffer. The way you take a dump or pee. Your very thoughts are the work of a comity. A judgment as to which of the various opinions you have heard about a thing that you will use or scorn.

Everything. Look deeply, you will not find a thing there that has not been adopted, pasted into place to form what you then think of as "me" or "mine'.

The bhikkhus are not exempt! Even the aristocrats, the Arahants. Buddhists, real Buddhists are "sons of the Sakkyan", they imitate, the way they see, in mind, down to the syllable, in word, in the perfection of their behavior, in body. The fake or misguided are just the imitators of fakers or the misguided ... they need to check the depth of wisdom of their re-sources.

And there is nothing there that is the real self of you to which these things attach.

The Buddha has given us this information in the concise way he has because it is in that way that the various sorts of beings will be able to see the truth of it. Seeing that there is no thing there that is the self or can be called 'mine' one creates a distance there from that thing. He calls it 'disgust' not having a taste for it. We don't like being an imitation ... at least for anything less than the best. And the best is saying the eye, visible objects, visual object sensation, perception, own-making, consciousness are not the self; let them go, put them away, that will be for your good and happiness for many a long night.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.11.01.24] Friday, November 01, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.7 Hetu Suttaṃ, Driving Force.
The Buddha states that the view that there is no such thing as driving forces and their results (kamma) arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.31.24] Thursday, October 31, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.6 Karoto Suttaṃ, Making.
The view of Pūraṇa Kassapa, on the ineffectiveness of action in the production of consequences.
These views are not the products of simple-minded fools. They are arrived at at a point in deep meditative trances where the atomic nature of things is seen and the conclusion is reached that there is no individuality or even reality to anything and that the world is in fact a static illusion. A conclusion reached upon real perception, if not given the consideration it would be given by a follower of the Buddha. All of these 'conclusions' need to be abandoned just because they are partly wrong, others, like this one, are outright dangerous.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.29.24] Tuesday, October 29, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.5 N'atthi Suttaṃ, Non-Existence.
The annihilationist doctrine of Ajita, of the hair-shirt. Cf. D. i, 55, § 23; M. i, 515; Dialog. i, 73, where the passage comes; and again at S. iv, 348.
At least here today [when this was first put in the Index: USA Monday, February 09, 2015 6:21 AM] the popular belief has not gone as far as to deny the existence of mothers and fathers, and Giving is still a much valued if often abused and misdirected practice.
This view is often stated as the belief that 'there is not,' and is what is often cited when the term 'micchā-ditthi' (misguided views) is used.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.28.24] Monday, October 28, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.4 No ca Me Siyā Suttaṃ, If There Were No Being.
The Buddha states that the view that had there been no being in the past, there would be no thinking of a self in the present, that there not being any thinking of self in the present there would be no thinking of a self in the future arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of shape, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.
See my footnote in this translation for a comparison of this translation with that of Woodward and Bhikkhu Bodhi.

---

How true, that there is nothing dead in this Universe; that what we call dead is only changed, its forces working in inverse order! 'The leaf that lies rotting in moist winds,' says one, 'has still force; else how could it rot? 'Our whole Universe is but an infinite Complex of Forces; thousandfold, from Gravitation up to Thought and Will; man's Freedom environed with Necessity of Nature: in all which nothing at Any moment slumbers, but all is for ever awake and busy. The thing that lies isolated inactive thou shalt nowhere discover; seek everywhere, from the granite mountain, slow-mouldering since Creation, to the passing cloud-vapour, to the living man; to the action, to the spoken word of man. The word that is spoken, as we know, flies irrevocable; not less, but more, the action that is done. 'The gods themselves,' sings Pindar, 'cannot annihilate the action that is done.' No: this, once done, is done always; cast forth into endless Time; and, long conspicuous or soon hidden, must verily work and grow for ever there, an indestructible new element in the Infinite of Things. Or, indeed, what is this Infinite of Things itself, which men name Universe, but an Action, a sum-total of Actions and Activities? The living ready-made sum-total of these three, — which Calculation cannot add, cannot bring on its tablets; yet the sum, we say, is written visible: All that has been done, All that is doing, All that will be done! Understand it well, the Thing thou beholdest, that Thing is an Action, the product and expression of exerted Force: the All of Things is an infinite conjugation of the verb To do. Shoreless Fountain-Ocean of Force, of power to do; wherein Force rolls and circles, billowing, many-streamed, harmonious; wide as Immensity, deep as Eternity; beautiful and terrible, not to be comprehended: this is what man names Existence and Universe; this thousand-tinted Flame-image, at once veil and revelation, reflex such as he, in his poor brain and heart, can paint, of One Unnameable, dwelling in inaccessible light! From beyond the Star-galaxies, from before the Beginning of Days, it billows and rolls, — round thee, nay thyself art of it, in this point of Space where thou now standest, in this moment which thy clock measures.

Or, apart from all Transcendentalism, is it not a plain truth of sense, which the duller mind can even consider as a truism, that human things wholly are in continual movement, and action and reaction; working continually forward, phasis after phasis, by unalterable laws, towards prescribed issues? How often must we say, and yet not rightly lay to heart: The seed that is sown, it will spring! Given the summer's blossoming, then there is also given the autumnal withering: so is it ordered not with seedfields only, but with transactions, arrangements, philosophies, societies, French Revolutions, whatsoever man works with in this lower world. The Beginning holds in it the End, and all that leads thereto; as the acorn does the oak and its fortunes. Solemn enough, did we think of it, — which unhappily, and also happily, we do not very - much! Thou there canst begin; the Beginning is for thee, and there: but where, and of what sort, and for whom will the End be? All grows, and seeks and endures its destinies: consider likewise how much grows, as the trees do, whether we think of it or not. So that when your Epimenides, your somnolent Peter Klaus, since named Rip van Winkle, awakens again, he finds it a changed world. In that seven-years sleep of his, so much has changed! All that is without us will change while we think not of it; much even that is within us. The truth that was yesterday a restless Problem, has today grown a Belief burning to be uttered: on the morrow, contradiction has exasperated it into mad Fanaticism; obstruction has dulled it into sick Inertness; it is sinking towards silence, of satisfaction or of resignation. Today is not Yesterday, for man or for thing. Yesterday there was the oath of Love; today has come the curse of Hate. Not willingly: ah, no; but it could not help coming. The golden radiance of youth, would it willingly have tarnished itself into the dimness of old age! — Fearful: how we stand enveloped, deep-sunk, in that Mystery of Time; and are Sons of Time; fashioned and woven out of Time; and on us, and on all that we have, or see, or do, is written: Rest not, Continue not, Forward to thy doom!

From: the Works of Thomas Carlyle, in Thirty Volumes, Centenary Edition, Volume III: The French Revolution: A History, Volume 2, Charles Schribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth Avenue, 1898, Originally published 1837.

Remember that Carlyle is speaking about the existing and from a time before Buddhism was known to his world. Think of Change and Kamma within this world.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.27.24] Sunday, October 27, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.3 So Attā Suttaṃ, That Which is My Own Self.
The Buddha states that the view that that which is the self and that which is the world for one will become stable in the hereafter arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.26.24] Saturday, October 26, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.2 Etaṃ Mama Suttaṃ, This is Mine.
The Buddha states that the view that some thing belongs to the self, or that some thing is the self arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

---

You are what? And come to do what?
Things foolish and not wise!

On the whole, how unknown is a man to himself; or a public Body of men to itself! AEsop’s fly sat on the chariot-wheel, exclaiming, What a dust I do raise! Great Governors, clad in purple with fasces and insignia, are governed by their valets, by the pouting of their women and children; or, in Constitutional countries, by the paragraphs of their Able Editors. Say not, I am this or that; I am doing this or that! For thou knowest it not, thou knowest only the name it as yet goes by.

From: the Works of Thomas Carlyle, in Thirty Volumes, Centenary Edition, Volume III: The French Revolution: A History, Volume 2, Charles Schribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth Avenue, 1898, Originally published 1837.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.25.24] Friday, October 25, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 3.24.1 Vāta Suttaṃ, Wind.
The Buddha states that the view that the world and the things of the world are static arises from not understanding the impermanent and painful nature of form, sense-experience, perception, own-making, and sense-consciousness and the seen, heard, sensed, cognized, acquired, investigated, or turned over in mind.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.19.24] Saturday, October 19, 2024

Images from The Serpent Power by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) Ganesh & Co. (Madras) Private Ltd., First Published 1918.
There is very little excuse for posting these images except for the occasional mention of Kundalini Power and the "centers", but I am sure they will be of interest. The book was one of my pre-Buddhist sources of information. I have not seen these images elsewhere so maybe they will be picked up by AI slurper bots and we will get some images of ascetics that are a little closer to reality.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.18.24] Friday, October 18, 2024

The Preface to
A Dictionary of the Pāḷi Language

PDF ■ Read on Line

Not too long: 15 pages. Follows Childers' use of diacriticals, italics and capitalization. One reason for including it here as a separate file is that the long term goal, (of merging it with the PED) has only a very slim chance of ever being realized and by itself it is an important historical document. I also note that the Dictionary itself is still at this time frequently used by translators when the PED is not helpful. Of note would be Childers' position concerning the relationship of the Pāḷi language to Sanskrit and the Vedas, his theory concerning the disappearance of the original Sinhalese commentary; his position concerning whether or not the Dhamma should be translated or should be learnt using the language it was conceived in. And other topics of interest.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.16.24] Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Louis the unforgotten.

Frightful to all men is Death; from of old named King of Terrors. Our little compact home of an Existence, where we dwelt complaining, yet as in a home, is passing, in dark agonies, into an Unknown of Separation, Foreignness, unconditioned Possibility. The Heathen Emperor asks of his soul: Into what places art thou now departing? The Catholic King must answer: To the Judgment-bar of the Most High God! Yes, it is a summing-up of Life; a final settling, and giving-in the "account of the deeds done in the body:" they are done now; and lie there unalterable, and do bear their fruits, long as Eternity shall last.

---

But figure his thought, when Death is now clutching at his own heart-strings, unlooked for, inexorable! Yes, poor Louis, Death has found thee. No palace walls or life-guards, gorgeous tapestries or gilt buckram of stiffest ceremonial could keep him out; but he is here, here at thy very life-breath, and will extinguish it. Thou, whose whole existence hitherto was a chimera and scenic show, at length becomest a reality: sumptuous Versailles bursts asunder, like a dream, into void Immensity; Time is done, and all the scaffolding of Time falls wrecked with hideous clangour round thy soul: the pale Kingdoms yawn open; there must thou enter, naked, all unking'd, and await what is appointed thee! Unhappy man, there as thou turnest, in dull agony, on thy bed of weariness, what a thought is thine! Purgatory and Hell-fire, now all-too possible, in the prospect; in the retrospect, — alas, what thing didst thou do that were not better undone; what mortal didst thou generously help; what sorrow hadst thou mercy on? Do the "five hundred thousand" ghosts, who sank shamefully on so many battle-fields from Rossbach to Quebec, that thy Harlot might take revenge for an epigram, — crowd round thee in this hour? Thy foul Harem; the curses of mothers, the tears and infamy of daughters? Miserable man! thou "hast done evil as thou couldst:" thy whole existence seems one hideous abortion and mistake of Nature; the use and meaning of thee not yet known. Wert thou a fabulous Griffin, devouring the works of men; daily dragging virgins to thy cave; — clad also in scales that no spear would pierce: no spear but Death's? A Griffin not fabulous but real! Frightful, O Louis, seem these moments for thee. — We will pry no further into the horrors of a sinner's death-bed.

From: the Works of Thomas Carlyle, in Thirty Volumes, Centenary Edition, Volume II: The French Revolution: A History, Volume 1, Charles Schribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth Avenue, 1896, Originally published 1837.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.12.24] Saturday, October 12, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 3.22.81 Pārileyyaka Suttaṃ, The Discourse at Pārileyyaka.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.08.24] Tuesday, October 08, 2024

Tiracchāna-kathā usually translated "animal talk". Tiracchāna from Tiraccha meaning: (PED) "across, obliquely; in °bhūta deviating, going wrong, swerving from the right direction." So tiracchāna really characterizes the manner in which certain animals mobilize. It does not mean "animal". When applied to speech, it should revert to the literal meaning: "speech going horizontally," not making a point or pointing to a wrong course." Translating it "animal-talk" obscures rather than clarifies. I have made this error in my own translations and will correct them when I come across them.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.07.24] Monday, October 07, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 3.22.56 Upādāna Parivatta Suttaṃ, The Bind-ups — Wrapped Up.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.05.24] Saturday, October 05, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.19.19 Sikkhamānā Suttaṃ, The Female Trainee.
SN 2.19.20 Sāmaṇera Suttaṃ, The Apprentice Shaman.
SN 2.19.21 Sāmaṇeriyo Suttaṃ, The Female Apprentice Shaman.

---

I See Dead People
A PDF file containing all the suttas of SN 2.19.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.04.24] Friday, October 04, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.18 Bhikkhuni Suttaṃ, The Beggar-Lady.

---

Freedom from Things of Time — Freedom from Things Not of Time

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.03.24] Thursday, October 03, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.17 Bhikkhu Suttaṃ, The Bhikkhu.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.02.24] Wednesday, October 02, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.16 Sīsa-Chinno-Cora-Ghātako Suttaṃ, The Headless Murdering Robber.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.10.01.24] Tuesday, October 01, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.15 Okilini-Sapatt'Aṇgārako-Kiri Suttaṃ, She Poured Burning Coals on a Rival to Get Rid of Her.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.30.24] Monday, September 30, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.14 Maṇgul'Itthi Ikkhan'Itthi Suttaṃ, The Sallow-complected, Foul Smelling Woman Fortune Teller.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.29.24] Sunday, September 29, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.13 Nicchavitthi-Aticārini Suttaṃ, The Skinned Adulteress.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.28.24] Saturday, September 28, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.12 Gūtha-Khādi-Duṭṭha-Brāhmaṇo Suttaṃ, The Shit-Eating Corrupt Brahmin.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.27.24] Friday, September 27, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.11 Kupe Nimuggo Pāaradāriko Suttaṃ, The Adulterer Sunk in the Cesspit.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.26.24] Thursday, September 26, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.10 Aṇḍabharī-Gāmakuṭako Suttaṃ, The Egg-Carrying Village Clap-Trap.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.25.24] Wednesday, September 25, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.19.8 Sūci-Sārathi Suttaṃ, The Sharper.
SN 2.19.9 Sūci-Sārathi Suttaṃ, The Slanderer.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.24.24] Tuesday, September 24, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.7 Usu-Kāraṇiyo Suttaṃ, Judge Archer.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.23.24] Monday, September 23, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.6 Satti-Māgavi Suttaṃ, The Deer-hunter's Long Handled Knives.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.22.24] Sunday, September 22, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.19.4 Niccha-Vorabbhi Suttaṃ, Cutthroat Terminator.
SN 2.19.5 Asi-Sūkariko Suttaṃ, The Pig-Butcher's Knives.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.21.24] Saturday, September 21, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.19.2 Gāvaghāṭaka Suttaṃ, Cattle-Butcher.
SN 2.19.3 Piṇḍa-Sakuṇiyam Suttaṃ, Bird-Bits.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.20.24] Friday, September 20, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.19.1 Aṭṭhi-Pesi (Aṭṭhi-Saṇkhalika) Suttaṃ, Flesh and Bones.

I think it is time we started to acknowledge a few things that are rejected without a second thought by our science, like, for example, listening when our great hero of the word says: "There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." It's getting a little stuffy in here. A little narrow.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.18.24] Wednesday, September 18, 2024

There is a difference in degree and a huge difference in outcome between the meditation procedure required for clairvoyance, clairaudience and the various magic powers and the procedure for attaining Sammā Samādhi.

This difference in degree has become obscured and the confusion which has resulted is leading many to believe they have attained Sammā Samādhi because they have attained, or partially attained, the various magic powers.

The procedure for the attaining of the various magic powers can/may lead into the procedure for attaining Sammā Samādhi, but is 'earlier' and goes in the opposite direction — getting rather than letting go.

Both procedures are described as one sequence in MN 128 where Gotama first advises the Anuruddhas as to attaining the light, clairvoyance and clairaudience, and then describes his recognition that what he was doing at the same time as he was attaining various stages of magic power was also letting go of various mental obstructions. What appears to be missing from many people's picture of this situation is the recognition that a transition has taken place when the Buddha goes from attainment of the skills needed for magic powers —

But at the time
when my concentration is not limited
my vision is boundless,
so with boundless vision
for a whole night
and a whole day
and a whole night and day
I both perceive a boundless light-manifestation
and see a boundless (number of) material shapes.'
—Horner translation

which is happening before his awakening
to the recognition that this procedure has also resulted in his getting rid of various defilements of his mind. —

When I knew, Anuruddhas, that
doubt,
lack of proper attention,
sloth and torpor,
consternation,
elation,
distress,
too much energy,
too feeble an energy,
longing,
perception of diversity,
the state of being too intent on material shapes,
was a defilement of the mind,
the defilement of the mind
that is doubt
was got rid of.

and that he was developing at the same time a process of letting go: first of Vitakka then of Vicara ... etc. ... more or less the procedure for attaining Sammā Samadhi that is frequently described in the suttas:

Here, beggars, a beggar
separating himself from sense pleasures,
separating himself from unskillful things,
with thinking,
with pondering
isolation-born pleasurable-enthusiasm
rises up into and
makes a habitat of
The First Knowledge.

Again, beggars, deeper than that,
a beggar,
dissolving thought and pondering,
internally self-pacified,
become whole-heartedly single minded,
without thinking,
without pondering,
rises up into and
makes a habitat of
The Second Knowledge.

Again, beggars, deeper than that,
a beggar,
with the vanishing of enthusiasm, and
living detached,
minding,
self-aware, and
pleased,
experiencing in his own body
that of which the Aristocrats speak
when they say:

'Detached, minding, he lives pleasantly'

rises up into and makes a habitat of
The Third Knowledge.

Again, beggars, deeper than that,
a beggar,
letting go of pleasures,
letting go of pains,
settling down the antecedent mental ease and mental pain,
without pain, but
without pleasure,
detached,
recollected,
surpassingly pure,
rises up into and makes a habitat of
The Fourth Knowledge.

The first portion of these instructions to the Anuruddhas in MN 128 can then be equated to "desire for sense pleasures and involvements with unskillful things" while the second portion is an arrival at a going to less and less.

Before this realization, while having magic powers, he was not yet enlightened; it is only after recognition of the fact that he was letting things go in the process, that he found the path to awakening, later to be called Sammā Samādhi.

It is vital that people understand this! If at death one believes that one has attained the end of rebirth, kamma, pain through getting, then the Nibbāna attained will be a thing attained and a thing attained is a thing that comes to an end. In other words, it is not Nibbāna.

 

---

 

Grasping after the progress in understanding of one's followers is not the same thing as teaching out of compassion. Grasping after the progress of one's followers is self-directed and when met with a lack of progress can lead the teacher to anger and the use of any means that he thinks will work which can result in methods that are way out of bounds in terms of the manner in which a teacher should be seen to behave. It may look like such a method has resulted in progress, but what it is teaching is going the wrong direction. Setting a bad example. Demonstrating grasping where what is needed for the greater good is the example of the advantages of letting go.

You're not just teaching one person; you are teaching anyone who has been in contact with anyone who has witnessed this behavior and anyone who has heard of it from anyone who has heard of it from them.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.14.24] Saturday, September 14, 2024

So now: All Together. These PDF files make a series characterized by emphasis on the suttas while presenting a focus on a particular topic. They are not easy reads; they are meant to be printed out and used as study guides along with the on-line versions and the translations should be compared with the other translations. The repetitions are included and should not be skipped! They are important learning devices. At any point where there is an internal rebellion against reading a repetition one should put it to the side to be read later. It is saying: Slow down!
I'm not telling you what to do, but if you want to get the most out of these works, think through what is presented until you believe you see the point, then give yourself the time to ponder (vitakka and vicara!). But at this point one is not yet done. When the point is understood intellectually, and seen to be useful, then make an effort to see how it operates in your world and make the appropriate adjustments to your behavior.
Two Dialogues
On Kamma
Two on Emptiness
Paṭicca Samuppada
Pajapati's Problem

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.13.24] Friday, September 13, 2024

Paṭicca Samuppada

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.12.24] Thursday, September 12, 2024

Pajapati's Problem.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.11.24] Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Olds translations revised:
SN 2.14.1 Data
SN 2.14.2 Touch
SN 2.14.3 Not If This
SN 2.14.4 Sensation 1
SN 2.14.5 Sensation 2
SN 2.14.6 Data
SN 2.14.7 Perception
SN 2.14.8 Not If This
SN 2.14.9 Touch 1
SN 2.14.10 Touch 2
These suttas have all been slightly revised in order to make them, I hope, a little clearer and to bring them into compliance with the vocabulary of the previous group (SN 12, 1-30). Understanding what these suttas say and then seeing their operation at work in the world is vital to then seeing how important they are to the understanding of not-self and to the way that frees one from perpetual rebirth in saṃsara.
SN 2.14 Suttas 1-10 on one file. These suttas should all be read together. They were obviously delivred at the same time.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.07.24] Saturday, September 07, 2024

Olds translations of Saṃyutta Nikāya 12 1-30 collected together on one file to facilitate the study of the Paṭica Samuppada.
SN 2.12.1-30.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.05.24] Thursday, September 05, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.27 Paccaya Suttaṃ Rebounds.
This is a slight remake to get it to align with the other suttas of this group. In this sutta we are shown how the Aristocratic Eight Dimensional Way is the tool to be used to uproot the blindness that rebounds as aging and death.
SN 2.12.28 Bhikkhu Suttaṃ The Beggar.
SN 2.12.29 Paṭhama Samaṇa-Brāhmaṇa Suttaṃ Shamans and Brahmins (1).
SN 2.12.30 Dutiya Samaṇa-Brāhmaṇa Suttaṃ Shamans and Brahmins (2).

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.04.24] Wednesday, September 04, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.25 Bhūmija Suttaṃ Bhūmija.
This sutta begins in almost the same way as the previous and then Gotama goes on to explain that pleasure and pain correspond to the intent with which deeds of body, speech and mind are done. He further explains that intent can originate with the self or with another and can be done by the self either knowingly or without reflection.
SN 2.12.26 Upavāṇa Suttaṃ Upavāṇa.
This is the short version of the previous two.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.09.02.24] Monday, September 02, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.12.24 Añña-Titthiya Suttaṃ Teachers of Another Position.

Sariputta teaches Wanderers that ask about who causes kammic consequences that it is in all cases contact (here translated literally as 'touch') that results in kammic consequences. This is repeated to the Buddha by Ānanda, and confirmed by Gotama and then Ānanda remarking on how interesting it is that the whole doctrine could be stated with one phrase like this, when asked to do so, gives a version of the sequence in detail.
Although it is stated in different words by Ānanda, what is being said is that it is because of deliberate intention resulting from ignorance that 'self' is projected into the contact of consciousness with named forms that is then experienced as "I am experiencing". Consequently it is a matter of eliminating the ignorance that propels this projecting of self into such contact that brings pain to an end. So it is here that you can see that what this formula is showing is personalization, that is, 'own-making'. The formula is not so much showing how an impersonal pain comes about as showing how it is because of the injection of personal identification by way of identification with the intent to create personal experience through thought, word and deed that the result is identified-with pain.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.30.24] Friday, August 30, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.22 Dutiya Dasa-Balā Suttaṃ Ten Powers (2).
This sutta begins as with the previous but then adds an inspiring admonition to give up lazy ways and take on energy to accomplish the goal.
SN 2.12.23 Upanisa Suttaṃ Precursors.
Slightly modified to bring this sutta into alignment with the previous suttas of this collection. The key word to understand here, aside from the terms for the links themselves, is 'Upanisa' = up-sitting ('Set ya'sef down!') that which gives rise to the setting up of something. Bhk. Thanissaro: 'prerequisites'; Bhk. Bodhi: 'Supporting Conditions' Mrs. Rhys Davids: "Causal Association" If that last is heard as 'it is associated in a way that looks like cause', all of these would do. I have used 'precursor.' A very important sutta! Sometimes called the positive version of the paṭicca samuppāda.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.28.24] Wednesday, August 28, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.21 Paṭhama Dasa-Balā Suttaṃ Ten Powers (1).
The Buddha does not explain the ten powers or the four confidences in this sutta, but I have listed them in a discussion thread on the forum: The Ten Powers and the Four Confidences of the Tathāgata,

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.27.24] Tuesday, August 27, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.18 Timbaruka Suttaṃ Timbaruka.
SN 2.12.19 Bāla-Paṇḍita Suttaṃ The Foolish — the Wise.
Very slightly revised (the Nidana only).
SN 2.12.20 Paccaya (Paccayuppanna) Suttaṃ Rebounding Rebirth.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.25.24] Sunday, August 25, 2024

The Bodhi Mind

A Way Down The Middle

To hold that the Bodhi Mind exists, is the same thing as holding that the self exists, or that the Tathāgata exists after death — it is the eternalist view.
To hold that the Bodhi Mind does not exist is the annhilationist view.

Avoiding both views, by not taking even one step in either of those two directions, a third way is to be seen: A Way Down The Middle:

Rebounding off blindness,
own-making
rebounding off own-making,
consciousness
rebounding off consciousness,
named-form
rebounding off named-form,
the six-realms
rebounding off the six-realms,
touch
rebounding off touch,
sensation
rebounding off sensation,
thirst
rebounding off thirst,
bind-ups
rebounding off bind-ups,
existence
rebounding off existence,
birth
rebounding off birth,
aging and death
grief and lamentation
pain and misery
and despair
become one's own.

Even thus
is the self-arising
of this pile of pain
made to be.

But if you
utterly-dispassionately-end blindness,
own-making is ended
own-making ended,
consciousness is ended
consciousness ended,
named-form is ended
named-form ended,
the six-realms are ended
the six-realms ended,
touch is ended
touch ended,
sensation is ended
sensation ended,
thirst is ended
thirst ended,
bind-ups are ended
bind-ups ended,
existence is ended
existence ended,
birth is ended
birth ended,
aging and death
grief and lamentation
pain and misery
and despair
are ended.

Even so
is this pile of pain
made to not be."

 

---

 

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.15 Kaccāna-Gotta Suttaṃ The Ancient of the Clan Kaccāyana.
The Buddha explains the reasoning behind the consummate view of things and the result in the attitude of one of such views.
This sutta is important for understanding why the Four Truths are constructed the way they are. Also in this sutta the 'Middle Way' is directly stated to be the paṭicca samuppāda, not, as in the First Sutta, the Eightfold Way. This is not a contradiction: the two are equivalents. "He who sees the Four Truths, sees the paṭicca samuppāda; He who sees the paṭicca samuppāda sees the Four Truths."
SN 2.12.16 Dhamma-Kathiko Suttaṃ Dhamma Teacher.
Both of the above revised to align with the other suttas of this series.
SN 2.12.17 Acela-Kassapa Suttaṃ Kassapa, the Unclothed.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.23.24] Friday, August 23, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.12.12 Moḷiya-Phagguna Suttaṃ Top-knot-Phagguna.
This is a revision to bring this sutta translation into alignment with the rest of this series. As far as I can tell these revisions do not alter the meaning of the previous versions; hopefully they do make them a little clearer. The previous versions will be found in the PDFs given on the Index page. In any case, this is not the Pāḷi! This is an English translation and it is beneficial in the case of English translations to understand the meaning in multiple versions. The Pāḷi can hardly be translated perfectly correctly with any one single English term for any one Pāḷi term.
SN 2.12.13 Paṭhama Samaṇa-Brāhmaṇa Suttaṃ Shamen and Brahmins (1).
SN 2.12.14 Dutiya Samaṇa-Brāhmaṇa Suttaṃ Shamen and Brahmins (2).

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.22.24] Thursday, August 22, 2024

New Olds translation:
SN 2.12.11 Āhāra Suttaṃ Food.

The Buddha enumerates the four foods which sustain and further living and shows their connection to the chain of interdependent factors (paṭicca samuppāda dependent uprising, rebounding conjuration) that result in birth, old age, sickness, and death.
Bhk. Thanissaro points out that the foods occupy the position in the paṭicca samuppāda of Upadana, or 'support,' my 'bind-ups', Mrs. Rhys Davids 'grasping'; Bhk. Thanissaro's 'clinging/sustenance'.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.21.24] Wednesday, August 21, 2024

New Olds translations:
SN 2.12.1 Desanā Suttaṃ Position,
SN 2.12.2 Vibhaṇga Suttaṃ Analysis,
SN 2.12.3 Paṭipadā Suttaṃ The Walk to Walk,
The above three are revisions to make them align with the following. Notes have also been added:
SN 2.12.4 Vipassi Suttaṃ Vipassi,
SN 2.12.5 Sikhi Suttaṃ Sikhi,
SN 2.12.6 Vessabhu Suttaṃ Vessabhu,
SN 2.12.7 Kakusandha Suttaṃ Kakusandha
SN 2.12.8 Konāgamaṇa Suttaṃ Konāgamaṇa,
SN 2.12.9 Kassapa Suttaṃ Kassapa,
SN 2.12.10 Mahā Sakyamuni Gotamo Suttaṃ Mahā Sakyamuni Gotamo.

Suttas 4—10 are identical. They tell us that the previous six Buddhas and Gotama have all gone through the same thought processes in arriving at their vision of the Paṭicca Samuppada, aka "The Middle Way."

 

---

 

The Middle Way is not a way describing moderation. I have said this a few times but it needs repetition. There is plenty nuf moderation in Buddhism, but when 'The Middle Way' is being spoken of it points to the method to use the Aristocratic Multi-dimensional Way, or the Paṭicca Samuppada or any of the multiplicity of Ways that constitute the Buddhist method for escape from kamma, rebirth, pain. Restraining the self from going, doing, acting either in a manner indicating approval, liking, or thinking of it as the only way, etc. or in a manner indicating disapproval, dislike, or thinking of it as the only way, etc.

For example: You have decided to give the Buddhist method a try. You find yourself hearing about the horseless carriage. In stead of forming an opinion about this, you abstain from approval and disapproval and mind your own business. This is the point of Sammā Diṭṭhi, high or consummate or best view. It keeps your opinions out of the picture. Your job, as an explorer of Buddhism, or as a teacher of Buddhism, is the escape from kamma, rebirth, pain, not the way this new technology will affect you or the interests of the world. Your job is not to comment on or have useless opinions about the horseless carriage. You hear about Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. You refrain from writing slanderous second hand hearsay articles about these people (Sammā Sankappa and Sammā Vaca). And on up the list.

What is the result? You have more time to devote to what is your real business: the study of, or teaching of Buddhism. You do not waste your very very short time here trying to change the world — in the end a useless, fruitless effort. You make fewer enemies. You make no bad kamma and so experience no journey in remorseland because of that. And you see by that a little bit of Nibbāna. You get a little taste of what freedom really means. You may even see the nack and pull yourself entirely free of this mess. That would be called "setting a good example." That is what is in back of your desire to change the world anyway ... or so we can hope.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.16.24] Friday, August 16, 2024

Book Recommendation: Gold Wrapped in Rags, The Autobiography of Ajaan Jia Cundo, Translated by Ajaan Dick Sīlaratano. You can get this in PDF format from this site here, or you can download a free copy in pdf, e-pub or mobi formats from Forest Dhamma monastery, or you can request a free hard copy from them.

I first learned of this book reading ffrank's blog Notes on the Dhamma

The book is one of the most inspiring books I have read in a long time, beautifully designed and the translation is what I would call "smooth", virtually invisible. The last chapters are not autobiography, but biography, and I wish only that it had ended with the death of Ajaan Jia. I could have lived without the last few pages of the biography that deal with the theoretical position of the bhikkhus of the Forest school.

In the autobiography, magic powers are discussed openly and in such a way as to make them perfectly believable; and as far as it goes Ajaan Jia describes his practice in detail and step by step. I will refrain from trying to describe this work any further, but it is necessary to say that it is not the product of a completely free mind but it is close enough to think (and we can hope) that, as was predicted by Ajaan Mun, Ajaan Jia could have achieved the final end at his death.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.05.24] Monday, August 05, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 11.19: Paṭhama Samādhi Suttaṃ Serenity (1)
AN 11.20: Dutiya Samādhi Suttaṃ Serenity (2)
AN 11.21: Tatiya Samādhi Suttaṃ Serenity (3)
AN 11.22: Catuttha Samādhi Suttaṃ Serenity (4)

These suttas are all the same except for the speaker and the audience which is different in each case. These suttas are also the same as numbers 7, 8, and 9 earlier in the chapter. The basic content of these suttas is also presented in many other locations in the suttas. I suggest that this is an indication of the importance of this sutta to the understanding of the Buddha's system. Further, it is a good example of how a sutta was passed from hand to hand.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.04.24] Sunday, August 04, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.18: Gopālaka Suttaṃ The Cowherd (a)

This sutta has an error which is found in the PTS text, the CSCD, and is translated by Woodward, Bhikkhu Thanissaro and Bhikkhu Bodhi following that error. Number "11" in the second case in both the positive and negative versions should refer to the cowherd, not the bhikkhu, and the concluding "11s", in both versions should begin with the cowherd, and have the bhikkhu in the center and conclude with the cowherd.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.08.01.24] Thursday, August 01, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 11.17: Aṭṭhakanāgara Suttaṃ aka Dasama Suttaṃ The Man from the Eights Market or Number Ten
MN 52: Aṭṭhakanāgara Suttaṃ aka Dasama Suttaṃ The Man from the Eights Market or Number Ten

These two are identical. This sutta often figures in the discussion concerning whether or not the jhānas are necessary for awakening. Here the interesting thing is that a careful reading of the sutta tells us that it is not really the jhānas or the Brahma-viharas, or the formless realms that bring about Nibbāna, but that these must all be seen as made for the sake of (with the intent of creating) identified-with experience, and must be let go.

He reflects on that
and understands:

'Here, for sure,
the first knowledge (and the rest of the jhānas, the Brahma-viharas, and the formless realms) is
a higher own-making,
a higher own-intent,
and furthermore
anything that is
higher own-made
higher own-intended
is impermanent
an ending thing.'

He, taking a stand on that,
arrives at destruction of
the corrupting influences.

If not arriving at destruction of
the corrupting influences
then with such as your Dhamma-desire,
with such as your Dhamma-delight
with the utter destruction of the
five yokes connected to lower selfhood-birth
he is spontaneously reborn
attaining final Nibbāna there,
not returning to things of this world.

This, then, householder,
is a teaching,
taught by The Lucky Man,
one who knows and sees,
aristocrat,
Consummately Self-Awakened,
whereby a beggar,
living without carelessness,
ardent,
resolute,
will free
his unfree heart, and
will achieve total destruction
of the not yet totally destroyed
corrupting influences, and
where one who has not reached
the ultimate
peace from the yoke
reaches such peace.

The conclusion is that the Magga is only one of several different paths that lead one to the point where, by eradicating the Āsavas, Nibbāna can be reached by letting that path go. Each individual path separately, or the first jhāna only, or the full set of four, or the other paths or all of them together are all sufficient to bring one to this position. From the viewpoint of the Arahant they will all be seen as equivalants; the differences between them would be seen as constructed to meet the differences in the dispositions of individuals.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.28.24] Sunday, July 28, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.16: Mettā-Nisaṃsa Suttaṃ, The Advantages of Friendliness.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.26.24] Friday, July 26, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.15: Subhūti Suttaṃ: Subhūti.

 

---

 

Negative Opposites

"Appamādā" it is a good example of the way almost everyone is mistranslating.

They translate this word as:

PED: thoughtfulness, carefulness, conscientiousness, watchfulness, vigilance, earnestness, zeal, alertness, care, caution, diligence, heedlessness ...;

Bhikkhu Bodhi: heedfulness;
Bhikkhu Thanissaro: heedfulness;
Bhikkhu Sujato: diligence;
Woodward: earnestness;
Mrs. Rhys Davids: diligence ... .

There are probably others but these come easily to hand.

However the word "pamādā" is thought of, the word "appamādā" means: NOT-that.

Negative opposites. If you actually care about rebirth and follow what the Buddha taught about how to achieve that you will see that it is a method almost completely dependent on not-doing. (To be precise, the doing which is not-doing that ends doing.) We are not to give up one way of being just to get another way of being. We are not to give up carelessness to get carefulness; we are to give up carelessness period. NOT-pamādā.

It is not just the same thing. It is not going from one state to another, it is just not going any further with this state.

There are masses of these negative opposites that are being translated as positive states. It is not unimportant: what we are doing here is trying to end the actions we perform that create further becoming, existence, life. If we get stuck and need help from the sutta translations and they are pointing to a state involving becoming this is something that can be easily overlooked and is a big huge misleading mistake.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.21.24] Sunday, July 21, 2024

Dukkha

If the Buddha saw fit to use the same word to describe all sorts of pain [DUKKHA] and physical pain [DUKKHA] using the same word, and if in English we use the same word for both as well, why would it be difficult to translate it with that word?

I have used my translation for this example, but in case that is doubted, here is the link to the Index where there are several other translations which provide the same information:

DN 22

And what, beggars, is
the Aristocrat of Truths
as to pain [DUKKHA]?

Birth is pain [DUKKHA],
aging is pain [DUKKHA],
death is pain [DUKKHA].

Grief and lamentation,
pain [DUKKHA] and misery,
and Despair
are pain [DUKKHA].

Not to gain the wished for is pain [DUKKHA].

Essentially the Five Bound up Stockpiles are pain [DUKKHA].

And what, beggars, is 'birth'?

Whatsoever
for this or that being
of this or that group of beings
is birth,
the occurrence of individuality,
the regrouping of the Stockpiles,
the appearance of the Six-Fold Sense Spheres: —
this, beggars is said to be 'birth.'

And what, beggars, is 'aging'?

Whatsoever
for this or that being
of this or that group of beings
is aging,
agedness,
the breaking,
the graying,
the wrinkling,
the diminishment of the lifespan,
the weakening of the powers,
this, beggars is said to be 'aging.'

And what, beggars, is 'death'?

Whatsoever
for this or that being
of this or that group of beings
is passing,
passing away,
the breaking up,
disappearance,
the death in the dying,
the finishing of the lifespan,
the breaking up of the Stockpiles,
the laying down of the body,
this, beggars is said to be 'death.'

And what, beggars, is 'grief'?

Whatsoever, beggars,
for anyone
is the condition of inner sadness,
heartbreak,
heartache,
state of missing and regret,
woe,
and affliction,
the grief,
feeling bad,
wretchedness,
state of woe,
and unhappiness
at experiencing some loss or tragedy,
this, beggars is said to be 'grief.'

And what, beggars, is 'lamentation'?

Whatsoever, beggars,
for anyone
is the outward expression of grief,
lamentation
wailing,
weeping,
hysteria,
display of desolation
at experiencing some loss or tragedy,
this, beggars is said to be 'lamentation.'

And what, beggars, is 'pain' [DUKKHA]?

That, beggars which is bodily pain, [DUKKHA]
the bodily disagreeable
the experience of being connected bodily
with the disagreeable
this, beggars, is said to be 'pain' [DUKKHA].

And what, beggars, is 'misery'?

That, beggars, which is mental pain, [DUKKHA]
the mentally disagreeable
the experience of being connected in mind
with the disagreeable
this, beggars, is said to be 'misery.'

And what, beggars, is 'despair'?

Whatsoever, beggars, for anyone
experiencing misfortune
being touched with any sort of pain[DUKKHA]ful thing
is loss of hope,
being despondent,
dejection, depression,
this, beggars, is said to be 'despair.'

And what, beggars, is
'not to gain what is wished for is pain' [DUKKHA]?

In beings that are the object of birth,
there comes the wish:

'O if only there were no
being a thing that is born,
if only there were no
getting born.

But such as such as this
is not to be had by wishes.

This is the pain [DUKKHA]
of not gaining what is wished for.

In beings that are the object of aging,
there comes the wish:

'O if only there were no
being an aging thing,
if only there were no aging.

But such as such as this
is not to be had by wishes.

This is the pain [DUKKHA]
of not gaining what is wished for.

In beings that are the object of
sickness,
there comes the wish:

'O if only there were no
being a sick-getting thing,
if only there were no sickness.

But such as such as this
is not to be had by wishes.

This is the pain [DUKKHA]
of not gaining what is wished for.

In beings that are the object of dying,
there comes the wish:

'O if only there were no
being a dying thing,
if only there were no dying.

But such as such as this
is not to be had by wishes.

This is the pain [DUKKHA]
of not gaining what is wished for.

In beings that are the object
of grief and lamentation,
pain and misery
and despair,
there comes the wish:

'O if only there were no
being a thing that gets grief and lamentation,
pain [DUKKHA] and misery
and despair,
if only there were no
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery
and despair.

But such as such as this
is not to be had by wishes.

This is the pain [DUKKHA]
of not gaining what is wished for.

And what, beggars,
are the five bound up stockpiles
that are essentially pain [DUKKHA]?

In this case:
there is the material form stockpile,
there is the sense-experience stockpile,
there is the perception stockpile,
there is the own-making stockpile,
there is the re-knowing-knowing-knowledge stockpile.

It is these, beggars,
that are known as
the five bound up stockpiles
that are essentially pain [DUKKHA].

This beggars, is what is said to be
the Aristocrat of Truths as to Pain [DUKKHA].

■

Jhāna

Evam eva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu||
vivicc'eva kāmehi||
vivicca akusalehi dhammehi||
sa-vitakkaɱ||
sa-vicāraɱ||
viveka-jaɱ pīti-sukhaɱ||
paṭhamaɱ-jhānaɱ upasampajja viharati.|| ||

Here beggars, a beggar,
isolating himself from sense pleasures,
isolating himself from unskillful things,
with thinking,
with pondering
isolation-born pleasurable-appreciation
rises up into and makes a habitat of
The First Burning Knowledge.

"Absorption" cannot be the correct word to use for what is described as "attaining one state by abandoning another." Neither can any term or description of this skill that implies or requires action be appropriate. This is a system built on letting go of everything, that is everything in this world, absolutely everything, absorption is precisely not letting go.

You start out like everyone else, absorbed by the world. You find a place to be alone and you sit up straight and then take the mind and place it around the area of the mouth.

That is your center or home base or the starting place of your focus.

There, then, you experience yourself enjoying sense pleasures and unskillful things.

At that point (though it may take some time) you let go (that is not doing) of thoughts about and pondering of sense pleasures and unskillful things.

You are absorbed by a sexual fantasy. You are not absorbed when you let that fantasy go. All the insights you gain in the jhānas are of the same nature: the freedom attained from letting go of something that has the mind absorbed.

The result is a subtle form of pleasure (sukha) (not being disturbed by thoughts about and pondering of sense pleasures and unskillful things), and you have left, the clear thinking and pondering of your situation (and later, everything else that you question concerning the Dhamma).

The first thing you encounter then is that it has been your being alone that has given you this pleasure. That is called appreciation (I also call it enthusiasm sometimes. It is of the same nature.) (an early form of pīti).

That is the first jhāna.

After you have placed the mind (sati-parimukham), nothing there required you to do anything but let go. This is not absorption.

The same process applies to the next three jhānas. You notice that there is something in your present situation which is disturbing your peace and you let it go.

The difference between "not-doing" and "doing nothing"

To physically understand the difference between "doing nothing" (which, by definition, is a doing, and is, therefore, impossible) and "not-doing" (which is important to the understanding of every phase of the Pāḷi practice, especially for Jhānas, clench your fist using extreme pressure. Hold the fist clenched for a few seconds, until you can focus on the mechanics of what you are doing. Then, without opening the fist or moving a muscle with intention, let go of the tension that is causing the fist to clench. This is not "doing" anything, this is the letting go of (the ending of) the doing that was the clenching. This example, demonstrated through the physical body, applies as well to all forms of grasping: grasping of the body; grasping after sense experience; grasping after perceptions; grasping after the creation of your own world; and grasping after consciousness.

 

■

 

It must be getting near a full moon night, I am howling at the moon.

Son of a gun! Full Moon (Buck Moon), July 21, 2024.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.16.24] Tuesday, July 16, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.14: Nandiya Suttaṃ: Nandiya

Similar to the previous sutta. With this and the previous two one can see how the Buddha is taking similar content and tailoring it to the understanding of his different followers at different times. This one ends with the recollection of the Devas in a different form than the previous and the standard, and seems to me to be qualitatively of a higher order. The reason for the change is a mystery to me as it does not seem to be explained by the level of Nandiya's understanding.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.14.24] Sunday, July 14, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.13: Dutiya Mahānāma Suttaṃ: Mahānāma (b)

Almost the same as the previous sutta.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.13.24] Saturday, July 13, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.12: Mahānāma Suttaṃ: Mahānāma (a)

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.06.24] Saturday, July 06, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.11: Mora-Nivāpa Suttaṃ; Peacocks' Feeding-ground.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.05.24] Friday, July 05, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 11.7: Saññā-Manasikārā Suttaṃ,(a); A Study in Perception (a) (slightly revised)
AN 11.8: Saññā-Manasikārā Suttaṃ,(b); A Study in Perception (b)
AN 11.9: Saññā-Manasikārā Suttaṃ,(c); A Study in Perception (c)

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.04.24] Thursday, July 04, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.6: Vyasana Suttaṃ, Ruin

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.03.24] Wednesday, July 03, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 11.3: Paṭhama Upanisa Suttaṃ, Seating (1)
AN 11.4: Dutiya Upanisa Suttaṃ, Seating (2)
AN 11.5: Tatiya Upanisa Suttaṃ, Seating (3)

These three are all the same sutta spoken by 1. Gotama; 2. Sāriputta; 3. Ānanda ... (thank goodness for copy and paste!). I think, however, that they should all be read through and given a good pondering. Further, they should be read along with the previous two. It looks to me as though this was the way suttas were originally memorized. Certainly it explains how a sutta (or what was thought of as the important part of a sutta if #s 1-3 are to be read as one sutta) could be heard throughout a large audience.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.07.01.24] Monday, July 01, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.2: Na Cetanā-Karaṇīya Suttaṃ, No Making Intentions

This sutta should be read with the previous one (just below). Although it is not overtly mentioned in the suttas, I believe it is taken as a matter of common knowledge (there, then, not here, now; which points to the fact that they had better vision then than is evident here now) that forming an intent brings about the thing intended. Not always when or how one would wish, but sooner or later. There is at least one school of Buddhism that uses this wish-fulfiling aspect of thought as the basis of its popularity. This is also similar to the way intent is used by Don Juan, though the function of his having his apprentices go around thinking and saying "Intent!" seems like a joke to me. What is the case here is that Gotama is telling us that forming an intent is not necessary for the purposes and advantages of attaining freedom through knowing and seeing if one is devoted to living according to the Buddhist understanding (skillful) of ethical standards.

 

---

 

Two Pali Text Society Dictionaries that are free to use on line:

Digital Dictionary of Pāli

A digital version of the Pali Text Society’s new Dictionary of Pāli (DoP) Written by Margaret Cone.

A Critical Pāli Dictionary

A Critical Pāli Dictionary Online is maintained by the Data Center for the Humanities at the University of Cologne in cooperation with the Pali Text Society.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.30.24] Sunday, June 30, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 11.1: Kim Atthiya? Suttaṃ, What is the Purpose?

*From AN 10.1

The difference here from my translation of AN 10.1 is that I went from translating from the Pāḷi and PED to translating from the Pāḷi, PED and experience — not that I did not have the experience, such as it was at the time, but that I did not closely examine the terms I would use to describe the experience. Sīla can mean "virtues". There is nothing wrong with having virtue, but "virtue" is greatly misused today in that the emphasis is on conduct that would be better headed under morality (conduct approved of as good by the majority, rather than derived from a principle). There is no mention in the Pāḷi of "conduct", but I suppose that can be inferred. One sometimes has remorse from conduct that is not ethically good; sometimes not. What is consistently present in those striving for purity of ethical conduct is the self criticizing the self for breaches of such conduct. I do not see "joy" arising from following skillful ethical standards. What is there when one looks is congratulations or satisfaction with the self or relief from fear of the consequences of breaches. Getting "approval" from "pīti" requires only that one understand this term as encompassing all sorts of liking, from moderate liking to rapture. I do not see rapture there at all, but I also do not think that rapture leads to calm or tranquility. What liking the situation does lead to is being pleased with one's behavior. The difference between "through" and "by", and "knowledge of" comes from what you think this series is about — is it a method to accomplish the goal, or is it a method for seeing the goal as accomplished? The sutta purports to be discussing the purposes and advantages.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.28.24] Friday, June 28, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 10.189-198: Ariya-Magga-Vagga, The Aristocratic Highway

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.26.24] Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Some Valuable Resources:

Digital Pāḷi Dictionary. This links to a page which describes this dictionary and the many features of Golden Dictionary.

Open Buddhist University. A huge but very well organized and beautifully presented collection of references to Buddhist works of all sorts.

The Index at Reading Faithfully. The site defaults to the translations of Bhikkhu Sujato but these can be ignored and the translations here can be found by just using the sutta id. Links to some other translators such as those of Bhikkhu Anandajoti and Bhikkhu Thanissaro are obtainable there by clicking on the gear icon at the top of the page and selecting "reference helper".

As expected, the Bhikkhu Sujato translations are now increasingly being used throughout the web. The objection here to these translations is that they reflect the activist Buddhist view. It is not just that important words are mistranslated, but that the entire set is world-oriented. Using the set while changing a few words will not do. While the Buddha freely gives advice to the world-oriented, becoming (living, being, existing) of any sort (as low as the Hells to as high as becoming in the sphere of the ending of perception and experience in the world), any sort of sense-experience, world-orientation, is all considered a lesser, even a failure at achieving the goal in this system. The goal in this system is the escape from sense-experience, kamma, rebirth, pain, but not just wordly pain. It is a hopeless cause, but there may be some who find this world intolerable and really see the point of escape and the efficacy of the Buddha's methods for doing so. To be constantly thrown back into a worldly view by a translation is a very dangerous thing.

 

---

 

New Olds translations:
AN 10.178-188: Sādu-Vagga, Well Done

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.21.24] Friday, June 21, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 10.155-166: Puggala-Vagga, Persons

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.18.24] Tuesday, June 18, 2024

New Olds translation:
AN 3.14: Cakkavatti Suttaṃ, Wheel Turner

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.17.24] Monday, June 17, 2024

New Olds translations:
AN 3.12: Sāraṇīya Suttaṃ, To Be Remembered Life-Long
AN 3.13: Āsaṃsa Suttaṃ, Aspiration

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.13.24] Thursday, June 13, 2024

When you get upset because the phone tree goes on forever before giving you the way to reach a live person, your mind is giving you a clue that you have expectations.

When you have an expectation and things turn out differently than the way you expected, and you get upset, that is a sign, a track of your having some investment in that expectation.

That is a sign that you think of yourself as occupying a station above the reality.

When you finally do reach a live person at the end of the phone tree and they do not have the information you were seeking and you take out your feelings of frustration on that person, that is an outward sign or track of the same belief that things should be going the way you think they should be going.

This is entirely a set-up for upset. Making yourself feel bad. And, for one thing that sign, or track fills the emptiness, and can be seen by those with clear sight as you holding on to that belief. So you have made yourself unhappy and you have given others reason to think you are, at the least, a fool.

Do not think you cannot be seen!

Then, when things do go your way, that delight you feel is just as much a sign of this same sort of belief system and has the same implications and gives the same information to anyone who wishes to know it.

One more thing: With expectations and reactions of liking and disliking the way things really are is obscured. You do not see the story the way it is really unfolding. You are missing one of the greatest joys of this life. That is another way of saying you are blind. To live without expectations, to be satisfied with things the way they are, is to see. And to see is to enjoy.

Just saying. Be mindful and get rid of those expectations!

 

---

 

I write many of these things as though advising myself. So in the spirit of having just been 'spoken to', let me, at this point, apologize to all those I have offended by my poor handling of a life-long shortness of temper. I see the fault there and the danger it poses and I work at eliminating this problem.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.08.24] Saturday, June 08, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 3. 1-10.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.06.24] Thursday, June 06, 2024

Here and there on the internet we find objections to the use by the Buddha of what is thought to be the harsh handling of fools, by the calling of them "fools" by the Buddha. This is really a mis-hearing of the tone of this term by those individuals. It is heard relative to the context. Those guilty of silly thinking will not feel the impact of being called a fool as deeply as those guilty of offences that will result in great unhappiness to many. As readers many centuries later we should rather think that the intent here was to shake up the person addressed. Get him to realize the seriousness of his offence. But, if the reader finds it difficult to believe that the Buddha would address foolish individuals as "foolish" or "fools", he should look to the origin of this term in Pāḷi (PED) where the word is actually "childish" or "young" with the meaning of the lack of understanding of the child or youth.

As for the use of this term on this site, it is done with the following ideas in mind:
it is rendered harmless today in that it is not directed at any living person;
it is used because today the pair "wise man" and "fool" are the usages in practice;
it is used because any person today that has intentions or thinks thoughts or speaks words or does acts that produce unpleasantness is a fool;
it is used because such an individual is not a real person, that is in reality such a one is a mindless robot that intentionally (even if not his own intentions) inflicts the unpleasant on others.

 

---

 

From Following the Footsteps of the Enlightened Beings,
by Pra Rachapavanavigrom (Luang Por Liem Ṭhitadhammo).
Illustrations by by Pra Ajahn Somdet Tikkhanyano

 

New PDF book.

Following the Footsteps of the Enlightened Beings, by Pra Rachapavanavigrom (Luang Por Liem Ṭhitadhammo.)

Not an especially enlightening work, but worth having a look at just for the illustrations.

Brought to my attention by a post from "vivica" on the Sutta Central Discussion site Discuss and Discover, which I do not recommend. Originally published on the intenet by Abhayagiri.org

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.06.03.24] Monday, June 03, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 2. 279-748.

This chapter, which concludes The Book of Twos, contains two wheels: the first starting at sutta #279 was aimed primarily at the bhikkhus, the second starting at sutta #579 is more for general consumption.

The second wheel tells you that for
understanding, all around knowledge, utter destruction, letting go, withering away, decay, dispassion, ending, giving up, and renunciation
of
passion, corruption, confusion, anger, fault-finding, hypocrisy, spite, irritation, selfishness, deceit, fraudulence, stubbornness, forcefulness, pride, arrogant pride, headiness, and carelessness,
you need to develop
calm (samatha) and insight (vipassanā).

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.05.28.24] Tuesday, May 28, 2024

AN 63-75, 76-85, 86-96, 97-116, 117-128, 129-139, 140-149, 150-161, 162-178, 179-278 were done previously. The words or phrases that I felt might have lead to confusion are footnoted. Some changes have been made to the later translations. In these translations samādhi is translated "High-getting" whereas now it is being translated "Serenity"; "āsava" is "no-goods" where now it is being translated "corrupting influences"; "etadagga" is "Superior" where now it is being translated "topmost"; "yoniso-manasikara" was changed in the earlier translations from "studious examination" to "tracing things back to their point of origin" (elsewhere on the site: "studious etiological examination").

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.05.27.24] Monday, May 27, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 2. 51-62.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.05.12.24] Wednesday, May 22, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 2. 41-50.

It's No Laughing Matter

Take a look at AN 10.15. Ask yourself how it could be that a simple word like Appamāda, (translations: don't be careless, Earnestness, Seriousness, etc.) could be given such an exalted status.

One of the last things experienced by most people when they die is the thought, based on the perception that because the personal mind perceives things coming into existence as being simultaneous with their thoughts of such a thing coming into existence, that they were, after all, really God, the Creator, and that all their suffering was just a big joke. And they are overtaken by a laughter that carries them off to the new state of consciousness they deserve.

Time to wake up, my friends! Make yourselves aware of this problem! Really read and understand Pajāpati's Problem.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.05.12.24] Sunday, May 12, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 2. 31-40.

Please note: I am doing these translations not to say that the other translations are incorrect, but for my (and hopefully your) personal enjoyment. I will use the terms used in other translations where I believe they have put the matter in the best way.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.05.11.24] Saturday, May 11, 2024

What Language is the Pāḷi?

There is a lot of steam and paper wasted in the effort to prove one theory or another as to what exactly Pāḷi is as a language and what language the Buddha actually used. I think a more productive way to deal with this issue is to let it go.

Let what was said in the Pāḷi be what the Buddha said in his own words and forget looking for the "real" language he may have spoken or where Pāḷi might have come from. The place it came from doesn't exist! And except as a waste of time, it doesn't matter. What we have in the suttas as we have them, even in translation, will get you out of this mess if you take the time to understand what was said there.

The most reasonable way to think of this is the same way that today and yesterday and the day before that any writer worth his salt has used his own language, and it is really his own invention applicable to his works alone.

What that is is the language he grew up with, the language he has heard around him, the language he heard his parents and grandparents and great-grandparents use and that was the language they heard spoken by their parents and grandparents and great grandparents back seven generations or more. And it is what he invents at the time to convey his ideas.

What we see as his writing is going to have scraps from way back and from other languages and (especially in the case of a seer like Gotama) it will have an influence on the way language is used way into the future.

We can see that even in translation the Pāḷi is influencing the way English (and almost every other language) is being used today ... just take a look at the way the people are writing on the forums. You try to pin-point the one language this work came from you are barking up the wrong tree and you are distracting people! That is not a good thing.

You think there is no bad kamma comes with making a big thing of this study, you have another think coming.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.05.07.24] Tuesday, May 07, 2024

Work on this website is basically done to the point of sufficiency for those interested in the study and practice of Buddhism. What you get from here is extra. Things that may be helpful, but are not essential to understanding. Corrections to errors will continue to be made.

The site was among the first dealing with the Buddhism found in the Pāḷi and had the idea of getting something helpful out there which others could work with and improve upon. The result was too much haste and the result of that was a super-sufficiency of typographical and spelling errors. For some time now it has been the effort here to rid the site of those errors, but many remain. Errors in doctrine are a matter of opinion and one of the purposes of the site was to provide a multiplicity of views on these matters. In recent times the number of differing opinions concerning doctrine has the appearance of having multiplied, but a careful reading will show that virtually all of these are sub-doctrines of those dealt with earlier.

Among the things that are being done in the very relaxed post-sufficiency way is adding italics to the foreign words of the Pāḷi dictionary found here. I am updating this file only haphazardly.

Doing this has necessitated reading the entries very closely and that has brought to my attention a lot of errors, some dating back as far as the original scanning, many introduced by my clumsy handling of regular expressions. "Pali" may have been converted to "Pāḷi", many commas "," may have been seen in the original scanning as periods "."; a massive regular expression error was the joining of "a" to the following word (e.g. "a house" became "ahouse"; and again I think in the original scan, some words have been broken up, as in "mo tion" for "motion."

I am, of course, correcting those errors as I find them, but the reader should be aware that this is a flawed work. There are now several Pāḷi/English dictionaries available in digital form, and several programs that allow one to find the English term used to translate the Pāḷi which, of course, just confirms the translation being used. I have not seen any dictionary or translation tool that is quite as complete as this version and I continue to use it almost every day because it provides word-history and relationships and allows choice by giving possible alternative meanings.

EDIT: Two Pali Text Society Dictionaries that are free to use on line:

Digital Dictionary of Pāli

A digital version of the Pali Text Society’s new Dictionary of Pāli (DoP) Written by Margaret Cone.

A Critical Pāli Dictionary

A Critical Pāli Dictionary Online is maintained by the Data Center for the Humanities at the University of Cologne in cooperation with the Pali Text Society.

PS: The entire dictionary is on one page (file) and can therefor be searched in your browser by using "CTRL f". Search main entries using "::[space][word]". It is most often necessary when looking up a word in this dictionary to strip off the prefixes and suffixes and the word-endings ā and ṃ, and sometimes it will require searching for the term not as a main entry but in the main body.

 

---

 

Faith and Its Connection to Stream-Winning

For the person who in the world,
attached to,
in bondage to,
having greed for,
being overtaken by
lust for sense-pleasures;
attached to,
in bondage to,
having greed for,
being overtaken by
lust for points of view,
it is impossible to see,
the existence of any other person.

This is not saying that belief in others is impossible,
indeed, it is not only not impossible,
it is usually the case,
but that case is a matter of belief,
it is not something that has actually been seen.

Seeing without resort to sensory perception is the difference that makes a person a Streamwinner-in-fact as opposed to the Streamwinner by belief.

The Streamwinner-in-fact does not slip back; the Streamwinner-by-belief becomes a Streamwinner-in-fact if he hangs on, but is subject to the possibility of slipping out of his belief.

Seeing without resort to perception through the senses is accomplished by a person when they see the problem of endlessly recycling rebirths in saṃsara and can see that this problem is solved by the idea that there is no thing there that is the self and that all sensory perception of the world as an existing thing can therefore be brought to an end.

Before this is seen the idea that someone out there has actually accomplished the deed is essential; seeing this as the solution to that problem is seeing that someone has actually accomplished the deed. This is faith in the Awakening of the Buddha.

This is seeing that this knowledge is the method that will bring the endless cycle of rebirths to an end. This is faith in the Dhamma.

Seeing what needs to be done is half the problem, the rest is accomplishing it. This is done by the step-by-step letting go of any identification (seeing anything as the self or as belonging to the self) with the entire existing world and the not-doing of any deed that extends identification with the existence of the world. Seeing that this is a gradual process is seeing the four basic stages: Streamwinning, Once Returning, Non-Returning, and Arahantship and the enjoyment, release in freedom, that follows such attainment. This is faith in the Saṇgha.

The step-by-step letting go of any identification with the entire existing world and the not-doing of any deed that extends identification with the existence of the world is accomplished by the application to the existing being of the steps found in the Way:

Consummate point of view — this is all essentially pain, this pain [DUKKHA] is a result of wanting, this pain [DUKKHA] is ended by ending the wanting, and this is the way to do all that — as a working hypothesis;

consummate principles based on that point of view — let it all go, inflict no intentional physical harm, inflict no intentional mental cruelty;

consummate speech — No intentional untrue, cruel, harsh, slanderous or useless talk;

consummate works — No intentional working harm, taking what has not been given, or straying from the path for pleasure's sake in your magic charms, works (deeds), or occupation.;

consummate lifestyle — Make a lifestyle out of identifying those elements of your personality that are contra-indicated, low, unskillful, un-Aristocratic, profitless, and dumping them;

consummate effort at self-control —
Exercise Self-control. Make effort, exert energy to
1. Restrain low unskillful conditions that have arisen in the here and now
2. Refrain from low unskillful conditions that have not yet arisen
3. Obtain high, skillful conditions that have not yet arisen
4. Retain high, skillful conditions that have arisen;

consummate mind — Live, while you live
in a body,
in sensation,
in the heart, and
in the word,
understanding body,
sensation,
the heart and
the word,
seeing them as they really are,
seeing how they arise,
seeing how they end,
watchful and diligent,
(Appamāda; non-carelessness),
Satisfied,
reviewing and calming down,
overcoming any hunger and thirst that may appear,
releasing it all,
above it all,
downbound to nothing at all in the world.;

consummate serenity — Achieve a state with no objectives,
no indications of lust,
anger, or
blindness, and
empty of
lust,
anger, and
blindness,
whether walking, standing sill, sitting down, or lying down.;

consummate vision — See that
Downbound blindness
rebounds bound up in own-making
That is: Blindness to the truth of consummate view
— or, in other words, blindness to the fact that Whatsoever has Come to Be is a Thing Destined to Come to an End — results in identified-with acts of body, speech and mind intended to create existence for the self — in other words: a personal world.

Downbound own-making
rebounds bound up in re-knowing-knowing-knowledge.
Knowing the knowable as an individual;
self-consciousness, individualized consciousness.

Downbound re-knowing-knowing-knowledge
rebounds bound up in Named Form
"Phenomena" FaceName. The inter-operation of the individualized mind (called "name" because it distinguishes and identifies itself and other by an internal set of names) and matter (called "form" or "shape" or "appearance" or "entity" because it is whatever can be said to have become a "thing" in the world, including mental states, concepts, sounds, etc.)

Downbound Named Form
rebounds bound up in re-knowing-knowing-knowledge
Individualized — own-made — confounded — consciousness is the factor on which the name/form phenomena depends, and name/form is the factor on which individualized consciousness, re-knowing-knowing-knowledge, depends.

It is only in-so-far-as these three:
[1] re-knowing-knowing-knowledge (individualized consciousness),
[2] name and
[3] form
interact that there is that which is understood to be existence as a being in a state of being.

Downbound re-knowing-knowing-knowledge rebounds bound up in the realm of the senses.

Downbound being bound up in the realm of the senses
rebounds bound up in contact
In the "realm" or "sphere" or "state" characterized by experience through contact through the six senses of the objects of those senses;
(being conscious of seeing sights, etc.)

Downbound contact
rebounds bound up in sensation
The experience of pleasure, pain, or neither pain [DUKKHA] nor pleasure
in connection with a sense stimulus)

Downbound sensation
rebounds bound up in wanting
(that's that 'hunger and thirst'; craving; appetite) To get, to get away.

Downbound wanting
rebounds bound up bound up
Getting involved in getting.

Downbound getting bound up
rebounds bound up in living
Getting involved in living
in some state of being an "it"
in some place of being "at"

Downbound living
rebounds bound up being born
As some kind of an "it"
in some place of being "at".

Downbound being born rebounds bound up in

Aging, Sickness and Death
Grief and Lamentation
Pain and Misery
and Despair.

consummate detachment; — So seeing (High Vision), act accordingly.
Seeing the arising of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge and sense experience;
seeing the ending of re-knowing-knowing-knowledge and sense experience;
understanding that this seeing and all those mental states that came before are own-made,
made up of parts,
subject to breaking a-part,
ending,
resolve
(and do not just resolve, but actually do it) to let go of own-making mental states
and by that
attain the uttermost objective detachment possible,
and at that point,
seeing that this is being free,

In freedom recognize freedom, and

Recognize that
birth has been left behind, and

Recognize that
duty's doing has been done, and

Recognize that
there is no more this side or that, and

Recognize that
there is no more being any kind of an "it"
at any place of "atness" left for you.

This is the ethical practice of the Aristocrat.

Together these constitute the four factors making up the accomplishment of Streamwinning-in-fact.

 

---

 

Oblog: [O.04.26.24] Friday, April 26, 2024

New Olds translations of AN 2. 11-20.

 

---

 

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

New Olds translations of AN 2. 1-10.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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

 

---

 

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 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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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". [Edit: that is probably not a very good way to put that in that Nibbāna is said to be the "unborn". Better would be "Following the Magga, the path to Nibbāna is born." What is intended is not that Nibbāna comes into existence per the Buddha's definition of an existing thing ((see DN 15) consciousness of named form), but that the path to the unborn is now born in 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."

 

---

 

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.

 

---

 

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.

 

■

 

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

 

---

 

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

 

---