Skip to main content

Fun Pali primer lesson 3: The word 'Dhamma' needs to be left untranslated, everywhere.


'dhamma' is a really important word, and how you treat it has many important implications to how you understand EBT, Buddhism, and Dharma.

First part of this lesson, I'll just present a few passages using the word dhamma, and let you read and think about it for a while, and chew over your own opinion on whether 'dhamma' should be translated according to each passage context into "teaching of buddha", "phenomena", "qualities", "things", "mental qualities", 'natural law', 'principle'.

AN 4.34 I had based my translation off of B. Thanissaro's, and had not gone back to un-translate 'dhamma' everywhere there. 

KN Dhp 1:

♦ 1.
♦ mano-pubbaį¹…gamā dhammā,
Mind-precedes (all) dharmas.
mano-seį¹­į¹­hā mano-mayā.
Mind-(is their)-chief; (they are all) mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pa-duį¹­į¹­hena,
(the) mind, if, with-impurity,
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts **,
♦ tato naį¹ƒ dukkham-anveti,
then *** suffering-follows (him),
cakkaį¹ƒva vahato padaį¹ƒ.
(like the) wheel that-follows (the) foot (of the ox).

KN Dhp 2:

♦ 2.
♦ mano-pubbaį¹…gamā dhammā,
Mind-precedes (all) dharmas.
mano-seį¹­į¹­hā mano-mayā.
Mind-(is their)-chief; (they are all) mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pasannena,
(the) mind, if, with-purity,
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts **,
♦ tato naį¹ƒ sukham-anveti,
then *** pleasure-follows (him),
chāyāva an-apāyinī VAR.
(like his) shadow never-departing.


AN 4.34 aggap-pasāda-suttaį¹ƒ
AN 4.34 supreme-confidence-discourse
“cattāro-'me, bhikkhave,
"(there are) Four-(of)-these, *********,
aggap-pasādā.
supreme (types of) confidence.
katame cattāro?
Which four?
yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
sattā a-padā vā dvi-padā vā
Beings without-feet or two-footed, or
catup-padā vā bahup-padā vā
four-footed or multi-footed **,
rūpino vā a-rūpino vā
(with) form or without-form **,
saƱƱino vā a-saƱƱino vā
percipient or non-percipient **,
Neva-saƱƱi-n-ā-saƱƱino vā,
Neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient **,
tathāgato tesaį¹ƒ aggam-akkhāyati
(the) Tathāgata is declared-supreme,
arahaį¹ƒ sammā-sambuddho.
(the) Arahant, perfectly-awakened.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
buddhe pasannā,
(in the) Buddha, (have) confidence,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaį¹ƒ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
♦ “yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
dhammā saį¹…khatā,
things (that are) fabricated,
ariyo aį¹­į¹­h-aį¹…giko maggo
(the) Noble eight-fold path,
tesaį¹ƒ aggamakkhāyati.
that (is) declared-supreme.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
ariye aį¹­į¹­h-aį¹…gike magge pasannā,
(in the) Noble eight-fold path, (have) confidence,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaį¹ƒ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
♦ “yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
dhammā saį¹…khatā vā a-saį¹…khatā vā,
things (that are) fabricated or un-fabricated **,
vi-rāgo tesaį¹ƒ aggamakkhāyati,
dis-passion (is) declared-supreme.
yadidaį¹ƒ madanimmadano
That is, pride-subduing,
pipāsa-vinayo
thirst-removal,
ālaya-samugghāto
attachment-uprooting,
vaį¹­į¹­-upacchedo
cycle-of-rebirth's -- stoppage,
taį¹‡hāk-khayo
craving's-destruction,
vi-rāgo nirodho nibbānaį¹ƒ.
dis-passion, cessation, Nirvana.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
virāge dhamme pasannā,
(in) Dis-passion (and) The-dhamma, (have) confidence,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaį¹ƒ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
♦ “yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
saį¹…ghā vā gaį¹‡Ä vā,
Saį¹…ghas or groups **,
tathāgata-sāvaka-saį¹…gho
(the) Tathāgata’s-disciple-Saį¹…gha,
tesaį¹ƒ aggamakkhāyati,
that (is) declared-supreme.
yadidaį¹ƒ cattāri purisa-yugāni
That-is, four {pairs of}-men,
aį¹­į¹­ha purisa-puggalā
eight (types of) men-(and)-individuals.
esa bhagavato sāvaka-saį¹…gho
This blessed-one's disciple-Saį¹…gha
āhuneyyo
(is) worthy-of-gifts,
pāhuneyyo
worthy-of-hospitality,
dakkhiį¹‡eyyo
worthy-of-offerings,
aƱjali-karaį¹‡Ä«yo
worthy-of-respectful-greetings,
an-uttaraį¹ƒ puƱƱak-khettaį¹ƒ lokassa.
(an) un-surpassed merit-field (for the) world.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
saį¹…ghe pasannā,
{confident} (in the) Saį¹…gha,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaį¹ƒ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
ime kho, bhikkhave,
These indeed, monks, (are the)
cattāro aggap-pasādā”ti.
four supreme (types of) confidence.
♦ “aggato ve pasannānaį¹ƒ,
"(regarding the) supreme **, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggaį¹ƒ dhammaį¹ƒ vijānataį¹ƒ.
(the) supreme dhamma, (for) those-knowing (that) --
♦ agge buddhe pasannānaį¹ƒ,
(in the) supreme Buddha (they have) confidence,
dakkhiį¹‡eyye an-uttare.
(in one) worthy-of-offerings, (in the) un-surpassed;
♦ “agge dhamme pasannānaį¹ƒ,
"(in the) supreme dhamma, (for) those-confident,
vi-rāg-ūpasame sukhe.
(in) dis-passion's-stilling, (in) pleasure.
♦ agge saį¹…ghe pasannānaį¹ƒ,
(in the) supreme Sangha, (for) those-confident,
puƱƱak-khette an-uttare.
(in the) merit-field, (in the) un-surpassed.
♦ “aggasmiį¹ƒ dānaį¹ƒ dadataį¹ƒ,
(to the) supreme, ***** (for those who) give {gifts} (to them),
aggaį¹ƒ puƱƱaį¹ƒ pavaįøįøhati.
supreme (types of) merit increases --
♦ aggaį¹ƒ āyu ca vaį¹‡į¹‡o ca,
supreme lifespan and beauty **,
yaso kitti sukhaį¹ƒ balaį¹ƒ.
glory, fame, pleasure, strength.
♦ “aggassa dātā medhāvÄ«,
"(to the) supreme, (for their) donors (who are) wise,
aggadhammasamāhito.
supreme-dhamma-(they are)-concentrated (upon).
♦ devabhÅ«to manusso vā,
devas-(they)-become, (or) human **,
aggap-patto pa-modatÄ«”ti.
(the) supreme-attained, (they) re-joice."
catutthaį¹ƒ.
(end of sutta)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Advice to younger meditators on jhāna, sex, porn, masturbation

Someone asked: Is porn considered harmful sexual.activity? I don't have a sex life because I don't have a partner and I don't wish to engage in casual sex so I use porn to quench the biological urge to orgasm. I can't see that's it's harmful because nobody is being forced into it. The actors are all paid well and claim to enjoy it etc. The only harm I can see is that it's so accessible these days on smart devices and so children may access it but I believe that this is the parents responsibility to not allow unsupervised use of devices etc. Views? Frankk response: In another thread, you asked about pleasant sensations and jhāna.  I'm guessing you're young, so here's some important advice you won't get from suttas   if you're serious about jhāna.  (since monastics are already celibate by rule)   If you want to attain stable and higher jhānas,   celibacy and noble silence to the best of your ability are the feedstock and prerequiste to tha
Post a Comment
Read more

SN 48.40 Ven. Thanissaro comments on Ven. Sunyo's analysis

This was Ven. Sunyo's analysis of SN 48.40: https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2024/05/exciting-news-honest-ebt-scholars-like.html And here is Ven. Thanissaro's response to that analysis: I think there’s a better way to tackle the issue of SN 48:40 than by appealing to the oldest layers of commentarial literature. That way is to point out that SN 48:40, as we have it, doesn’t pass the test in DN 16 for determining what’s genuine Dhamma and what’s not. There the standard is, not the authority of the person who’s claiming to report the Buddha’s teachings, but whether the teachings he’s reporting are actually in accordance with the principles of the Dhamma that you know. So the simple fact that those who have passed the Buddha’s teachings down to us say that a particular passage is what the Buddha actually taught is not sufficient grounds for accepting it. In the case of the jhānas—the point at issue here— we have to take as our guide the standard formula for the jhānas, a
Post a Comment
Read more

1min. video: Dalai Lama kissing boy and asking him to suck his tongue

To give more context, this is a public event,  * everyone knows cameras are rolling  *  it's a room full of children * the boy's mom is standing off camera a few feet away watching all of this * the boy initiated contact, he had already had a hug with Dalai Lama earlier and then asked Dalai Lama for another hug which triggered this segment  17 min. video showing what happened before that 1 min. clip and after, with some explanation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0qey5Ts78 16min talk from Ajahn Acalo with his thoughts on Dalai Lama kissing boy, relevance to Bhikkhu monastic code, sexual predators in religion in general, and how celibate monastics deal with sexual energy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2m0TcUib0 The child's comments about the incident in a filmed interview later https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2023/04/18/643eba5d46163ffc078b457c.html The child: It's a great experience It was amazing to meet His Holiness and I think it's a great ex
Post a Comment
Read more