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MN 106 Sujato 🧇can't decide what rūpa means in the formless (a-rūpa) attainments

 In MN 106, it's talking about how to attain the formless dimensions, where the mind becomes divorced from the 5 senses of the body. 


In his translation of the standard formula for dimension of infinite space, he translates 'rūpa' correctly as 'form' (materiality made up of 4 elements)

SN 54.8: Padīpopamasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net)

Now, a mendicant might wish:Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cepi ākaṅkheyya:‘Going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that “space is infinite”, may I enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space.’‘sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ananto ākāsoti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti,So let them closely focus on this immersion due to mindfulness of breathing.ayameva ānāpānassatisamādhi sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbo.


 🧇alert: But in MN 106, he suddenly can't decide whether rūpa means 'visions' or 'form'. He changes translation in mid passage!


MN 106: Āneñjasappāyasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net)

Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects:Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come,‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā;sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come;yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā;whatever is form, all form is the four primary elements, or form derived from the four primary elements.’yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ sabbaṁ rūpaṁ cattāri ca mahābhūtāni, catunnañca mahābhūtānaṁ upādāyarūpan’ti. Variant: rūpaṁ sabbaṁ rūpaṁ cattāri → yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ cattāri (bj, pts1ed)Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension.Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati.Being confident, they either attain the imperturbable now, or are freed by wisdom.Sampasāde sati etarahi vā āneñjaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā.When their body breaks up, after death, it’s possible that the consciousness headed that way will be reborn in the imperturbable.Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ taṁsaṁvattanikaṁ viññāṇaṁ assa āneñjūpagaṁ.This is said to be the second way of practice suitable for attaining the imperturbable.Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyā āneñjasappāyā paṭipadā akkhāyati.

Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects:Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:‘Sensual pleasures in this life and in lives to come,‘ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā, ye ca samparāyikā kāmā;sensual perceptions in this life and in lives to come,yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā;visions in this life and in lives to come,ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpā, ye ca samparāyikā rūpā;perceptions of visions in this life and in lives to come;yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā rūpasaññā, yā ca samparāyikā rūpasaññā—all of these are impermanent.ubhayametaṁ aniccaṁ.And what’s impermanent is not worth approving, welcoming, or clinging to.’Yadaniccaṁ taṁ nālaṁ abhinandituṁ, nālaṁ abhivadituṁ, nālaṁ ajjhositun’ti.Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension.Tassa evaṁpaṭipannassa tabbahulavihārino āyatane cittaṁ pasīdati.Being confident, they either attain the imperturbable now, or are freed by wisdom.Sampasāde sati etarahi vā āneñjaṁ samāpajjati paññāya vā adhimuccati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā.


What is Sujato thinking?


Does he know what this sutta is talking about? 

Does he know what his own translation is saying? Could he explain the meditation instructions to his students and they would know how to meditate based on his translation?


The real story

Sujato's  🧇 waffle adventures with translating 'rūpa', as he does with 'vitakka' in first jhāna, probably has something to do with his agenda to redefine jhāna, and redefine the meditator's physical body (kāya, rūpa). 


But how does it work? How does his translation make sense? Even when you corrupt the Buddha's words, you need to make sure it's coherent within its own context. I doubt Sujato could explain MN 106 to his students, let alone himself. 




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