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MN 78 and agama || MA 179: some interesting features. Does Buddha have right speech?

 Does Buddha have right speech?

People have this idea that the Buddha's "right speech" means never criticizing people or their wrong views. Here we see right speech can involve criticism.

        MN 781 - (Uggāhamāna's invincible ascetic— no bad body action, word, thought, livelihood)

            MN 781.1 - (Buddha makes fun of him, compare to baby)


Is right resolve a frozen state in  "single pointed" stupor?

There's a close connection between right view, right resolve, and the vitakka and vicāra of first jhāna.

Here we see first jhāna's vitakka is basically right resolve:

        MN 786 - (what are 3 kusalā saṅkappā? same 3 aspects of Right Resolve)
            MN 786.1 (kusalā saṅkappā depend on the 3 kusala perceptions)
            MN 786.2 - (kusalā saṅkappā cease in 2nd jhāna)
            MN 786.2.0 – (that means kusalā saṅkappā are active in 1st jhāna!
            MN 786.3 - (right effort removes kusala sankappa from first jhāna resulting in no V&V of 2nd jhāna)


Abhidhamma vibhanga also agrees with MN 78, right resolve being part of their gloss for first jhāna vitakka. 

So it's hard to imagine how Sujato and Analayo can continue to insist their first jhāna vitakka does not involve linguistic thought and comprehension of the thought.

Samma sankappa and vitakka, according to MN 78, can not be "placing the mind"  (sujato).

They can only be "placing the mind" on skillful Dharma thoughts and understanding the meaning of the thoughts while doing so.


Interesting differences between MN 78 and MA 179

Theravada treats sankappa and vitakka as equivalent in many contexts, including first jhāna.

The Sarvastivada, seems to treat sankappa as something subverbal that can survive past first jhāna. Unlike MN 78 where samma sankappa ceases in 2nd jhāna, MA 179 has samma sankappa cease in the 4th jhāna.


The other major difference, is MN 78 has right effort in every stage, purifying bodily action, virtue, speech, thoughts, whereas MA 179 has right sati (remembrance, "mindfulness") instead of right effort. 

My guess is, the error is unintentional, because both work, both are in accordance to Dhamma. In fact, sati, vāyāmo (effort), samādhi/jhāna can all be running together at the same time simultaneously, as both suttas show, and the personal experience of any skilled meditator can confirm.



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