https://suttacentral.net/an5.28/en/sujato
furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, a mendicant enters and remains in the third absorption. They meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’
PÄ«tiyÄ ca virÄgÄ upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajÄno,
sukhaƱca kÄyena paį¹isaį¹vedeti, yaį¹ taį¹ ariyÄ Äcikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimÄ sukhavihÄrÄ«’ti tatiyaį¹ jhÄnaį¹ upasampajja viharati.
my comment: The 3rd jhana simile, which is referring to the same physical body 'kÄya', and the body/kaya that experiences 'bliss'/sukha,
in the very next sentence, is completely inconsistent and incoherent. The simile is talking about the same
body, the same kaya that 3rd jhana standard formula is referring to.
Puna caparaį¹, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
They drench, steep, fill, and spread their body with bliss free of rapture.So imameva kÄyaį¹ nippÄ«tikena sukhena abhisandeti parisandeti paripÅ«reti parippharati;There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with bliss {sukha} free of rapture.nÄssa kiƱci sabbÄvato kÄyassa nippÄ«tikena sukhena apphuį¹aį¹ hoti.It’s like a pool with blue water lilies, or pink or white lotuses. Some of them sprout and grow in the water without rising above it, thriving underwater.SeyyathÄpi, bhikkhave, uppaliniyaį¹ vÄ paduminiyaį¹ vÄ puį¹įøarÄ«kiniyaį¹ vÄ appekaccÄni uppalÄni vÄ padumÄni vÄ puį¹įøarÄ«kÄni vÄ udake jÄtÄni udake saį¹vaįøįøhÄni udakÄnuggatÄni anto nimuggaposÄ«ni.
The justification B. Sujato uses to make the physical body disappear, is that the pali word 'kÄya'
in some meditative contexts might not be referring to the physical body. For example, in these passages:
AN 4.87
And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic?
KathaƱca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaį¹apadumo hoti?
It’s when a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. … And they have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations.
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ÄsavÄnaį¹ khayÄ anÄsavaį¹ cetovimuttiį¹ paƱƱÄvimuttiį¹ diį¹į¹heva dhamme sayaį¹ abhiĆ±Ć±Ä sacchikatvÄ upasampajja viharati, aį¹į¹ha ca vimokkhe kÄyena phusitvÄ viharati.
That’s how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.
Evaį¹ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaį¹apadumo hoti.
AN 6.46, referring to "The Deathless Element".
Because it’s incredibly rare to find individuals in the world who have direct meditative experience of the deathless.
AcchariyÄ hete, Ävuso, puggalÄ dullabhÄ lokasmiį¹, ye amataį¹ dhÄtuį¹ kÄyena phusitvÄ viharanti.
https://suttacentral.net/an6.46/en/sujato
Thus, friends, you should train yourselves: 'Being Dhamma-devotee monks, we will speak in praise of jhana monks.' That's how you should train yourselves. Why is that? Because these are amazing people, hard to find in the world, i.e., those who dwell touching the deathless element with the body.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
AN 9.43:
“Reverend, they speak of a person called ‘personal [body] witness’.
“‘KÄyasakkhÄ«, kÄyasakkhÄ«’ti, Ävuso, vuccati.
What is the personal witness that the Buddha spoke of?”
KittÄvatÄ nu kho, Ävuso, kÄyasakkhÄ« vutto bhagavatÄ”ti?
“First, take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and remains in the first absorption.
IdhÄvuso, bhikkhu vivicceva kÄmehi … pe … paį¹hamaį¹ jhÄnaį¹ upasampajja viharati.
They meditate directly experiencing that dimension in every way.
YathÄ yathÄ ca tadÄyatanaį¹ tathÄ tathÄ naį¹ kÄyena phusitvÄ viharati.
To this extent the Buddha spoke of the personal witness in a qualified sense.
EttÄvatÄpi kho, Ävuso, kÄyasakkhÄ« vutto bhagavatÄ pariyÄyena. (1)
Furthermore, take a mendicant who, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, enters and remains in the second absorption …
Puna caparaį¹, Ävuso, bhikkhu vitakkavicÄrÄnaį¹ vÅ«pasamÄ … pe … dutiyaį¹ jhÄnaį¹ …
third absorption …
tatiyaį¹ jhÄnaį¹ …
fourth absorption.
catutthaį¹ jhÄnaį¹ upasampajja viharati.
They meditate directly experiencing that dimension in every way.
YathÄ yathÄ ca tadÄyatanaį¹ tathÄ tathÄ naį¹ kÄyena phusitvÄ viharati.
To this extent the Buddha spoke of the personal witness in a qualified sense.
EttÄvatÄpi kho, Ävuso, kÄyasakkhÄ« vutto bhagavatÄ pariyÄyena. (2–4.)
Furthermore, take a mendicant who, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space.
Puna caparaį¹, Ävuso, bhikkhu sabbaso rÅ«pasaƱƱÄnaį¹ samatikkamÄ paį¹ighasaƱƱÄnaį¹ atthaį¹
gamÄ nÄnattasaƱƱÄnaį¹ amanasikÄrÄ ‘ananto ÄkÄso’ti ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanaį¹ upasampajja viharati.
They meditate directly experiencing that dimension in every way.
YathÄ yathÄ ca tadÄyatanaį¹ tathÄ tathÄ naį¹ kÄyena phusitvÄ viharati.
To this extent the Buddha spoke of the personal witness in a qualified sense. Furthermore, take a mendicant who enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception …
EttÄvatÄpi kho, Ävuso, kÄyasakkhÄ« vutto bhagavatÄ pariyÄyena … pe …. (5–8.)
Furthermore, take a mendicant who, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, their defilements come to an end.
Puna caparaį¹, Ävuso, bhikkhu sabbaso nevasaƱƱÄnÄsaƱƱÄyatanaį¹ samatikkamma saƱƱÄvedayitanirodhaį¹ upasampajja viharati, paƱƱÄya cassa disvÄ ÄsavÄ parikkhÄ«į¹Ä honti.
They meditate directly experiencing that dimension in every way.
YathÄ yathÄ ca tadÄyatanaį¹ tathÄ tathÄ naį¹ kÄyena phusitvÄ viharati.
To this extent the Buddha spoke of the personal witness in a definitive sense.”
EttÄvatÄpi kho, Ävuso, kÄyasakkhÄ« vutto bhagavatÄ nippariyÄyenÄ”ti. (9)
https://suttacentral.net/an9.43/en/sujato
Of the 3 passages quoted, the first two, referring to nirvana and 8 liberations, are not equivalent to four jhanas,
so it's practically a completely different context.
The AN 9.43 however, groups 4 jhanas as part of the 9 samadhis. So B. Sujato's reasoning is,
since the arupa samadhis, one could not be physically using the body/kaya to 'touch' the attainment,
therefore since 3rd jhana uses the word 'kaya', it must also be a metaphorical meaning of "personally experiencing".
It's a valid point, but ultimately we have to reject it because many other passages establish a clear
context for the 3rd jhana physical body. Such as the AN 5.28 jhana simile above, where the simile,
and the meditation instruction to "pervade, suffuse, the entire body" is clearly referring to the anatomical body that's experiencing bliss and rapture, not "personally experiencing with a personal pronoun self."
The Theravada commentary for that same sutta AN 5.28, explicitly says the body is "flesh and blood" in the 3rd jhana part of the formula:
AN 5.28, DN 2, MN 39, jhÄna simile commentary – physical!
| |
AN-a 5, 1. paį¹hamapaį¹į¹Äsakaį¹, 3. paƱcaį¹
gikavaggo, 8. paƱcaį¹
gikasuttavaį¹į¹anÄ, para. 1 ⇒
| (geoff shatz trans.) |
imameva kÄyan-ti imaį¹ karajakÄyaį¹.
| “This very body:” this body born of action [i.e. born of kamma]. |
Abhisandetī-ti temeti sneheti,
| “He drenches:” he moistens, |
sabbattha pavatta-pÄ«ti-sukhaį¹ karoti.
| he extends joy and pleasure everywhere. |
Parisandetī-ti samantato sandeti.
| “Steeps:” to flow all over. |
ParipÅ«retÄ«-ti vÄyunÄ bhastaį¹ viya pÅ«reti.
| “Fills:” like filling a bellows with air. |
Parippharatī-ti samantato phusati.
| “Permeates:” to touch all over. |
sabbÄvato kÄyassÄti assa bhikkhuno
| “His whole body:” in this monk’s body, |
sabbakoį¹į¹hÄsavato kÄyassa kiƱci upÄdinnakasantatipavattiį¹į¹hÄne
| with all its parts, in the place where acquired [material] continuity occurs there is not even the smallest part consisting of |
Chavi-maį¹sa-lohit-Änugataį¹
| skin, flesh, and blood |
aį¹umattampi į¹hÄnaį¹ paį¹hamaj-jhÄna-sukhena a-phuį¹aį¹ nÄma na hoti.
| that is not-permeated with the pleasure of the first-jhÄna.
|
KN Pe 3rd jhana gloss
| |
so pÄ«tiyÄ virÄgÄ
| 587. he, (with) rapture's fading-away, |
yÄti ojahi jalla-sahagataį¹.
| drives nutritive-essence wetness-,connected-with-that. |
| |
♦ 73. tattha so-manassa-cittam-upÄdÄnanti{uppÄdayati} ca
| 587. there happy-mental-state-(of)-mind-arises, [pīti leftover from 2nd jhana] |
so taį¹ vicinanto upekkhameva manasi-karoti.
| he then investigates (that with) equanimous-obervation attention. |
so pÄ«tiyÄ virÄgÄ
| he, (with) rapture's fading, |
upekkhako viharati.
| equanimously-observing (he) dwells. |
yathÄ ca pÄ«tiyÄ sukha-mÄnitaį¹,
| as-to the rapture induced-pleasure, |
taį¹ kÄyena paį¹isaį¹vedeti
| that, (with the) body (he) experiences, |
sam-pajÄno viharati.
| (with) clear-discerning (of that he) dwells. |
yena sati-sampajaƱƱena
| because-of remembrance-&clear-discerning, |
upekkhÄ-pÄripÅ«riį¹ gacchati.
| equanimous-observation-fulfillment happens. |
idaį¹ tatiyaį¹ jhÄnaį¹
| this third jhana, |
catur-aį¹
ga-samannÄgataį¹.
| four-factors-(it)-possesses. |
Remember, KN Peta is canonical Theravada, about 6 hundred years earlier than Vism.
KN Pe, you'll notice in the highlighted passage, also makes the explicit connection between 4 jhanas and the 7sb awakening factors by saying the sukha is induced by pīti-sambojjhanga.
And as we, know the 7sb sequence is explicitly referenced dozens of times in the EBT pali sutta, over 60 times including the key relevant portion of KÄya - passaddhi sukhino (with body pacified, one experiences sukha/pleasure/bliss).
SN 46.3 (7sb☀️)
This is one of the most important models in the EBT. You should have it memorized and know it by heart forwards and backwards. This is the canonical definition of "bhÄvana", meditation, every method of meditation that generates samadhi and jhanas, uses this model. It appears as part of many 16 APS suttas, it often appears without the explicit "bojjhanga" suffix attached, but a partial causal sequence is unmistakable.
| (implied: pamojja and pīti would result from contact with inspiring monks) |
(0. š BhikkhÅ«naį¹ dhammaį¹ sutvÄ)
| 0. š listen to Dhamma [teaching] from a monk [and memorize it] |
(1. š Sati: taį¹ Dhammaį¹ anus-sarati anu-vitakketi)
| 1. š that Dhamma [teaching] (he) recollects and thinks about |
(2. š Dhamma-vicaya: taį¹ dhammaį¹ paƱƱÄya, pa-vicinati pa-vicarati pari-vÄ«maį¹sam-Äpajjati )
| 2. š that Dhamma discerning; he discriminates, evaluates, investigates |
(3. š¹ VÄ«riya: Äraddhaį¹ hoti vÄ«riyaį¹ a-sallÄ«naį¹.)
| 3. š¹ his aroused vigor is not-slackening |
(4. š PÄ«ti: Äraddha-vÄ«riyassa uppajjati pÄ«ti nir-ÄmisÄ,)
| 4. š his aroused vigor leads to arising of rapture not-carnal (of jhana) |
(5. š Passaddhi: PÄ«ti-man-assa, kÄyo-pi passambhati, cittam-pi passambhati )
| 5. š with enraptured-mind, his body becomes pacified, his mind becomes pacified |
(6. š SamÄdhi: Passaddha-kÄyassa sukhino, cittaį¹ samÄdhiyati.)
| 6. š with pacified body, he is in pleasure, mind becomes undistractable and lucid. |
(7. š Upekkha: so tathÄ-samÄhitaį¹ cittaį¹, sÄdhukaį¹ ajjh-upekkhitÄ hoti)
| 7. š he of such undistractable & lucid mind, thoroughly looks-upon-it-with-equanimity |
(7 types of fruits, Nirvana)
| Seven different levels of awakening results from proper practice of 7sb. |
And B. Sujato translates 'kÄya' as 'body' in 7sb awakening factor context, as well as 16 APS breath meditation context.
So in the meditative context involving the physical body, physical breath, he does the right thing and translates the kÄya consistently as 'body'.
Except in the 3rd jhÄna, where he wrongly translates it using the metaphorical "he personally experiences."
So when you consider all of these passages, in contrast to the lone AN 9.43 context he uses to support his metaphorical body, it's clear he's cherry picking, quoting out of context, blatantly ignoring the far more relevant physical body meditation passages which occur with far more frequency.
Also when you consider the lengths of corruption late Theravada has to go through in Vism. to kill the physical body in 3rd jhÄna, detailed in the article links below, it's fair to wonder why they didn't use the same pali grammar trickery as B. Sujato as part of their arsenal?
Conclusion:
The Vism. approach is like a mafia crime boss giving the kill order to make 'kÄya'/body and bodily born pleasure 'sukha' disappear.
B. Sujato is like the smart and clever expensive defensive attorney the mafia crime boss hires to keep them out of prison.
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