Saturday, September 7, 2019

MN 138 upekkha-sukha error in the Pāli source CST, corrected.

The error in MN 138, highlighted. 

(modifed B. Sujato trans.)

(STED 3rd jhana formula)
Puna caparaṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṃvedeti, yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
 Furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, a monk enters and remains in the third jhāna, where they meditate with equanimity, rememberful and aware, personally experiencing the pleasure  of the flesh and blood anatomical body of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and rememberful, one meditates in pleasure.’
Tassa upekkhānusāri viññāṇaṃ hoti upekkhāsukhassādagadhitaṃ upekkhāsukhassādavinibandhaṃ upekkhāsukhassādasaṃyojanasaṃyuttaṃ ajjhattaṃ cittaṃ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.
 Their consciousness follows after that equanimity, tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in that equanimous pleasure. So their mind is said to be stuck internally.    

 Similar in nature to the upekkha-sukha incoherence in AN 9.41, corrected in this version:

AN 9.41 Tapussa

Corrected version of MN 138

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Take a monk who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first jhāna, which has the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, while directing-thought and evaluation.
Tassa viveka-ja-pīti-sukh-ānusāri viññāṇaṃ hoti
that seclusion-born-rapture-&-pleasure-{is}-followed (by their) consciousness ****,
viveka-ja-pīti-sukh-assāda-gadhitaṃ
that seclusion-born-rapture-&-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-greedy-(for it),
viveka-ja-pīti-sukh-assāda-vi-ni-bandhaṃ
that seclusion-born-rapture-&-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-very-much-bound-(to it),
viveka-ja-pīti-sukh-assāda-saṃ-yojana-saṃ-yuttaṃ
that seclusion-born-rapture-&-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-yoked-by-the-yoke-(to it).
ajjhattaṃ cittaṃ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.
Internally (their) mind (is) stuck (to it, so it is) said.
Puna caparaṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pītisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Furthermore, as the directed-thought and evaluation are stilled, a monk enters and remains in the second jhāna, which has the rapture and pleasure born of undistractible-lucidity, with internal clarity and confidence, and unified mind, without directing-thought and evaluation.
Tassa samādhi-ja-pīti-sukh-ānusāri viññāṇaṃ hoti
that undistractible-lucidity-born-rapture-&-pleasure-{is}-followed (by their) consciousness ****,
samādhi-ja-pīti-sukh-assāda-gadhitaṃ
that undistractible-lucidity-born-rapture-&-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-greedy-(for it),
samādhi-ja-pīti-sukh-assāda-vi-ni-bandhaṃ
that undistractible-lucidity-born-rapture-&-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-very-much-bound-(to it),
samādhi-ja-pīti-sukh-assāda-saṃ-yojana-saṃ-yuttaṃ
that undistractible-lucidity-born-rapture-&-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-yoked-by-the-yoke-(to it).
ajjhattaṃ cittaṃ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.
Internally (their) mind (is) stuck (to it, so it is) said.
Puna caparaṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṃvedeti, yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, a monk enters and remains in the third jhāna, where they meditate with equanimity, rememberful and aware, experiencing the pleasure with the flesh and blood anatomical body of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and rememberful, one meditates in pleasure.’
Tassa sukha-kāyena-ānusāri viññāṇaṃ hoti
that physical-pleasure-{is}-followed (by their) consciousness ****,
sukha-kāyena-assāda-gadhitaṃ
that physical-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-greedy-(for it),
sukha-kāyena-assāda-vi-ni-bandhaṃ
that physical-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-very-much-bound-(to it),
sukha-kāyena-assāda-saṃ-yojana-saṃ-yuttaṃ
that physical-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-yoked-by-the-yoke-(to it).
ajjhattaṃ cittaṃ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.
Internally (their) mind (is) stuck (to it, so it is) said.

Puna caparaṃ, āvuso, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṃ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Furthermore, giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, a monk enters and remains in the fourth jhāna, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and remembering.
Tassa a-dukkham-a-sukh-ānusāri viññāṇaṃ hoti
that neither-pain-nor-pleasure-[sensation]-{is}-followed (by their) consciousness ****,
adukkhamasukh-assāda-gadhitaṃ
that neither-pain-nor-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-greedy-(for it),
adukkhamasukh-assāda-vi-ni-bandhaṃ
that neither-pain-nor-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-very-much-bound-(to it),
adukkhamasukh-assāda-saṃ-yojana-saṃ-yuttaṃ
that neither-pain-nor-pleasure-gratification;-(they are)-yoked-by-the-yoke-(to it).
ajjhattaṃ cittaṃ asaṇṭhitanti vuccati.
Internally (their) mind (is) stuck (to it, so it is) said.
Evaṃ kho, āvuso, ajjhattaṃ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.
That’s how their consciousness is stuck internally.

How can we be sure it's wrong?

1. Compare to the other 4 jhanas. They're all referring to being stuck to a physical sensation, a coarser physical sensation compared to the more refined one in the next jhana.

2. In all 4 jhanas elucidated by Mahakaccana in MN 138, they're all using an explicit phrase from the STED standard EBT jhana formula. Look in the STED 3rd jhana, there is no 'upekkha-sukha'. There is upekkha, an independent equanimous-observation factor, and there's an independent sukha, which is explicitly qualified as 'sukham ca kayena patisamvedeti' (pleasure experienced by the body).  There is no justification to entwine two independent factors and make them dependent on each other, except if there's an agenda that the late Theravada has, to redefine jhana as a pure samatha practice divorced from vipassana.

3. Look at the fourth jhana. If upekkha was also mentioned here along with, or instead of the 'adukkhamasukham', as the factor that one 'gets stuck in', then you could make the case 3rd jhana the upekkha-sukha might be entwined as well.

4. compare to MN 111, look at the third jhana there. upekkha and sukha are not entangled, they're independent factors (in Burmese CST 4). If you compare CST to the Thai sutta, which mentions upekkha twice, even in there the 2nd upekkha is not entwined with sukha.

5. upekkha is an independent factor of both 3rd and 4th jhana, as well as the 7th factor in the 7sb awakening factors. It's completely absurd and nonsensical to classify that as a coarse undesirable feature of 3rd jhana that one could get 'stuck in'. Upekkha is equanimous-observation, it's what the 7th awakening factor does, using the power of the 6th factor samadhi-sam-bojjhanga, to observe the true nature of the mind in samadhi and realize nirvana (SN 46.3).


What do we do when Abhidhamma contradicts EBT?


Not on my watch.

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