Sunday, September 15, 2019

Theravada Abhidhamma 3rd jhāna gloss corruption

First, I will show his translation with the criminal elements highlighted, and then I will analyze and explain what the crime is.

This is U Thittila English translation, 1969
https://suttacentral.net/vb12/en/thittila

3rd Jhana gloss

“Desireless of rapture” means: Therein what is rapture? That which is rapture, gladness, rejoicing, rapture, mirth, merriment, felicity, elation, delight of consciousness. This is called rapture. This rapture is calmed, tranquillized, inhibited, terminated, vanished, destroyed, well destroyed, withered, well withered, abrogated. Therefore this is called “desireless of rapture”.
“Equable” means: Therein what is equanimity? That which is equanimity, having equanimity, supreme equanimity, state of balance of consciousness. This is called equanimity. Of this equanimity he is possessed, See section 357. furnished. Therefore this is called “equable”.
“Dwells” means: See section 540. Therefore this is called “dwells”.
“Mindful and aware” means: Therein what is mindfulness? That which is mindfulness, constant mindfulness, See section 220. right mindfulness. This is called mindfulness.
Therein what is awareness? That which is wisdom, understanding, See section 525. absence of delusion, truth investigation, right view. This is called awareness. Thus of this mindfulness and of this awareness he is possessed, See section 357. furnished. Therefore this is called “mindful and aware”.
“Experiences pleasure by way of the {kāya} body (of mental aggregates)” means: Therein what is pleasure? That which is mental ease, mental pleasure, easeful pleasant experience born of mental contact, easeful pleasant feeling born of mental contact. This is called pleasure.
Therein what is the body (of mental aggregates)? The aggregate of perception, aggregate of volitional activities, aggregate of consciousness. This is called the body (of mental aggregates). This pleasure he experiences by way of this body (of mental aggregates). Therefore this is called “experiences pleasure by way of the body (of mental aggregates)”.
“This the Noble Ones declare” means: Therein what are Noble Ones? Buddhas and disciples of the Buddhas are called Noble Ones; this they declare, preach, define, establish, reveal, analyse, make clear, explain. Therefore this is called “this the Noble Ones declare”.
“The equable, mindful dweller in pleasure” means: Therein what is equanimity? That which is equanimity, having equanimity, supreme equanimity, state of balance of consciousness. This is called equanimity.
Therein what is mindfulness? That which is mindfulness, constant mindfulness, See section 220. right mindfulness. This is called mindfulness.
Therein what is {sukha} pleasure? That which is mental ease, mental pleasure, easeful pleasant experience born of mental contact, easeful pleasant feeling born of mental contact. This is called pleasure. Thus furnished with this equanimity and with this mindfulness and with this pleasure he assumes the four postures, exists, protects, keeps going, maintains, turns about, dwells. Therefore this is called “the equable, mindful dweller in pleasure”.
“Third” means: Third in serial order; this is third because it is attained third.
“Jhāna” means: Equanimity, mindfulness, awareness, pleasure, one-pointedness of consciousness.
“Attains” means: That which is the gaining, gaining repeatedly, acquiring, acquiring well, contacting, realization, achievement of the third jhāna.
“Dwells” means: See section 540. Therefore this is called “dwells”.

4th jhana gloss

“By the abandoning of pleasure and by the abandoning of pain” means: There is pleasure; there is pain.
Therein what is {sukha} pleasure? That which is bodily ease, bodily pleasure, easeful pleasant experience born of bodily contact, easeful pleasant feeling born of bodily contact. This is called pleasure.
Therein what is pain? That which is bodily uneasiness, bodily pain, uneasy painful experience born of bodily contact, uneasy painful feeling born of bodily contact. This is called pain. Thus this pleasure and this pain are calmed, tranquillized, inhibited, terminated, vanished, destroyed, well destroyed, withered, well withered, abrogated. Therefore this is called “by the abandoning of pleasure and by the abandoning of pain”.


How the Crime was committed

1. Look at sukha in the 4th jhana gloss, and compare with 3rd jhana. 
In fourth jhana, Abhidhamma explains sukha as being physical (correct according to EBT definitions). But in 3rd jhana, even though the sukha being qualified as "kaya/body" is used, it explains that sukha is actually mental, because kaya is "a body of mental aggregates". Do you realize how insane this is? The 4 jhana formula, if Abhidhamma interpretation is correct, is not a transmittable teaching. Because it would require someone with knowledge of this corruption to explain the sukha of 3rd jhana is different from the sukha referred to by 4th jhana to every monk the formula is taught to. 

 2. understanding kāya in abhidhamma. Under the 7sb awakening factors section, Abhidhamma makes it clear (I'll highlight relevant phrases below) that according to sutta method, kāya is the physical body, and under the Abhdhamma method, kāya is a "body of mental aggregates". But in the 7sb awakening factors chapter of Vibhanga, they do the honorable and right thing and make it clear there is a distinction. For the jhāna analysis above, they basically just throw up their hands, saying "this charade is over", and they don't even try to point out there is a sutta method and an abhidhamma method, they just go full on corrupt mode and start changing the meaning of fundamental terms (sukha, kāya)  with well established meaning in the EBT.


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