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AN 1.583 B. Sujato accidentally translated vitakka & vicara correctly


https://suttacentral.net/an1.575-615/en/sujato

This passage is talking about second jhana. The pacification of body and mind confirms it (passaddhi-sam-bojjhanga). As well as the statement, vitakka-vicārā-pi vūpasammanti, which is straight from the second jhana formula. 

AN 1 .583 B. Sujato

“When one thing, mendicants, is developed and cultivated the body and mind become tranquil, thinking and considering settle down, and all of the qualities that play a part in realization are fully developed. “Ekadhamme, bhikkhave, bhāvite bahulīkate kāyopi passambhati, cittampi passambhati, vitakka-vicārā-pi vūpasammanti, kevalāpi vijjābhāgiyā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchanti. What one thing? Katamasmiṃ ekadhamme? 

 Mindfulness of the body. Kāyagatāya satiyā. When this one thing is developed and cultivated, the body and mind become tranquil, thinking and considering settle down, and all of the qualities that play a part in realization are fully developed.” Imasmiṃ kho, bhikkhave, ekadhamme bhāvite bahulīkate kāyopi passambhati, cittampi passambhati, vitakkavicārāpi vūpasammanti, kevalāpi vijjābhāgiyā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchantī”ti.



Normally, when B. Sujato realizes 4 jhanas are being described with code phrases (not explicitly calling out which of the 4 jhanas), such as in AN 8.63, he uses the wrong translation/interpretation of vitakka and vicara as "placing the mind and keeping it connected".

AN 8.63 B. Sujato

When this immersion is well developed and cultivated in this way, you should develop it while placing the mind and keeping it connected. You should develop it without placing the mind, but just keeping it connected. You should develop it without placing the mind or keeping it connected. You should develop it with rapture. You should develop it without rapture. You should develop it with pleasure. You should develop it with equanimity. 
Yato kho te, bhikkhu, ayaṃ samādhi evaṃ bhāvito hoti bahulīkato, tato tvaṃ, bhikkhu, imaṃ samādhiṃ sa-vitakkampi sa-vicāraṃ bhāveyyāsi, avitakkampi vicāramattaṃ bhāveyyāsi, avitakkampi avicāraṃ bhāveyyāsi, sappītikampi bhāveyyāsi, nippītikampi bhāveyyāsi, sātasahagatampi bhāveyyāsi, upekkhāsahagatampi bhāveyyāsi.



The moral of the story


 If you're going to misinterpret and mistranslate important pali terms, you need to be consistent and comprehensive, otherwise you're going to get caught and look like you lack conviction in your wrong view.

AN 1.583 translated and interpreted correctly


(This is 2nd jhāna here, done in conjunction with kāyagatā-sati)


583
583
“Eka-dhamme, bhikkhave, bhāvite bahulīkate
“When one ☸Dharma, monks, is developed and cultivated
kāyopi passambhati, cittampi passambhati,
the body and mind become pacified,
vitakka-vicārā-pi vūpasammanti,
thinking and considering settle down,
kevalāpi vijjābhāgiyā dhammā
and all of the ☸Dharmas that play a part in realization
Bhāvanā-pāripūriṃ gacchanti.
are developed to perfection.
Katamasmiṃ ekadhamme?
What one ☸Dharma?
Kāya-gatāya satiyā.
Body-immersed remembering.
Imasmiṃ kho, bhikkhave, eka-dhamme bhāvite bahulīkate
When this one ☸Dharma is developed and cultivated,
kāyopi passambhati, cittampi passambhati,
the body and mind become pacified,
Vitakka-vicārāpi vūpasammanti,
thinking and considering settle down,
kevalāpi vijjābhāgiyā dhammā
and all of the ☸Dharmas that play a part in realization
bhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchantī”ti.
are developed to perfection.”

Comments

  1. William ChuDecember 25, 2019 at 6:25 PM

    Looking at the context of the entire sutta-pitaka, the function of vitakka is closely connected with "knowing the Dhamma by rote," "rehearsing the Dhamma by verbal recitation," "well-learnedness," "repeating the Dhammic instructions as one has learned them from a teacher so that they structure one's present practice"...
    Whereas vicara involves a more nuanced investigation and exploration of the Dhamma instructions in question.
    Such an understanding fits well with the fact that people have their hearts uplifted by teaching, listening to, or thinking about the Dhamma and gone into a jhanic state therefrom. It is also the one consistent interpretation of vitakka-vicara that could practically work in all early Buddhist contexts.
    A straightforward comparison between the aforementioned interpretation on the one hand, and Sujato's interpretation on the other, will clearly show the consistency, cogency, and coherence of the former.

    ReplyDelete

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