Saturday, June 27, 2020

Fun Pali primer lesson 3: The word 'Dhamma' needs to be left untranslated, everywhere.


'dhamma' is a really important word, and how you treat it has many important implications to how you understand EBT, Buddhism, and Dharma.

First part of this lesson, I'll just present a few passages using the word dhamma, and let you read and think about it for a while, and chew over your own opinion on whether 'dhamma' should be translated according to each passage context into "teaching of buddha", "phenomena", "qualities", "things", "mental qualities", 'natural law', 'principle'.

AN 4.34 I had based my translation off of B. Thanissaro's, and had not gone back to un-translate 'dhamma' everywhere there. 

KN Dhp 1:

♦ 1.
♦ mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Mind-precedes (all) dharmas.
mano-seṭṭhā mano-mayā.
Mind-(is their)-chief; (they are all) mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pa-duṭṭhena,
(the) mind, if, with-impurity,
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts **,
♦ tato naṃ dukkham-anveti,
then *** suffering-follows (him),
cakkaṃva vahato padaṃ.
(like the) wheel that-follows (the) foot (of the ox).

KN Dhp 2:

♦ 2.
♦ mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Mind-precedes (all) dharmas.
mano-seṭṭhā mano-mayā.
Mind-(is their)-chief; (they are all) mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pasannena,
(the) mind, if, with-purity,
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts **,
♦ tato naṃ sukham-anveti,
then *** pleasure-follows (him),
chāyāva an-apāyinī VAR.
(like his) shadow never-departing.


AN 4.34 aggap-pasāda-suttaṃ
AN 4.34 supreme-confidence-discourse
“cattāro-'me, bhikkhave,
"(there are) Four-(of)-these, *********,
aggap-pasādā.
supreme (types of) confidence.
katame cattāro?
Which four?
yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
sattā a-padā vā dvi-padā vā
Beings without-feet or two-footed, or
catup-padā vā bahup-padā vā
four-footed or multi-footed **,
rūpino vā a-rūpino vā
(with) form or without-form **,
saññino vā a-saññino vā
percipient or non-percipient **,
Neva-saññi-n-ā-saññino vā,
Neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient **,
tathāgato tesaṃ aggam-akkhāyati
(the) Tathāgata is declared-supreme,
arahaṃ sammā-sambuddho.
(the) Arahant, perfectly-awakened.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
buddhe pasannā,
(in the) Buddha, (have) confidence,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaṃ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
♦ “yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
dhammā saṅkhatā,
things (that are) fabricated,
ariyo aṭṭh-aṅgiko maggo
(the) Noble eight-fold path,
tesaṃ aggamakkhāyati.
that (is) declared-supreme.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
ariye aṭṭh-aṅgike magge pasannā,
(in the) Noble eight-fold path, (have) confidence,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaṃ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
♦ “yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
dhammā saṅkhatā vā a-saṅkhatā vā,
things (that are) fabricated or un-fabricated **,
vi-rāgo tesaṃ aggamakkhāyati,
dis-passion (is) declared-supreme.
yadidaṃ madanimmadano
That is, pride-subduing,
pipāsa-vinayo
thirst-removal,
ālaya-samugghāto
attachment-uprooting,
vaṭṭ-upacchedo
cycle-of-rebirth's -- stoppage,
taṇhāk-khayo
craving's-destruction,
vi-rāgo nirodho nibbānaṃ.
dis-passion, cessation, Nirvana.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
virāge dhamme pasannā,
(in) Dis-passion (and) The-dhamma, (have) confidence,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaṃ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
♦ “yāvatā, bhikkhave,
As-far-as, *********,
saṅghā vā gaṇā vā,
Saṅghas or groups **,
tathāgata-sāvaka-saṅgho
(the) Tathāgata’s-disciple-Saṅgha,
tesaṃ aggamakkhāyati,
that (is) declared-supreme.
yadidaṃ cattāri purisa-yugāni
That-is, four {pairs of}-men,
aṭṭha purisa-puggalā
eight (types of) men-(and)-individuals.
esa bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho
This blessed-one's disciple-Saṅgha
āhuneyyo
(is) worthy-of-gifts,
pāhuneyyo
worthy-of-hospitality,
dakkhiṇeyyo
worthy-of-offerings,
añjali-karaṇīyo
worthy-of-respectful-greetings,
an-uttaraṃ puññak-khettaṃ lokassa.
(an) un-surpassed merit-field (for the) world.
ye, bhikkhave,
Those-who, *********,
saṅghe pasannā,
{confident} (in the) Saṅgha,
agge te pasannā.
(in the) supreme, (they have) confidence.
agge kho pana pasannānaṃ
(in the) supreme *** ****, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggo vipāko hoti.
supreme (the) fruit is.
ime kho, bhikkhave,
These indeed, monks, (are the)
cattāro aggap-pasādā”ti.
four supreme (types of) confidence.
♦ “aggato ve pasannānaṃ,
"(regarding the) supreme **, (for) those-confident (in that),
aggaṃ dhammaṃ vijānataṃ.
(the) supreme dhamma, (for) those-knowing (that) --
♦ agge buddhe pasannānaṃ,
(in the) supreme Buddha (they have) confidence,
dakkhiṇeyye an-uttare.
(in one) worthy-of-offerings, (in the) un-surpassed;
♦ “agge dhamme pasannānaṃ,
"(in the) supreme dhamma, (for) those-confident,
vi-rāg-ūpasame sukhe.
(in) dis-passion's-stilling, (in) pleasure.
♦ agge saṅghe pasannānaṃ,
(in the) supreme Sangha, (for) those-confident,
puññak-khette an-uttare.
(in the) merit-field, (in the) un-surpassed.
♦ “aggasmiṃ dānaṃ dadataṃ,
(to the) supreme, ***** (for those who) give {gifts} (to them),
aggaṃ puññaṃ pavaḍḍhati.
supreme (types of) merit increases --
♦ aggaṃ āyu ca vaṇṇo ca,
supreme lifespan and beauty **,
yaso kitti sukhaṃ balaṃ.
glory, fame, pleasure, strength.
♦ “aggassa dātā medhāvī,
"(to the) supreme, (for their) donors (who are) wise,
aggadhammasamāhito.
supreme-dhamma-(they are)-concentrated (upon).
♦ devabhūto manusso vā,
devas-(they)-become, (or) human **,
aggap-patto pa-modatī”ti.
(the) supreme-attained, (they) re-joice."
catutthaṃ.
(end of sutta)

No comments:

Post a Comment