Skip to main content

vitarka and vicara in EBT agamas and (non Theravada) Abhidharma sources

I'm looking to add more sources to this set of references on non Theravada EBT explanations of vitakka and vicara in first jhana.

Especially, what sources B. Analayo used to arrive at his translation of V&V as:
B.Anālayo mistranslation of V&VšŸ’­: [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation

Can anyone cite references to where he details how he derived his translation?




⛔ Wrong translations for V&VšŸ’­

✅ ☸EBT V&VšŸ’­: vitakka & vicāra = directed-thought & evaluation
⛔ Vism. Redefinition V&VšŸ’­: applied-thought & sustained-thought (b.nanamoli)
⛔ Vism. Redefinition V&VšŸ’­: initial-application & sustained-application (u thittila, Te Ab Vb 12 )
⛔ B.Sujato mistranslation of V&VšŸ’­: placing-the-mind & keeping-it-connected
⛔ B.Anālayo mistranslation of V&VšŸ’­: [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation

šŸ”—The one stop V&V shop, where errant views meet the chopping block


V&VšŸ’­: vitakka & vicāra

Vitakka šŸ’­ = directed thought.
Vicāra šŸ•µ️ = the evaluation of that very same directed thought, not a separate train of thought (SN 46.3).
Vicāra explores, inspects, discriminates, evaluates, ponders, scrutinizes, discerns, considers the very same thought initially fixed upon by vitakka.
Vitakka decides on a topic, then gives it to vicara to analyze it further, KN Pe 7.72.
V&V are speech vocalization co-activities, MN 44. You need to think and evaluate with V&V before coherent speech can be vocalized.



V&VšŸ’­ in 1st JhānašŸŒ˜

vitakka & vicāra in 1st JhānašŸŒ˜ is intrinsically the same in 1st jhāna as it is outside of it, with 2 conditions.
1. The content of those thoughts, unlike ordinary V&V, must be kusala (skillful) related to Dharma (AN 6.73AN 6.74AN 6.75).
1b. The content of the Dhamma vitakka in first jhāna, often is just the meditator mentally reciting the oral instructions of the Dhamma meditation topic they're about to do (SN 46.3). For example, in 31asbšŸ§Ÿ‍ body parts, even in non EBT following canonical Abhidhamma and Abhidhamma commentary such as Vimt., one mentally recites the body parts (kesa, loma, ...) while in first jhāna.
2. The thinking is attenuated. The intensity and frequency of vitakka is reduced to the point where it would not tire the body and/or block kāya-passaddhi (bodily pacification), pīti & sukha (rapture and pleasure) (MN 19).
First jhāna j1šŸŒ˜ is vocal silence, SN 36.11, where speech ceases, but thoughts connected to Dhamma continue (MN 19MN 78MN 125AN 8.30).
Second jhāna j2šŸŒ— is noble silence, šŸ‘‘šŸ˜¶, where V&V ceases, S&SšŸ˜šŸ’­ takes over.
In third jhāna j3šŸŒ–S&SšŸ˜šŸ’­ does vipassana (AN 4.41AN 9.36MN 111), a deeper version of first jhāna doing vipassana using V&V.
S&S and V&V correspond to sati and Dharma-vicaya of 7sb☀️SN 46.3.
Sammā-saį¹…kappo 2šŸ’­ (right-resolve) precedes vitakka (thinking), but in most contexts involving jhāna you can treat them as equivalent (MN 117MN 78).
Even in Vism. and Abhidhamma V&V still means mental recitation of speech. After exiting 2nd jhāna, one mentally chants, 'earth [kasina], earth', to get into third jhāna.

• explicit: every. single. reference. to vitakka in the suttas šŸ”—bl



Discussion threads on this topic



u/lucid24-frankk Here's a talk by Ajahn Brahm where he explains Samyutta 41.8, fast forward to 3:45 and please post a reply here after doing that. But after 9:48 he says that in Chinese Agamas, the words for Vitakka - Vicara are different in the context of Jhana, I am not sure about the agamas, hope you can clarify. Now, I understand the motivation behind resorting to the agamas and at times giving them more authority even over the Pali nikayas. It was motivated from the get-go to justify Ajahn Brahm's teachings as Canonical.


satya siddhi sastra of harivarman, near page 390 for 4 jhana comy



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Advice to younger meditators on jhāna, sex, porn, masturbation

Someone asked: Is porn considered harmful sexual.activity? I don't have a sex life because I don't have a partner and I don't wish to engage in casual sex so I use porn to quench the biological urge to orgasm. I can't see that's it's harmful because nobody is being forced into it. The actors are all paid well and claim to enjoy it etc. The only harm I can see is that it's so accessible these days on smart devices and so children may access it but I believe that this is the parents responsibility to not allow unsupervised use of devices etc. Views? Frankk response: In another thread, you asked about pleasant sensations and jhāna.  I'm guessing you're young, so here's some important advice you won't get from suttas   if you're serious about jhāna.  (since monastics are already celibate by rule)   If you want to attain stable and higher jhānas,   celibacy and noble silence to the best of your ability are the feedstock and prerequiste to tha

illustration of Buddha Gotoma where he looks like a human being

Illustration by Bhikkhu Vimalo from a BPS postcard wishing a happy vesak   More images where Buddha looks human: https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2021/02/where-are-buddha-images-and-statues.html Buddha and Arahant images that look like real humans

1min. video: Dalai Lama kissing boy and asking him to suck his tongue

To give more context, this is a public event,  * everyone knows cameras are rolling  *  it's a room full of children * the boy's mom is standing off camera a few feet away watching all of this * the boy initiated contact, he had already had a hug with Dalai Lama earlier and then asked Dalai Lama for another hug which triggered this segment  17 min. video showing what happened before that 1 min. clip and after, with some explanation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0qey5Ts78 16min talk from Ajahn Acalo with his thoughts on Dalai Lama kissing boy, relevance to Bhikkhu monastic code, sexual predators in religion in general, and how celibate monastics deal with sexual energy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2m0TcUib0 The child's comments about the incident in a filmed interview later https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2023/04/18/643eba5d46163ffc078b457c.html The child: It's a great experience It was amazing to meet His Holiness and I think it's a great ex