MN 118 prime example of samadhi in 3 ways (with vitakka, with some vicara, without V&V), B. Sujato AN 8.63 is nonsensical
The samadhi in 3 ways formula, is not well understood by most people.
Part of the reason, is because they're trying to understand a corrupted translation of vitakka and vicara. It's complete nonsense if you go by B. Sujato's translation, or Visuddhimagga late Abhidhamma redefinition of what V&Vš means.
But if you follow correct EBT understanding of V&V,
vitakka means directed-thought, and vicara means evaluation.
Now the question is, both vitakka and vicara are 'thinking', so what's the difference between them?
KN Pe 7.72 explains it succinctly: Vitakka decides on a topic, then gives it to vicara to analyze it further.MN 118 the famous breath meditation sutta, is just an expanded version of SN 54.13.
(SN 54 is the breath meditation samyutta).
I'm going to point out the connection to AN 8.63 and SN 46.3 that most people won't notice
So here we see what it means to have no vitakka, and some vicara. Vitakka has already been fixed as the 4 tetrads of breath meditation. So vicara is the evaluation/thinking narrowed down to the vitakka topic of one of those 4sp satipatthana tetrads.
Here in detail, we see the instructions for kÄya anu passana (body contemplation). The same text is used for vedana, citta, and Dhamma anu passsana as well.
On the section where it describes how the practice of 16APS breath meditation fulfills the 7sb awakenig factors,
(how 4sp1 kÄya → 7sb)
( 6 of the 7 awakening factors are the same as SN 46.3, just the first one, sati being specific with a vitakka for breath meditation here)
(16š¬️š¤ is the Dharma that sati-sambojjhanga ‘remembers’/sarati and ‘thinks’(vitakka) about)
Kathaį¹ bhÄvitÄ cÄnanda, cattÄro satipaį¹į¹hÄnÄ kathaį¹ bahulÄ«katÄ satta bojjhaį¹
ge paripūrenti? | And how are the four kinds of rememberfulness meditation developed and cultivated so as to fulfill the seven awakening factors? |
(1. š Sati: taį¹ Dhammaį¹ anus-sarati anu-vitakketi)
Yasmiį¹ samaye, Änanda, bhikkhu kÄye kÄyÄnupassÄ« viharati— | Whenever a monk meditates by continuously-seeing the body as a body [as it actually is], |
upaį¹į¹hitÄssa tasmiį¹ samaye bhikkhuno sati hoti a-sam-muį¹į¹hÄ. | their remembering [of Dharma] is established and not-forgetful. (in the standard 7sb version such as SN 46.3, sati recollects a Dharma and then vitakka / thinks about it. Whereas here it's already established that sati is dealing with breath meditation vitakka) |
. Yasmiį¹ samaye, Änanda, bhikkhuno | . On-the occasion, Änanda, a-monk |
upaį¹į¹hitÄ sati hoti a-sam-muį¹į¹hÄ— | {has} established [Dharma]-remembering, is not-forgetful- |
sati-sam-bojjh-aį¹
go tasmiį¹ samaye | remembrance-awakening-factor on-that occasion |
bhikkhuno Äraddho hoti; | (the) monk has-aroused; |
sati-sam-bojjh-aį¹
gaį¹ tasmiį¹ samaye | remembrance-awakening-factor on-that occasion |
bhikkhu bhÄveti; | (the) monk develops; |
sati-sam-bojjh-aį¹
go tasmiį¹ samaye | remembrance-awakening-factor on-that occasion |
bhikkhuno bhÄvanÄ-pÄripÅ«riį¹ gacchati. | (the) monk has-developed-(and)-fulfilled *******. |
(2. š Dhamma-vicaya: taį¹ dhammaį¹ paƱƱÄya, pa-vicinati pa-vicarati pari-vÄ«maį¹sam-Äpajjati )
So tathÄ sato viharanto | He, {dwelling as} a rememberer, |
taį¹ dhammaį¹ paƱƱÄya | that Dhamma-[teaching] (with) discernment, |
pa-vicinati pa-vicarati | (he) discriminates, (he) evaluates (vicÄra), |
pari-vÄ«maį¹sam-Äpajjati. | circumspect-investigation-(he)-enters-upon. |
. Yasmiį¹ samaye, Änanda, bhikkhu | . On-the occasion, Änanda, a-monk |
tathÄ sato viharanto | Dwelling as a rememberer, |
taį¹ dhammaį¹ paƱƱÄya | that Dhamma-[teaching] (with) discernment, |
pa-vicinati pa-vicarati | (he) discriminates, (he) evaluates, |
pari-vÄ«maį¹sam-Äpajjati. | circumspect-investigation-(he)-enters-upon. |
Dhamma-vicaya-sam-bojjh-aį¹
go tasmiį¹ samaye | Dhamma-investigation-awakening-factor on-that occasion |
bhikkhuno Äraddho hoti; | (the) monk has-aroused; |
Dhamma-vicaya-sam-bojjh-aį¹
gaį¹ tasmiį¹ samaye | Dhamma-investigation-awakening-factor on-that occasion |
bhikkhu bhÄveti; | (the) monk develops; |
Dhamma-vicaya-sam-bojjh-aį¹
go tasmiį¹ samaye | Dhamma-investigation-awakening-factor on-that occasion |
bhikkhuno bhÄvanÄ-pÄripÅ«riį¹ gacchati. | (the) monk has-developed-(and)-fulfilled *******. |
B. Sujato's translation of AN 8.63 is nonsensical
https://suttacentral.net/an8.63/en/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, ayaį¹ samÄdhi evaį¹ bhÄvito hoti bahulÄ«kato, tato tvaį¹, bhikkhu, imaį¹ samÄdhiį¹ savitakkampi savicÄraį¹ bhÄveyyÄsi, avitakkampi vicÄramattaį¹ bhÄveyyÄsi, avitakkampi avicÄraį¹ bhÄveyyÄsi, sappÄ«tikampi bhÄveyyÄsi, nippÄ«tikampi bhÄveyyÄsi, sÄtasahagatampi bhÄveyyÄsi, upekkhÄsahagatampi bhÄveyyÄsi.
If you go by B. Sujato's translation and actually try to plug in the various type of Dharma instruction meditations for vitakka, then the breath meditation of MN 118, and the 8 vitakkas of AN 8.63 don't make any sense and provide no coherent meditation instruction. It's like a snake trying to eat its own tail, or an infinite recursion.
Reference
Detailed study on samÄdhi in 3 ways = samÄdhi in 3 ways
VRJš (V)isuddhi-magga (Re)-definition of (J)hana
Vitakka has a lot to do with the rote culture in Buddhist/ancient Indian religious traditions (As it were, mnemonics was considered an absolutely crucial prerequisite to apprenticeship). It is about inner recitation. It is about correctly repeating what you have learned, and reciting it to yourself so that you are guiding your practice with internalized instructions.Vicara is the ruminating, evaluating, experimenting, assessing...of the previous process.
ReplyDeleteExample:Vitakka: When I breath, I recite to myself the sutta's instruction: "breathing in...breathing out, I pacify bodily activities."Vicara: As I do the above, I might ponder over the meaning of that instruction and my use of the technique, or adjust my approach by verbally directing myself: "Hmm, this feels good. If I were to ferret out even more subtle activities and pacify them, it would be still better. Let me try..." Applying vicara to examining the results and modifying my approach is the way to continuously refine my practice.
The Buddha really appeared to be a pragmatist when it comes to the following issue: weaning the mind off of the primordial addiction called craving.
ReplyDeleteHis invention and assessment of whatever meditative techniques really are geared toward that goal, as opposed to shutting down senses for its own sake, or arriving at a no-thought state for its own sake. To the extent that shutting down senses or attaining perfect inner quietude is conducive to the goal of weaning off that addiction, the Buddha talks about and teaches them. This is why first jhana is a foundation to ending effluents just as second jhana and all other meditative attainments are, when they are used specifically for that purpose.
The impression I got from conversing with Analayo (I assume is the same case with Sujato and Brahmali) was that he was really invested in a "peak experience"--something he's either tasted or idealized about. Anything less than an immovable absorption is deemed a "watered down" version of meditation by him, and constitutes a risk of lowering the threshold/standards of practice.
But peak experiences are such unreliable measures for attainment of fruitions. Weaning off addictions and the resultant peace of not being oppressed by urges are way more reliable measures for the attainment of fruitions. For me, it's mysticism vs ethical psycho-behaviorism. Zen and Theravada masters who purported all kinds of non-dual, earth-shattering peak experiences (e.g. satori, maggaphala moments) often continue to evince questionable behavioral tendencies. I'd much rather have a teacher who purports no peak experiences, but can clearly delineate a causal connection between ethical-behavioral modifications (a successful addiction-weaning behavioral program) and suffering.
I keep telling my group of practitioners: it's not about seeking out enlightenment; it's about changing habits. Can thoughtless quietude help change habits? Sure. When it is used in a certain way. But so can a properly directed inner dialogue that brings a person to peace, managing urges, and dispassion.