Sunday, August 2, 2020

MN 33 pīti (rapture) vs. pītaṃ (being drunk as liquid), error in B. Sujato translation?


This looks like an error to me.

It’s when a cowherd doesn’t know form, is unskilled in characteristics, doesn’t pick out flies’ eggs, doesn’t dress wounds, doesn’t smoke out pests, doesn’t know the ford, doesn’t know satisfaction, doesn’t know the trail, is not skilled in pastures, milks dry, and doesn’t show extra respect to the bulls who are fathers and leaders of the herd.
 
Idha, bhikkhave, gopālako na rūpaññū hoti, na lakkhaṇakusalo hoti, na āsāṭikaṃ hāretā hoti, na vaṇaṃ paṭicchādetā hoti, na dhūmaṃ kattā hoti, na titthaṃ jānāti, na pītaṃ jānāti, na vīthiṃ jānāti, na gocarakusalo hoti anavasesadohī ca hoti. Ye te usabhā gopitaro gopariṇāyakā te na atirekapūjāya pūjetā hoti.


Both B. Bodhi and B. Thanissaro translate pītaṃ (being drunk as liquid), whereas B. Sujato has 'satisfaction.' Later in MN 33 the simile comparing that cowherd to a monk,   

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na pītaṃ jānāti?
And how does a monk not know satisfaction?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye desiyamāne na labhati atthavedaṃ, na labhati dhammavedaṃ, na labhati dhammūpasaṃhitaṃ pāmojjaṃ.
It’s when a monk, when the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One are being taught, finds no joy in the meaning and the teaching, and finds no joy connected with the teaching.
Evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na pītaṃ jānāti. (7)
That’s how a monk doesn’t know satisfaction.    


I can see how B. Sujato made the mistake. Pīti (rapture) as an awakening factor bojjhanga, and pīti as a jhāna factor, are closely linked if not synonymous with pāmojjam (virtuous mirth). And it's clearly following the sati sambojjhanga and dhammavicaya sambojjhanga causal sequence in finding joy in the meaning of dharma being investigated.  But if we look at the roots for  pīti (rapture) vs. pītaṃ (being drunk as liquid), they're different roots. So unless PED is wrong, B. Sujato has made an error here. The Buddha was making a pun on the two words. 

In AN 5.28 with the jhana similes, the first 3 similes all involve water saturating the whole physical body, so that also seems to be playing on the meaning of being saturated with water.


Some similar situations in KN Dhp (dhamma pada) where pīti is also ambiguous


KN Dhp 79:

♦ 79.
♦ dhamma-pīti sukhaṃ seti,
He who drinks deep the Dhamma
vippasannena cetasā.
lives happily with a tranquil mind.
♦ ariyappavedite dhamme,
The wise man ever delights in the Dhamma
sadā ramati paṇḍito.
made known by the Noble One (the Buddha).    


KN Dhp 200:

♦ 200.
♦ su-sukhaṃ vata jīvāma,
Happy indeed we live,
yesaṃ no natthi kiñcanaṃ.
we who possess nothing.
pīti-bhakkhā bhavissāma,
Feeders on joy we shall be,
devā ābhassarā yathā.
like the Radiant Gods.    


KN Dhp 205:

♦ 205.
♦ pavivekarasaṃ pitvā VAR,
Having savored the taste of solitude and peace (of Nibbana),
rasaṃ upasamassa ca.
pain-free and stainless he becomes,
♦ niddaro hoti nippāpo,
drinking deep the taste of
dhamma-pīti-rasaṃ pivaṃ.
the bliss of the Truth.    


KN Dhp 374:

♦ 374.
♦ yato yato sammasati,
Whenever he sees with insight
khandhānaṃ udayabbayaṃ.
the rise and fall of the aggregates,
♦ labhatī VAR pīti-pāmojjaṃ,
he is full of joy and happiness.
amataṃ taṃ vijānataṃ.
To the discerning one this reflects the Deathless


pītaṃ
2
 c
pīta: yellow; golden colour. (m.) yellow colour. (adj.,m.)

Pīta1 [pp. of pivati] 1. having drunk or (pred.) being drunk (as liquid) S i.212 (madhu˚); J i.198; PvA 25 (with asita, khāyita & sāyita as fourfold food). ;<-> 2. soaked or saturated with ( -- ˚), in kasāyarasa˚; J ii.98 (or=pīta2?) and visapīta (of an arrow) J v.36; Vism 303, 381; which may however be read (on acct. of v. l visappīta) as visappita "poison -- applied" (see appita) Does M i.281 pīta -- nisita belong here (=visapīta)? <-> 3. (nt.) drink M i.220 sq.=A v.347 sq.; A v.359; Th 1 503; Pv ii.710; Nett 29, 80.


Pivati & Pibati; [Vedic pāti & pibati, redupl. pres. to root Idg. ;*poi & pī, cp. Lat. bibo (for * pibo); Gr. pi_uw to drink, po/tos drink; Obulg. piti to drink, also Lat pōtus drink, pōculum beaker (=pātra, P. patta). See also pāyeti to give drink, pāna, pānīya drink, pīta having drunk] to drink. -- pres. pivati D i.166; iii.184 J iv.380; v.106; PvA 55. -- 1st pl. pivāma Pv i.118 2nd pl. pivatha PvA 78 & pivātha Pv i.112; 3rd pl. med piyyare J iv.380. -- imper. piva PvA 39, & pivatu Vin iv.109. -- ppr. pivaŋ Sn 257; Dh 205, & pivanto SnA 39. -- fut. pivissati J vi.365; PvA 5, 59; pissāmi J iii.432; pāssati J iv.527. -- aor. pivi J i.198; apivi Mhvs 6, 21; pivāsiŋ Ud 42; apāyiŋha J i.362 (or ˚siŋha?); apaŋsu A i.205. -- ger. pivitvā J i.419 iii.491; vi.518; PvA 5, 23; pītvā Sn 257; Dh 205 J i.297; pītvāna J ii.71; pitvā Pv i.118. -- grd. pātabba Vin ii.208; peyya; see kāka.˚ -- inf. pātuŋ J ii.210 Pv i.64. -- pp. pīta (q. v.). -- Of forms with p for v we mention the foll.: pipati M i.32; DhsA 403 (as v. l.) imper. pipa J i.459; ppr. pipaŋ M i.316, 317. -- Caus pāyeti & pāyāpeti; (q. v.). 


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pīti c
pīti: joy; delight; emotion. (f.)

Pīti (f.) [cp. Class. Sk. prīti & Vedic prīta pp. of ;prī, see pīneti & piya] emotion of joy, delight, zest exuberance. On term see ;Dhs. trsl. 11 and Cpd. 243 Classed under sankhārakkhandha, not vedanā˚ -- D i.37, 75; iii.241, 265, 288; M i.37; S ii.30; iv.236 A iii.26, 285 sq.; iv.411, 450; v.1 sq., 135, 311 sq. 333 sq.; Sn 257, 687, 695, 969, 1143 (=Bhagavantaŋ ārabbha p. pāmujjaŋ modanā pamodanā citti -- odagyaŋ etc. Nd2 446); Nd1 3, 491; Pug 68; Dhs 9, 62, 86, 172 584, 999; Nett 29; Vism 145 (& sukha in contrasted relation), 212, 287 (in detail); DA i.53 (characterised by ānanda); DhA i.32; Sdhp 247, 461. On relation to jhāna see the latter. In series pīti passaddhi samādhi upekkhā under sambojjhanga (with eleven means of cultivation: see Vism 132 & VbhA 282). -- Phrase ;pītiyā sarīraŋ pharati "to pervade or thrill the body with joy" (aor. phari), at J i.33; v.494; DhA ii.118 iv.102; all passages refer to pīti as the fivefold pīti pañcavaṇṇā pīti, or joy of the 5 grades (see Dhs. trsl. 11, 12, and Cpd. 56), viz. khuddikā (slight sense of interest), khaṇikā (momentary joy), okkantikā (oscillating interest, flood of joy), ubbegā (ecstasy, thrilling emotion), and pharaṇā pīti (interest amounting to rapture, suffusing joy). Thus given at DhsA 115 Vism 143, referred to at DhsA 166. -- pīti as ;nirāmisa (pure) and sāmisa (material) at M iii.85; S iv.235.
-- gamanīya pleasant or enjoyable to walk M i.117 -- pāmojja joy and gladness A iii.181. 307 (˚pāmujja) Dh 374; DhA iv.110; KhA 82. -- pharaṇatā state of being pervaded with joy, joyous rapture, ecstasy D iii.277 Ps i.48; Vbh 334; Nett 89. -- bhakkha feeding on joy (Ep. of the Ābhassara Devas) D i.17; iii.28, 84, 90 A v.60; Dh 200; A i.110; DhA iii.258; Sdhp 255 -- mana joyful -- hearted, exhilarated, glad of heart or mind M i.37; iii.86; S i.181; A iii.21; v.3; Sn 766 Nd1 3; J iii.411; Vbh 227. -- rasa taste or emotion of joy VvA 86. -- sambojjhanga the joy -- constituent of enlightenment M iii.86; D iii.106, 226, 252, 282 Eleven results of such a state are enumd at DhsA 75 viz. the 6 anussatis, upam' ânussati, lūkhapuggalaparivajjanatā siniddha -- pug. -- sevanatā, pasādanīyasuttanta -- paccavekkhaṇatā, tadadhimuttatā (cp. Vism 132 & VbhA 282). ; -- sahagata followed or accompanied by joy, bringing joy Dhs 1578 (dhammā, various things or states); Vism 86 (samādhi). -- sukha zest and happiness intrinsic joy (cp. Cpd. 56, 243) S i.203; D iii.131 222; Dhs 160; Vism 158; ThA 160. According to DhsA 166 "rapture and bliss," cp. Expositor 222. -- somanassa joy and satisfaction J v.371; Sn 512; PvA 6, 27, 132.


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