SN 22.29, new Buddha's Grove website, oral tradition, purpose of redundancy in suttas: brainwashing

 

Nice new website here, by Javier.

https://sites.google.com/view/buddhasgrove/method

(actually, I don't know if the site is new, I don't see any dates on there, but it's new to me)

One thing that needs pointing out. There is a place for abbreviated sutta translations with repetitions cut out or elided. It serves a useful purpose. You can more quickly digest the gist of the sutta and not lose the main points from getting lost in thinking out the repetitions.

But there's a super important reason, actually at least 2 reasons, for the repetitions. 

One, it's on an oral tradition, so repetitions help you to memorize the teaching and help catch errors when reciting repetitions sounds different or slightly off. 

Two, and most important, the repetition is a positive brainwashing in the best sense of the concept. 

You're washing out the akusala/unskillful, and replacing the washed mind with kusala skillful thoughts and perceptions. This sutta for example illustrates the point:

SN 22.29

• SN 22.29 abhi-nandana-suttaṃ
  • abundant delight discourse
    • (positive case of above)

SN 22.29 abhi-nandana-suttaṃ

abundant delight discourse

SN 22.29 abhinandana-suttaṃ	SN 22.29 delight-discourse
♦ 29. sāvatthi-nidānaṃ.	(In) sāvatthi-(this)-originates.
“yo, bhikkhave,	"**, *********, [if]
rūpaṃ abhinandati,	form [is what] {he} seeks-delight (in),
dukkhaṃ so abhinandati.	suffering (is what) he seeks-delight (in).
yo dukkhaṃ abhinandati,	he, (who) {seeks-delight in} suffering,
a-parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	not-free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo vedanaṃ abhinandati,	[if] feeling [is what] {he} seeks-delight (in),
dukkhaṃ so abhinandati.	suffering (is what) he seeks-delight (in).
yo dukkhaṃ abhinandati,	he, (who) {seeks-delight in} suffering,
a-parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	not-free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo saññaṃ abhinandati,	[if] perception [is what] {he} seeks-delight (in),
dukkhaṃ so abhinandati.	suffering (is what) he seeks-delight (in).
yo dukkhaṃ abhinandati,	he, (who) {seeks-delight in} suffering,
a-parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	not-free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo saṅkhāre abhinandati,	[if] fabrications [is what] {he} seeks-delight (in),
dukkhaṃ so abhinandati.	suffering (is what) he seeks-delight (in).
yo dukkhaṃ abhinandati,	he, (who) {seeks-delight in} suffering,
a-parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	not-free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo viññāṇaṃ abhinandati,	[if] consciousness [is what] {he} seeks-delight (in),
dukkhaṃ so abhinandati.	suffering (is what) he seeks-delight (in).
yo dukkhaṃ abhinandati,	he, (who) {seeks-delight in} suffering,
a-parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	not-free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.

(positive case of above)

yo ca kho, bhikkhave,	"**, *********, [if]
rūpaṃ nābhinandati,	(in) form {he} does-not-seek-delight,
dukkhaṃ so nābhinandati.	(in) suffering he does-not-seek-delight.
yo dukkhaṃ nābhinandati,	he, (who) {does-not-seek-delight in} suffering,
parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo vedanaṃ nābhinandati,	[if] (in) feeling {he} does-not-seek-delight,
dukkhaṃ so nābhinandati.	(in) suffering he does-not-seek-delight.
yo dukkhaṃ nābhinandati,	he, (who) {does-not-seek-delight in} suffering,
parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo saññaṃ nābhinandati,	[if] (in) perceptions {he} does-not-seek-delight,
dukkhaṃ so nābhinandati.	(in) suffering he does-not-seek-delight.
yo dukkhaṃ nābhinandati,	he, (who) {does-not-seek-delight in} suffering,
parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo saṅkhāre nābhinandati,	[if] (in) fabrications {he} does-not-seek-delight,
dukkhaṃ so nābhinandati.	(in) suffering he does-not-seek-delight.
yo dukkhaṃ nābhinandati,	he, (who) {does-not-seek-delight in} suffering,
parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
yo viññāṇaṃ nābhinandati,	[if] (in) consciousness {he} does-not-seek-delight,
dukkhaṃ so nābhinandati.	(in) suffering he does-not-seek-delight.
yo dukkhaṃ nābhinandati,	he, (who) {does-not-seek-delight in} suffering,
parimutto so dukkhasmāti vadāmi.	free (is) he (from) suffering, (I) say.
”ti.
aṭṭhamaṃ.	(end of sutta)

The repetition isn't just for memorization, after you memorize it, you're meant to recite it frequently, recalling what you memorized (sati), thinking about it (Dhamma-vicaya vocally or vitakka/mentally reciting the teaching), evaluating/pondering (vicara) the Dharma passage more deeply, and let it do it's work washing out your brain.

The sutta above, I've recited it for hours on end without getting tired of the repetition because it's giving a reminder every moment  that's timely and needed. 

Think about what humans are going through every moment. Are they delighting in dukkha, or are they actively seeking out dukkha and getting burned again and again? It's insane when you really examine how you spend most of your day, breaking it down second by second.  SN 22.29 is a reminder of what we should be doing every moment, that people are constantly forgetting to do. Instead people are doing the exact opposite... delighting in dukkha.