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SN 47.10 What does inspiring foundation or sign in the text refers to?

 

Re: Inspiring sign

Post by frank k » 

asahi wrote: ↑Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:08 pmHi forum ,

What does inspiring foundation or sign in the text refers to ?


https://suttacentral.net/sn47.10/en/sujato

That mendicant should direct their mind towards an inspiring foundation.
Tenānanda, bhikkhunā kismiñcideva pasādanīye nimitte cittaṃ paṇidahitabbaṃ.
Read the short synopsis "essence of first jhana" from here, it contains links to the relevant suttas:
http://lucid24.org/sted/8aam/8samadhi/smd1/index.html

The line in particular with sutta suggestions for you are:
3. The way to stabilize and prolong first jhāna, is by learning how to use V&V💭 skillfully to direct the mind to inspiring themes to stoke the fire of first jhāna and keep it burning. Suttas such as MN 20, SN 47.8, SN 47.10, SN 46.3, AN 6.10, AN 8.30 are a few such examples.

As others have pointed out, the key word you're looking for is the samadhi nimitta. MN 20 for examples mention 5 types of samadhi nimitta (themes, meditation topics) that help one overcome thought and evaluation. Vitakka and vicara (thought and evaluation) are samadhi nimitta in first jhana and samadhi of lower quality. In 2nd jhana and higher, where V&V drop out, the samadhi nimitta are perceptions (sañña) that one pays attention (manasi karoti) to.

SN 47.10 is a confusing sutta at first, because of questions people will rightly have like you do, such as what is an 'inspiring nimitta'. But after you study the similar suttas and connect the dots, you realize all that means is before one can do second jhana, and first jhana, one first has to replace bad thoughts with good thoughts that act as the lighter fluid, tinder and fuel to keep the first jhana fire burning long. The mind needs to be directed with good thoughts to keep the piti (rapture) going. That's what is meant by directed samadhi in SN 47.10. Once one knows how to keep the fire of first jhana burning and good thoughts calm down, then it's no longer necessary to direct the mind with good thoughts to keep the fire of first jhana and second jhana burning. That's what's meant by undirected samadhi by SN 47.10, with the vitakka dropping out because its no longer needed.

AN 8.63 is talking about the same thing, so is MN 19 and MN 20, just using slightly different terms at times.

And I noticed you quote Sujato's translation of 47.10 in your question. He translates vitakka and vicara there as 'placing the mind and keeping it connected', which is absurdly wrong, and if you go by his redefinition of V&V, you're going to get brain damage trying to figure out how that could possibly lead to first and second jhana.

If you want to understand meditation in the pali suttas, you need to read coherent (and correct) translations and interpretations, such as lucid24.org or Thanissaro's translations on dhammatalks.org, or B. Bodhi's translations.


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