Tuesday, May 18, 2021

MN 102 supports (AVS) Aviparitaka Sutra over SN 48.40


(this article is part of a series: SN 48.40 šŸ”—de-corrupting and reconstructing ) 


I highlight in yellow the parts that contradict a straightforward interpretation based on EBT standard jhana formula, 7sb awakening factor formula (piti is somanassa, sukha is bodily sukha indriya following passadhi). 

And then I compare with an excerpt from MN 102



MN 102 supports (AVS) Aviparitaka Sutra over Theravada  SN 48.40

(pavivekaį¹ƒ pÄ«tiį¹ƒ / seclusion rapture → a code phrase for 1st and 2nd jhana)
(nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhaį¹ƒ / spiritual pleasure → a code phrase for 3rd jhana)
(a-dukkham-a-sukham vedana → a code phrase for 4th jhana)

First, note that the Te commentary agrees these code phrases are referring to specific jhanas:

pavivekaį¹ƒ pÄ«tinti sa-p-pÄ«tika-j-jhāna-dvaya-pÄ«tiį¹ƒ.
There's a direct connection, piti involves 1st and 2nd jhana:
nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhanti tatiya-j-jhāna-sukhaį¹ƒ.
As for sukha, it is not of the flesh in the third jhana:



Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco samaį¹‡o vā brāhmaį¹‡o vā pubbantānudiį¹­į¹­hÄ«naƱca paį¹­inissaggā, aparantānudiį¹­į¹­hÄ«naƱca paį¹­inissaggā, sabbaso kāmasaį¹ƒyojanānaį¹ƒ anadhiį¹­į¹­hānā, pavivekaį¹ƒ pÄ«tiį¹ƒ upasampajja viharati:
Now, some ascetics and brahmins, letting go of theories about the past and the future, shedding the fetters of sensuality, enter and remain in the rapture of seclusion:
‘etaį¹ƒ santaį¹ƒ etaį¹ƒ paį¹‡Ä«taį¹ƒ yadidaį¹ƒ pavivekaį¹ƒ pÄ«tiį¹ƒ upasampajja viharāmÄ«’ti.
‘This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, entering and remaining in the rapture of seclusion.’
Tassa sā pavivekā pīti nirujjhati.
But that rapture of seclusion of theirs ceases.
Pavivekāya pÄ«tiyā nirodhā uppajjati domanassaį¹ƒ, domanassassa nirodhā uppajjati pavivekā pÄ«ti.
When the rapture of seclusion ceases, sadness arises; and when sadness ceases, the rapture of seclusion arises.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yaį¹ƒ chāyā jahati taį¹ƒ ātapo pharati, yaį¹ƒ ātapo jahati taį¹ƒ chāyā pharati;
It’s like how the sunlight fills the space when the shadow leaves, or the shadow fills the space when the sunshine leaves.
evameva kho, bhikkhave, pavivekāya pÄ«tiyā nirodhā uppajjati domanassaį¹ƒ, domanassassa nirodhā uppajjati pavivekā pÄ«ti.
In the same way, when the rapture of seclusion ceases, sadness arises; and when sadness ceases, the rapture of seclusion arises.

The highlighted part is showing meditator bouncing between being knocked out of first and second jhana, and getting back in those first two jhanas. Similarly, for 3rd and 4th jhana:

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco samaį¹‡o vā brāhmaį¹‡o vā pubbantānudiį¹­į¹­hÄ«naƱca paį¹­inissaggā, aparantānudiį¹­į¹­hÄ«naƱca paį¹­inissaggā, sabbaso kāmasaį¹ƒyojanānaį¹ƒ anadhiį¹­į¹­hānā, pavivekāya pÄ«tiyā samatikkamā nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhaį¹ƒ upasampajja viharati:
Now, some ascetics and brahmins, letting go of theories about the past and the future, shedding the fetters of sensuality, going beyond the rapture of seclusion, enter and remain in spiritual pleasure.
‘etaį¹ƒ santaį¹ƒ etaį¹ƒ paį¹‡Ä«taį¹ƒ yadidaį¹ƒ nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhaį¹ƒ upasampajja viharāmÄ«’ti.
‘This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, entering and remaining in spiritual pleasure.’
Tassa taį¹ƒ nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhaį¹ƒ nirujjhati.
But that spiritual pleasure of theirs ceases.
Nirāmisassa sukhassa nirodhā uppajjati pavivekā pÄ«ti, pavivekāya pÄ«tiyā nirodhā uppajjati nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhaį¹ƒ.
When spiritual pleasure ceases, the rapture of seclusion arises; and when the rapture of seclusion ceases, spiritual pleasure arises.

(bouncing between 3rd jhana, and the first two jhanas)


Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco samaį¹‡o vā brāhmaį¹‡o vā pubbantānudiį¹­į¹­hÄ«naƱca paį¹­inissaggā, aparantānudiį¹­į¹­hÄ«naƱca paį¹­inissaggā, sabbaso kāmasaį¹ƒyojanānaį¹ƒ anadhiį¹­į¹­hānā, pavivekāya pÄ«tiyā samatikkamā, nirāmisassa sukhassa samatikkamā, adukkhamasukhaį¹ƒ vedanaį¹ƒ upasampajja viharati:
Now, some ascetics and brahmins, letting go of theories about the past and the future, shedding the fetters of sensuality, going beyond the rapture of seclusion and spiritual pleasure, enter and remain in neutral feeling.
‘etaį¹ƒ santaį¹ƒ etaį¹ƒ paį¹‡Ä«taį¹ƒ yadidaį¹ƒ adukkhamasukhaį¹ƒ vedanaį¹ƒ upasampajja viharāmÄ«’ti.
‘This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, entering and remaining in neutral feeling.’
Tassa sā adukkhamasukhā vedanā nirujjhati.
Then that neutral feeling ceases.
Adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya nirodhā uppajjati nirāmisaį¹ƒ sukhaį¹ƒ, nirāmisassa sukhassa nirodhā uppajjati adukkhamasukhā vedanā.
When neutral feeling ceases, spiritual pleasure arises; and when spiritual pleasure ceases, neutral feelings arises.

(bouncing between 4th and 3rd jhana)


Does nira-misa sukha of 3rd jhana tell us about which indriya ceases in 4th jhana?

Not explicitly, not enough information within MN 102 to determine for sure.
nira misa sukha is a sukha vedana, and we know from SN 48.37 that sukha vedana contains both sukha-indriya (physical) and somanassa-indriya (mental). 

If you make the assumption, which many people do, that the Buddha in the 4th jhana is dealing a deck with 5 cards only, then the viveka-piti would have to be somanassa-indriya, and that means the nira misa sukha of 3rd jhana must be the sukha-indriya.

There are those who believe there's are a few extra surprise guest cards that get pulled into the Buddha's jhana deck, with a new somanassa appearing out of nowhere (based on KN Pe 7.72) and, rather than being the Piti-somanassa, it's a sukha-somanassa.  


Conclusion


1. It's clear that domanassa in MN 102 cannot be part of the first two jhanas, so the AVS aviparitaka sutra is consistent with this, and SN 48.40 is not (since it has domanassa indriya dropping out in 2nd jhana). 

2. If you make the assumption the Buddha has revealed his full deck of 5 indriya cards in 4th jhana, then we can deduce that piti must be somanassa, sukha must be sukha-indriya (physical), and upekkha-indriya is both mental and physical referring to fourth jhana. 

In this case, AVS is a perfect match again, sukha-indriya dropping out in 4th jhana, somanassa-indriya dropping out in 3rd jhana  (as the piti that gets viraga'd).

3. If you believe the Buddha is slipping in some extra cards into the original deck of 5, then MN 102 does not provide enough information to deduce which is sukha-indriya.


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