I'm using the newer, "long press method", it's amazing. So easy to use, there's absolutely no excuse not to type out pāḷi words correctly from now on.
Before, using complicated control-alt combinations, it was tedious, easy to make mistakes, then you had to backspace and fix your mistake, etc. In your mind, each time you thought about typing a pāḷi diacritical, you had to consider, do I really want to spend at least 3 times as much energy (3 strokes instead of 1, much more time and brain power to coordinate hands) risk even way more time making mistakes, or just be lazy and hope people don't assume I'm ignorant or incompetent rather than just busy and don't like wasting time correcting typing diacritical mistakes?
Now, it's virtually impossible to make a mistake, it takes so little effort, literally just a few hundredths of a second of time to type out pāḷi letters like āĀūŪṭḷ correctly.
I've only been using it for a day, so far no conflicts with other programs on Windows 11 pc.
Along with shake and bake, I would rate this exercise as one of the most important, because it targets the area modern people build up their worst tension hot spots from sitting too much reading, using computers, thinking, etc.
There's a really vicious cycle going on with declining eyes and vision as well. Your vision is getting worse, then you hunch your back and crane your neck forward to get closer to the computer monitor. This adds massive tension and knots to your neck, shoulders, upper back.
Also, people aging into the last quarter of their lives, what do you notice prominently? Lots of seriously hunched backs. Even expert yogis, taiji masters and qigong masters sometimes I see hunched backs, or if not hunched, they may have good superficial posture but when they move around I can see they have really tight upper back tension. It's from a lifetime of tension built in this upper back area without doing the work to dissolve the built up tension there regularly, daily.
Become aware of the process of building up that tension is the most important, stop it at it's source. But then you also need to do the exercises to make that hot spot pliable again. And even if you are aware of tension as it's happening, it's impossible to stop. For example, working on the computer to prepare the video and text, I'm building up tension in that hotspot even though I don't want to. Just like hiking up a big hill, certain areas of the body are going to get tense.
I've been doing some version of the plow helicopter with superb results for decades, but I never shared it openly before because I was worried people might get injured.
That worry still applies. Always try any exercise cautiously, slowly, carefully.
Don't try my version of the plow unless you already can do the basic version of the plow safely and comfortably.
The other reason I haven't shared this gem of a move, you really have to teach it in person, or with video. Pictures and verbal description just doesn't suffice. Here's the video.
This move is so important, I'm even cross posting into the Buddhist part of my blog.
Nowhere did I suggest liberation depends on sitting in a particular posture. What I have said, is that energetic blocks will block, hinder, or limit the physical component of jhana. Dropping all theory aside, any one can just try out various stretches and exercises and see if they work, in reducing physical tension, knots, and energetic blockages. I would say if they're not helping, you're probably not doing them correctly. Anyone who hasn't actually tried out various exercises and just blindly cling to the idea that jhana doesn't depend on physical pliability to some extent, I doubt they're getting the most of their jhana practice, or getting jhana at all. Mental stress and tension of course will lead to physical tension, but physical tension done under complete mental relaxation also leads to physical tension. Unconscious tension, no matter how tiny, also calcifies and accumulates over our lifetime, leading to energetic blockages. The suttas mention cases of jhana meditators losing their jhana, some of them ariya. You think ariya would somehow be able to have no mental tension and do jhana earlier in life, then later in life lose jhana ability because they suddenly developed mental tension and not physical tension accumulated through aging and physical injuries?
sunnat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 5:44 pmIf liberation was dependent on a correct posture many would be excluded.
Mental blocks manifest as physical and in letting go of mental stress the physical are let go of. One may go from a complete inability to sit cross legged for any length of time to sitting in full lotus position in a moment of mental relaxation.
Clinging to the idea that one must necessarily engage in stretching exercises (some of which a chiropractor would cringe at endorsing) in order to be able to sit in a position that somehow enables deep meditation itself creates blocks to progress as well as nurturing the idea that there is a posture that is sacrosanct and one’s liberation is dependent on that posture.
Meormineisnotreal wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 5:47 am... I'd be curious to see how that japanese system came up with their 9 stages, differing quite a bit from Theravada.
Ok, I have prepared some notes & explanations from the Chinese & Japanese system on the asubha practice (just a brief summary). The core of all this came from the commentary made by Chinese Buddhist Master Chih-i 智顗 (538-597), founder of Tiantai School, from his comprehensive treatise on meditation "摩訶止觀" (Mo-ho chih-kuan), The Great Calming and Contemplation (止 is the translation for samatha, 觀 for vipassana, and 摩訶, a transliteration for Maha – great). See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohe_Zhiguan (The Master's commentary on this is excruciating long, I'll just input from another author who used his framework and who had also summarized it too).
It is called "Kusōzu", (9 appearances) but in front of the nine corpse drawings, there are also those that draw ten scenes by adding the appearance of life, or life when it have just been terminated.
1. 死想 (Death Stage) (Aka fresh stage, I'd say) (想 means a perception or an appearance, in here Ima just use the idiomatic English term "Stage" to translate it) (The author employed a long series of poems to describe this stage, here is just a snippet): All love and affections shall one day end, This body, how long will it last once it is quenched? Pointless it is to cry and to lament, How many who know where it commenced? ....
2. 脹想 (Bloated Stage) (Again, a lot of poetry, but the poet inside me is crying out, so I'm just gonna leave you with the prose).
The corpse has dark skin and becomes swollen. The body is stiff and the limbs turn around like scattered flowers, The inflated body is like a leather bag inflated with the wind. From the nine holes, filth overflows, and it is ugly The monk notices himself, "This is the same for myself, and so is the woman I like whom I can't give up my regrets." .....
3. 青瘀想 (Blue and Stagnant Stage)
After a while, the swollen corpse becomes indistinguishable as it is blown by the wind and exposed to the sun, tearing and breaking its skin and flesh, causing its body to crack and change its shape and color. It is half blue and half dark, thin and slack, Attend closely, do not be fooled by this body bag. .....
4. 壞想 (Decaying Stage) You will also see the remaining skin and excess meat dry and roasted in the wind and sun, smelling rotten and darkening. The internal organs stick out, and countless maggots eat its soft part Attend wisely, do not be fooled by this body bag ....
5. 血塗想 (Bleeding Stage)
Blood overflows from the place where it broke. It scatters and accumulates here and there dyes spots in places, overflows and soaks into the ground, ...
6. 膿爛想 (Pus-leak-out Stage)
You will also see a corpse that is pus-filled and crushed. The flesh melts and flows, like a lit candle, which is called Pus-leak-out Stage. ......
7. 噉想 (Eaten by Animal Stage)
Also, seeing this corpse eaten by a fox, a wolf, an owl, and an eagle, fighting for a piece of meat, tearing it apart and scattering it, this is called Eaten by Animal Stage. .....
8. 散想 (Scattered Stage) Also, seeing that the head and hands are different, the internal organs are scattered and no longer converge. Which makes this Scattered Stage . ....
9. 骨想 (Skeleton Stage)
You also see two types of bone, one pus-filled and one pure white and clean. Sometimes bones are gathered, and sometimes it's scattered. ....
10. 燒想 (Cremated Stage) Everthing is burned on a pyre, Seeing this blazing fire, Only smoke, and nothing left Would crying now do any help? ....
And a little information about the Kusōzu
Seeing and thinking about the transformation of a corpse is called "Kusōzu".
This is a practice to get rid of the anxieties that hinder the enlightenment of the monks and to know that the body of this world is unclean and unconventional. No matter how beautiful you look, it's like covering up with a temporary figure on the filth underneath.
The scriptures that preach the Kusōzu view are said to have been handed down to Japan during the Nara period, and these paintings were made from the Kamakura period to the Edo period. Since the Buddhist priests are basically men, the corpses depicted in the Kusōzu were the women, especially the beautiful women, who were the subject of their worldly desires. The people used as the subject were Empress Danrin and Ono no Komachi, and it is said that Empress Danrin was particularly religious and actually left her body after death to draw a "Kusōzu".
Also, it would be good for Sujato to follow his own translation guideline of 'principle of least meaning'.
Obviously, eyes can see 'material form', and would retain the consistency with the passages where 'rupa' is explicitly defined as 'material form made up of 4 elements.'
By translating 'rupa' as 'vision' for the context of eyes seeing objects, Sujato is violating his 'principle of least meaning' and giving an exclusionary context where rupa would NOT include 'material form', only an immaterial 'vision'.
Also, if he is going to violate his own rules, he should justify it with an essay and provide evidence to support it.
If Sujato ever clarifies what he means by that, please share. As far as I can tell, his reason for translating it that way, is the same reason Vism. ambiguates the term Rupa to justify making the 4 jhanas into a formless attainment. But his translation of rupa as 'vision' gets into weirdness, when it's obvious 'rupa' in those contexts are referring to the affliction of having a physical body. For example, see MN 13 where rupa and kaya are both explicitly referring to decaying corpses in kayagata kayaanupassana practice. And Snp 16 (or 17) pingiya sutta, where he's talking about the afflictions of old age breaking down his rupa physical body, sujato translates it there as 'form', rather than 'vision'. In other words, he knows 'vision' wouldn't fit there, so he has to do rupa = 'form'.
In English, if you say 'orange', it can be a visible color, or it can be a physical fruit. But if you say, "I see orange", you wouldn't translate that as "I see visible color in the visual spectrum under 20khz". You would just say "I see orange". Similarly with 'rupa', just becuase you can see 'material form', doesn't mean you should translate it as "vision" when it's paired up with eye and seeing faculty.
ssasny wrote: ↑Fri Feb 18, 2022 6:42 amHi, I think you are asking why Ven. Sujāto has rendered rūpā and rūpasaññā as 'visions' and 'perceptions of visions'?
Instead of the more obvious 'material forms' and 'perceptions of forms'?
Good question!
Have you looked at the commentary? Perhaps he is following a commentarial gloss? Could be worth posting this question directly to him on his forum at suttacentral.
(4) the faculty of distinguishing and classifying things according to their real properties’.
Wikipedia (sanskrit dictionary entry 'viveka')
Viveka (Sanskrit: विवेक, romanized: viveka) is a Sanskrit and Pali term translated into English as discernment or discrimination.[1] According to Rao and Paranjpe, viveka can be explained more fully as:
Sense of discrimination; wisdom; discrimination between the real and the unreal, between the self and the non-self, between the permanent and the impermanent; discriminative inquiry; right intuitive discrimination; ever present discrimination between the transient and the permanent.[2]: 348
The Vivekachudamani is an eighth-century Sanskrit poem in dialogue form that addresses the development of viveka. Within the Vedanta tradition, there is also a concept of vichara which is one type of viveka.
(2022 July: I looked at several Sanskrit dictionary resources and they all echo the above, and none of them have 'seclusion' as a definition for 'viveka')
discrimination (of thought) D I 37, 182; III 222, 226, 283 = S IV 191 (°ninna citta); S I 2, 194; IV 365f.; V 6, 240f.; A I 53; III 329; IV 224; Vin IV 241; Snp 474, 772, 822, 851, 915, 1065; Nidd I 158, 222; Ja I 79; III 31; Dhs 160; Pp 59, 68; Nett 16, 50; As 164, 166; Thig-a 64; Pv-a 43; Saddh 471. — viveka is given as fivefold at Paṭis II 220f. and Vibh-a 316, cf. K.S. I 321 (Spk I 158 on S III 2, 8), viz. tadaṅga°, vikkhambhana°, samuccheda° paṭippassaddhi°, nissaraṇa°; as threefold at Vism 140, viz. kāya°, citta°, vikkhambhana°, i.e. physically, mentally, ethically; which division amounts to the same as that given at Nidd I 26 with kāya°, citta°, upadhi°, the latter equivalent to "Nibbāna." Cf. on term D.B. I 84. See also jhāna. Cf. pa°.
excerpt: Keren Arbel's book on Early Buddhist Meditation on 'viveka'
III Viveka
The Pāli English Dictionary, and consequently most translators, translates viveka as ‘detachment’, ‘separation’ and ‘seclusion’.34 Buddhaghosa explains that viveka means either the disappearance of the hindrances, or that the jhāna factors are secluded from the hindrances.35 However, according to the Sanskrit dictionary, the first meaning of viveka is ‘discrimination’.36 The Sanskrit dictionary further describes viveka as ‘(1) true knowledge, (2) discretion, (3) right judgement, and (4) the faculty of distinguishing and classifying things according to their real properties’. These meanings of the term viveka seem to assist in interpreting this term in the Buddhist context as well, since viveka has no clear definition in the Nikāyas and it seems to be used in different ways. I suggest that the use of vivicca and viveka, in the description of the first jhāna (both from the verb vi + vic), plays with both meanings of the verb; namely, its meaning as discernment and the consequent ‘seclusion’ and letting go. Although there are times that the Buddha changes the meaning of a Sanskrit term completely, sometimes he does not; for example, he retains the meanings of terms such as dukkha, sukha and so on. I believe that the term viveka retained in the Nikāyas also its Sanskrit meaning as ‘discernment’.
This interpretation is supported by a description from SN V 301. In this sutta, the quality of viveka is developed by the practice of the four satipaṭṭhānas. Anuruddha declares that
[i]ndeed friends, when that bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the four establishings of mindfulness, it is impossible that he will give up the training and return to the lower life. For what reason? Because for a long time his mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined towards viveka. 37
Here Anuruddha clearly states that by seeing clearly (anupassati) body, feeling, mind and dhammas (the four focuses of mindfulness) the practitioner develops the quality of viveka. In this context, it seems that viveka is a quality connected to clear seeing, to discernment of the nature of experience.38 We also see here that the jhānas follow the development of the four satipaṭṭhānas and not some practice of onepointed concentration.39 The preceding also indicates that the development of the four satipaṭṭhānas inclines the mind towards discerning
the true nature of phenomena; discernment that allows the mind to see the disadvantage of sense pleasures and, hence, let go of the desire for them and other unwholesome states (such as clinging and aversion, for example).That is, the cultivation of the four satipaṭṭhānas develops the ability to recognize and discern the mechanism of mind and body for seeing clearly into the nature of the various physical and mental phenomena. I would suggest that this discernment of phenomena (dhammas), and the consequent detachment (vivicca) is indicated by the term viveka, the same viveka from which pīti and sukha of the first jhāna are born.40 Discerning the nature of phenomena enables the mind to change its inclinations; that is, it allows us to let go of our basic unwholesome tendencies and desires, which are based on a mistaken perception of reality. This letting go (vossagga) is the proximate cause for entering the first jhāna.
KN Iti 38 is a great example of viveka as 'discernment'.
(link to sutta in pali + eng) ● KN Iti 38Vitakka: thoughts
(brief synopsis)
Two thoughts occur to the Buddha. 1) Thoughts of safety, based on non ill will, may all creatures not be harmed. 2) thoughts on seclusion-&-discernment such as 'what is skillful?', 'what should be abandoned?'
relevant part: (modified sujato trans.)
Pavivekārāmā, bhikkhave, viharatha pavivekaratā.
You too should relish seclusion and delight in it,
‘What is unskillful? What is not given up? What should I give up?’”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
That is what the Buddha said. On this it is said:
Sujato translated viveka there as 'seclusion', and it does makes sense.
However, discrimination and discernment makes even more sense.
Think about it.
If you were relishing viveka (as seclusion) by going to a nice, peaceful nature spot,
what kind of thoughts are you likely to have immediately?
"Wow, being alone in this beautiful place is nice. Peaceful. Inspiring. Relaxing."
Whereas if you were relishing viveka (as mental discernment, sharply discriminating mind), what would be the natural thoughts that occur to you?
Exactly what KN Iti 38 says:
‘What is unskillful?
What is not given up?
What should I give up?’”
And if you followed up on those thoughts, then that would tend to lead to seclusion (from unskillful Dharmas, unskillful thoughts, etc.).
But if you had started with viveka as seclusion (rather than discernment), that does not naturally lead to, "Hmm.., let me investigate the nature of kusala and akusala and what should be abandoned."
AN 8.30 : link to nekkhama - 30.50.3 – (3. this Dharma is for those who judiciously-seclude [themselves from bad company and unskillful Dharmas])
It’s for a monk who lives judicously-secluded. But monks, nuns,
laymen, laywomen, rulers and their ministers, founders of religious
sects, and their disciples go to visit them.
With a mind slanting, sloping, and inclining to
judicious-seclusion, withdrawn, and loving renunciation, that monk
invariably gives each of them a talk emphasizing the topic of dismissal.
piti wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:06 amJust to point out, that in a later book, Analayo actually accepts Arbel interpretation of viveka in the first jhana, but interestingly, in this book, he does not cite Arbel as the one who suggested it in the first place… Here is what he wrote: “A secondary meaning of the term viveka, recognized in some dictionaries, is discrimination (Anālayo 2017a: 128). Although in its general use in the Pāli discourses the sense of seclusion is clearly the prominent one, this secondary meaning also has practical relevance. Once the mind is secluded from hindrances and distractions, we become able to discern the true nature of existence, in particular its nature of being subject to impermanence. This insight had in fact already become comprehensive with the previous three satipaṭṭhānas. Seeing the changing nature of all aspects of experience naturally leads on to cultivating dispassion, to a gradual fading away of craving and attachments.”
Thanks for this quote. I think Ven Analayo here is basically saying "even though viveka almost always means seclusion in the suttas, reading it as discrimination has some practical utility". So the point remains that viveka almost always means seclusion. I wouldn't call that 'accepting' Arbel's position that viveka in the jhana formula means discrimination, but instead recognizing that interpreting it that way, even if not technically correct, is still useful. I don't see any change in Ven Analayo's position-just some added nuance based on practical concerns.
For me the main problem I have with her arguing for viveka' as discrimination in the jhana formula is that it undercuts trust in her other arguments. This point is very clear in the suttas, and just quoting a dictionary definition and providing a single dubious (in the sense that it can be easily interpreted either way) sutta quote is very weak evidence.
But as I mentioned before I like her general ideas about the nature jhana; it's just that some of the arguments, like this one, seem very weak to me. Although maybe I'm just too critical .
frank k wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 8:38 amshare links to good samples please.
Here you are, friend, enough medicine to keep you happy and carefree for a while. I have converted most videos into Buddhism, that is, by adding sutta reading, embedded with each video, but for the pictures I have not, there are more than 2000 of them, in the Asubha Pictures folder. Wish you best of luck.
P.s. It's worthwhile to look at the exhortation folder, I have collected a lot of writings & Dhammatalks on the issue, you are free to share all of these materials to the good Buddhists who are seeking it. Peace.
4. Idiomatic: manussa, human; amanussa, "non-human", but not any kind of non-human; the word is limited to petas, yakkhas, pisācas and suchlike, and so is often translated as "spirit".
Now to come to my point, even if there was no commentary telling us that the a- in abyāpāda and avihiṃsā is an invertive a-, and that abyāpāda therefore means mettā and avihiṃsā means karuṇā, a competent translator would still need to at least reckon with this possibility. The fact that the a- prefix can be used in an invertive sense is indisputable.
AN 7.83, the only definition of 'Dhamma' that really matters, and examples of why 'dhamma' can't be "mental quality" in many places like 'right effort'
Dhamme-dhamma-anupassi means seeing 'dhamma as dhamma as it actually is', for the same reason kaya-anupassana is 'seeing body as body as it actually is' rather than common LBT misinterpretations
retrofuturist wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:30 pm... So with all that said and done, I'm curious about whether the practice of AN 4.126 alone would be sufficient to take one all the way to arahantship (and thus, outside the 31 realms of existence) or whether there is some limitation or deficiency in the above set of instructions that "caps" its potential to the Pure Abodes? I find it interesting that the practice promises "rebirth"... and wonder what is missing for the "end of rebirth"? Is the instruction deficient?
I'm happy to hear any thoughts on this subject - doctrinal, experiential, or otherwise.
Metta, Paul.
When you read it in conjunction with the previous sutta, AN 4.125, and compare with AN 9.36 which uses the same meditation instruction on seeing emptiness in 11 ways, then the logical conclusion is:
AN 4.126 is not saying seeing emptiness in 11 ways tops out at non-return realm rebirth (AN 9.36 shows the practice leading to arahantship, nonreturn, nirvana in between death and next rebirth, etc.). What it's doing is adding to the point from AN 4.125, that the Buddha's disciple doing 4bv brahmavihara in addition to being grounded in right view, would not suffer the same possibility of falling to a lower rebirth after the brahma realm rebirth.
An ordinary non-buddhist does not have the possibility of taking rebirth in the non-returner brahma realms, is the point of AN 4.126, not that 4bv brahmavihara practice (by a Buddhist disciple) would limit the emptiness in 11 ways to a non-returner rebirth.
Sutta links, pali and english
AN 9.36 Jhāna-nissaya [Jhāna]: jhana-dependencies: Samādhi attainments 1-7, one can do vipassana while in jhāna and realize Nirvana. Attainments 8-9, one has to first emerge from attainment. Nice simile of archer.
If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of Brahmā’s Group.
If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of streaming radiance. The lifespan of the gods of streaming radiance is two eons.
Ābhassarānaṃ, bhikkhave, devānaṃ dve kappā āyuppamāṇaṃ … pe … subhakiṇhānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.
… they’re reborn in the company of the gods replete with glory. The lifespan of the gods replete with glory is four eons.
They contemplate the phenomena there—included in form, feeling, perception, co-doings, and consciousness—as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as an abscess, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā suddhāvāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the pure abodes.
They contemplate the phenomena there—included in form, feeling, perception, co-doings, and consciousness—as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as an abscess, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā suddhāvāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the pure abodes.
STED definitions
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