notes on the Dhamma

coherence and internal consistency in interpreting religious text, Early Buddhist Meditation The Four Jhānas as the Actualization of Insight by Keren Arbel Incoherence Sometimes the best way to understand something, is to invert the problem, and understand its opposite. Detailed example showing how Sujato, Visuddhimagga,  Ajahn Brahm's ambiguation of kāya violates the standards of internal consistency. KN Snp 5, the Buddha knew about the ambiguities of the word 'body' (kāya) and he spoke accordingly https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2021/10/kn-snp-5-buddha-knew-about-ambiguities.html Collection of articles on coherence and incoherence On the forum section, there's a rebuttal on validity of interpretations of Brahm MN 127 According to Ajahn Brahm and Vism. redefinition of jhāna, many deva realms could not possibly exist! Sujato's 3rd jhāna formula kāya/body is incoherent and inconsistent in light of Buddha's very specific and qualified use of kāya (nāma vs. r...

I came from a math and science background, so these principles seemed very obvious to me. Most of my life I've applied these principles automatically, in any kind of critical thinking regarding any subject.  But seeing all the confusion and controversy on jhānas in Theravāda made me realize this is not common sense, not obvious to most people, and it probably doesn't get formally taught in our education system.  It should. I don't see how critical thinking can even work if people don't do this reflexively. This is a very short excerpt from Keren's book on Jhāna. She started her Phd thesis (this book) originally believing the LBT (late buddhist teaching)  traditional orthodox Theravada ideas on Jhāna, such as what's taught in Visuddhimagga.  But as her study of the EBT (early buddhist teaching) texts progressed, and applying the principles of looking for coherence and internal consistency as a requirement, she came to a much different understanding than LBT on ho...

Alternate title: Bob punches Carl in the face - A Primer on why 3 types of actions are distinct MN 56 Kāya needs to be one's physical body, in order for 3 types of actions (bodily, verbal, mental) to be distinct.  If  Ajahn Brahm, LBT Theravada, Sujato, etc., had their way, then the 3 types of actions (bodily, verbal, mental), would not be distinct actions clearly distinguished from each other.      MN 56 1  - (Jain leader explains 3 types of action: bodily, verbal, mental)          MN 56 1.1  – (3 types of action distinct from each other)          MN 56 1.2  - (Jain leader says bodily action is most potent of 3, Buddha is incredulous)          MN 56 2.2  - (Buddha says mental action is most potent of 3) In other words, if Sujato, Ajahn Brahm, Vism.  exercise their license to turn 'kāya' into a 'mental body' (instead of a physical one) whenever it's convenien...

In the first jhāna section, it's contrasting body (kāya) against citta, and also the suttas (MN 19) also uses almost similar type of statement to contrast body getting tired when mind is over excited. If 'kāya' was  "body of mental only factors", then there would be no contrast with 'citta' (mind).  So Abhdhamma (they redefine kāya as 'body of mind' in Vb 12 third jhāna gloss), Ajahn Brahm, Sujato, are at odds with their Elders who composed KN Pe.  For the fourth jhāna defects, it mentions coarse and subtle perceptions of rūpa (material form! not "visions" or "sights"). This tracks with the meditator experience of the body fading away through the four jhānas, but not disappearing (5 senses not getting completely shut off), also with the idea of a subtle body, experienced as a gooey magnetic force that pervades the body and often have currents of energy that don't match ateries, veins, etc.  In other words, when the Tv Subcom...

 In MN 106, it's talking about how to attain the formless dimensions, where the mind becomes divorced from the 5 senses of the body.  In his translation of the standard formula for dimension of infinite space, he translates 'rūpa' correctly as 'form' (materiality made up of 4 elements) SN 54.8: Padīpopamasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) Now, a mendicant might wish: Tasmātiha,   bhikkhave,   bhikkhu   cepi   ākaṅkheyya: ‘Going totally beyond perceptions of form , with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that “space is infinite”, may I enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space.’ ‘sabbaso   rūpasaññānaṁ   samatikkamā   paṭighasaññānaṁ   atthaṅgamā   nānattasaññānaṁ   amanasikārā   ananto   ākāsoti   ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ   upasampajja   vihareyyan’ti, So let them closely focus on this immersion due to mindfulness of breathing. ayameva ...

  How does Abhidhamma and Tv Cmy explain removal of thoughts with ānāpānā sati to get into 2nd jhāna? Edit Delete Report Quote Post   by  frank k  »  Sun May 29, 2022 3:04 am Here, Sujato correctly translates vitakka as 'thinking', Sujato translation, AN 9.1 They should develop the perception of ugliness to give up greed, love to give up hate, mindfulness of breathing to cut off thinking, and perception of impermanence to uproot the conceit ‘I am’. asubhā bhāvetabbā rāgassa pahānāya, mettā bhāvetabbā byāpādassa pahānāya, ānāpānassati bhāvetabbā vitakkupacchedāya, aniccasaññā bhāvetabbā asmimānasamugghātāya. Variant: ānāpānassati → ānāpānasati (bj, pts1ed) But I'm wondering how Ajahn Brahm, Sujato, Vism. use that instruction to get from first jhāna to second jhāna. How how Tv Commentary explain that sutta passage?

  There are two distinct contexts.  1. Four jhānas, where the meditator has perceptions of both internal rūpa (meditator's physical body), and external rūpa (any material form made of 4 elements or their derivatives). The most frequent use of this kind of āneñja appears in the formula for imperturbable version of 4th jhāna, which easily access the 6 higher knowledges. Obviously someone levitating, exercising psychic powers, hearing divine sounds, seeing terrestrial devas living up in the trees, seeing ghosts, hearing divine sounds, has perceptions of his internal form rūpa and external forms as well. 2. The second context, āneñja is referring not to 4th jhāna, but formless attainments, such as the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, etc. In those formless attainments, both internal form and external form are dropped out, one doesn't have perception of them. 3. As for the formless attainments in the 8 vimokkha and 8 abhi-bha-ayatana, where one doesn't have...

External MN 66 simile of poor man (illustrated)

Internal ●  MN 106  -  🔗🔊  19m,  Āneñja-sappāya : imperturbable, conducive (to that):  🔗📝      MN 106 0  - (Problem with 5kg sensuality cords)      MN 106 1  – (first way to imperturbable: with vast, exalted mind: vipulena mahaggatena cetasā)      MN 106 2  – (second way to imperturbable: all form, rūpa, is just 4 elements)      MN 106 3  – (third way to imperturbable: all form, rūpa, from past present future are impermanent)      MN 106 11  - (first practice to dimension of nothingness: drop all perceptions of form and lower formless dimensions)      MN 106 12  - (second practice to dimension of nothingness: seeing emptiness, no self identity there)      MN 106 13  - (third practice to dimension of nothingness: seeing ‘not mine’)      MN 106 20  – (way to neither perception nor non perception: d...

 The  samādhi in 3 ways referenced in AN 8.63, MN 128: AN 8.63, my translation, with correct interpretation of a rare  5th type of jhāna  (samādhi in 3 ways fulfills (7sb → 1-6 🐘💭… 🌄) and 4j jhānas) imaṃ samādhiṃ this undistractible-lucidty (1) sa-vi-takkampi sa-vicāraṃ bhāveyyāsi, (1) with-directed-thought & with-evaluation (you should) develop, (2) a-vi-takkampi vicāra-mattaṃ bhāveyyāsi, (2) Without-directed-thought & a-modicum-of-evaluation (you should) develo p, (3) a-vi-takkampi a-vicāraṃ bhāveyyāsi, (3) Without-directed-thought & wiithout-evaluation (you should) develop, Sap-pīti-kampi bhāveyyāsi, (7sb → 4. 😁) With-rapture (you should) develop, nip-pīti-kampi bhāveyyāsi, Without-rapture (you should) develop, sāta-sahagatampi bhāveyyāsi, Endowed-with-satisfaction (you should) develop, upekkhā-sahagatampi bhāveyyāsi. (7sb → 7. 🛆👁 ) Endowed-with-equanimous-observation (you should) develop, For the four jhāna formula, the part I have highligh...

Internal * Agama || MA 76, doing jhāna in all 4 postures part of all 8 refrains, instead of one line clause in AN 8.63 * The entire chapter in MA that contains MA 76 collects most of the sutras that put the jhāna vitakka squeeze on what vitakka means in first jhāna. Meaning it can only mean verbal, linguistic thoughts, it can not be the Vism. and Sujato redefinition of 'placing the mind'.  External AN 8.63, MN 128 samādhi in 3 ways, Sujato's first jhāna progression to higher jhānas in general is completely nonsensical MN 118 prime example of samadhi in 3 ways (with vitakka, with some vicara, without V&V), B. Sujato AN 8.63 is nonsensical AN 8.63 four categories, vitakka, vicara, even dogs understand and use this AN 8.63 samadhi in 3 ways, another fatal problem with B. Sujato's translation, you can't do brahma vihara and jhana simultaneously 🧇B. Sujato V&V contradicts himself multiple times, AN 5.26, AN 8.63, SN 46.3, SN 47.10, SN 54.13

Internal External 2023/7  MN 111 Ven. Sunyo (Ajahn Brahm Jhāna) and Ven. Analayo claim emergence with sati in 8th and 9th attainment proves jhāna is a frozen absorbed state : Also discussing exactly what the Buddha means by sati (mindfulness), and how that can not exist in Ajahn Brahm's disembodied frozen state (his redefinition of jhāna). 🔗 fun with fallacies : 2021/03 MN 111 Elephant in the room, smoking gun, red herrings, sophistry 🔗 clever sophistry 2021/01 sophistry: MN 111 jhana 'lite' vs. jhana 'heavy', sutta vs. vism. 'jhana'. 🔗 cognitive dissonance and blind faith : 2020/09 MN 111: example of typical fallacious explanation that late Abhidhamma followers use to explain doing vipassana while in jhāna 🔗 ostrich strategy 2020/05 AN 4.41 and MN 111 How B. Sujato, B. Analayo, and Ajahn Brahm understand vitakka and vicara in those suttas. 

Internal 4👑☸  →  MN‍  →  MN 56   ●  MN 56  -  🔗🔊  40m,  Upāli : name of lay follower:     Nigantha of jains says body action more important determinant of kamma. Buddha says mental. Highlights:      MN 56 1  - (Jain leader explains 3 types of action: bodily, verbal, mental)          MN 56 1.1  – (3 types of action distinct from each other)          MN 56 1.2  - (Jain leader says bodily action is most potent of 3, Buddha is incredulous)          MN 56 2.2  - (Buddha says mental action is most potent of 3)          MN 56 6.1  – (Upali affirms Jain leader is right, Buddha is wrong)          MN 56 6.2  – (Buddha establishes ground rules for fair debate)          MN 56 6.11  – (Buddha’s example #1 showing Jain contradiction: dying an...

 The term we're interested in,  Ananugatantarassa,  from MN 56 verse section describing mind of Buddha in jhāna. Bodhi has: He is the Noble One, developed in mind, who has gained the goal and expounds the truth; Endowed with mindfulness and penetrative insight, he leans neither forwards nor back; 597 Free from perturbation, attained to mastery: The Blessed One is he, and I am his disciple. He has fared rightly and abides in meditation, inwardly undefile d, in purity perfect; He is independent and altogether fearless, 598 living secluded, attained to the summit; Thanissaro: Of the noble, developed-in-mind, attainment-attained explainer— mindful, clear-seeing, not bent forward, not bent back, unperturbed, mastery-attained: Of that Blessed One, I’m a disciple. Of the path-completed, absorbed-in-jhāna, uninfluenced-within , pure, independent, fearless, living-secluded, attained-to-the-summit, crossed-over one leading others across: Of that Blessed One, I’m a disciple. Narada ...