New translations for MN 70 and MN 95: Restores the lost connection to jhāna and upekkha in the Buddha's 12 step program

 My new translations for MN 70 and MN 95 are based on Sujato's. 

Sujato (and other translators) had been translating vitakka, upekkha, nij-jhāna, in a muddled way so all three of those terms sounded synonymous (considering,  reflecting, contemplating). I think sometimes Sujato even accidentally reversed the 'contemplating' and 'considering', basically treating vitakka as equivalent to 'nij-jhāna'. 

In my comprehensive survey in the nikāyas on the term ni-j-jhāna  I discovered that in many contexts, it is for all intents and purposes equivalent to the four jhānas. 

In my new translations for MN 70 and MN 95, I render vitakka, upekkha, nij-jhāna consistently and uniformly with my translations of the equivalent terms from the four jhāna formula.

 in these two suttas  upaparikkhati  [upa + pari + √ikkh + a + ti] is equivalent to upekkha (upa + ikkhati)

The prefix 'pari' means 'around', or circumspect, thoroughly. Just as pari-vitakka is just a chattier more thorough version of vitakka in first jhāna, upaparikkhati  is just a more thorough version of upekkha.

MN 95 is especially valuable in showing the difference between 

    diṭṭhi ni-j-jhāna khanti: meditating on a view, then accepting it as true.
    dhammā ni-j-jhānaṃ khamanti: meditating on Dharma, then accepting it as true. See MN 70 and MN 95.

Since you see both terms in the same sutta where jhāna associated with 'view' is unreliable, and the jhāna operating on Dharma after using upekkha on it are obviously saying this is third jhāna or better (upekkha doesn't appear in 4 jhāna formula until third, and vitakka is limited to first jhāna). 

the 'view' version of nij-jhāna, is associated with vitakka,

while the 'dharma' version of nij-jhāna, is associated with upekkha, (and in other suttas, wisdom, knowing and seeing)

4👑☸ → EBpedia📚 → ni-j-jhāna    



ni-j-jhāna: jhāna means meditation, so does ni-j-jhāna.

✅ jhāna means 'meditation' with singular focus. ni-j-jhāna is nearly synonymous. See SN 22.95.
⛔ nijjhāna does not mean 'gazing'. Gazing with the eyes is a superficial aspect that may or may not accompany nijjhāna.
⛔ nijjhāna is not (restricted to) 'thinking' or 'worrying'. In some contexts it may include that, but as SN 22.95 shows, nijjhāna can also be equivalent to 4 jhānas, a-vitakka a-vicāra samādhi, which is samādhi with subverbal mental processing without lingustic thought.

    diṭṭhi ni-j-jhāna khanti: meditating on a view, then accepting it as true.
    dhammā ni-j-jhānaṃ khamanti: meditating on Dharma, then accepting it as true. See MN 70 and MN 95.

MN 70

• MN 70 Kīṭāgiri (name of place)
  • (Buddha says not eating in the evening is great for health)
  • (some monks say eating whenever they want is great for health)
  • (I’ve never taught that by experiencing any kind of sensation, unskillful Dharmas will only decline)
  • (I’ve taught that by experiencing certain kinds of sensation, unskillful Dharmas will decline)
    • (1. Type of pleasant sensation that causes unskillful Dharmas to grow )
    • (2. Type of pleasant sensation that causes unskillful Dharmas to decline )
    • (3. Type of painful sensation that causes unskillful Dharmas to grow )
    • (4. Type of painful sensation that causes unskillful Dharmas to decline )
    • (5. Type of neutral sensation that causes unskillful Dharmas to grow )
    • (6. Type of neutral sensation that causes unskillful Dharmas to decline )
  • (Assiduous monks and negligence)
  • (7 types of people in the world)
    • (1. freed both ways )
    • (2. freed by wisdom )
    • (3. eyewitness)
    • (4. attained to view)
    • (5. freed by earned-trust)
    • (6. Follower of the Dharma )
    • (7. follower by earned-trust )
  • (Buddha’s 12 step program: gradual training, progress, and practice)
  • (exposition in four parts, which a sensible person would quickly understand)
    • (1. ‘The Buddha is my Teacher, I am his disciple. )
    • (2. The Buddha knows, I do not know.’ )
    • (3. the Teacher’s instructions are nourishing and nutritious. )
    • (4. ‘Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! )

MN 95

• MN 95 Caṅkī: (name of brahman)
  • (Caṅkī wants to visit Buddha)
  • (500 brahmins try to talk him out of visit)
  • (Cankī defends Buddha)
  • (Caṅkī goes to visit Buddha)
  • (Buddha asks if any brahmin is qualified to say they know and see truth)
  • (Buddha compares brahmins to a line of blind men operating on blind faith (un-earned trust) )
    • (5 dharmas that may turn out to be true or false)
  • (Buddha defines earned-trust and ‘preservation of truth’)
  • (Buddha defines ‘awakening to the truth’)
    • (1. Check for greed)
    • (2. Check for anger)
    • (3. Check for delusion)
    • (saddha = earned-trust, justified confidence, not provisional faith, not blind faith)
  • (Buddha defines ‘arrival at the truth’)
    • (Buddha’s 12 step program in reverse order, see MN 70 for forward order)
    • (1. “Striving is helpful for arriving at the truth.)
    • (2. “Scrutiny is helpful for striving …)
    • (3. Making an effort is helpful for scrutiny …)
    • (4. Enthusiasm is helpful for making an effort …)
    • (5. Acceptance of the Dharmas after jhāna meditating on them is helpful for enthusiasm .)
    • (6. Equanimously-observing the meaning of the Dharmas is helpful for accepting them after jhāna meditating on those Dharmas …)
    • (7. Remembering the Dharmas is helpful for equanimously-observing their meaning …)
    • (8. Hearing the Dharmas is helpful for remembering the Dharmas …)
    • (9. Listening is helpful for hearing the Dharmas …)
    • (10. Paying homage is helpful for listening …)
    • (11. Approaching is helpful for paying homage …)
    • (12. earned-trust is helpful for approaching a teacher.)
  • (Conclusion: Brahman becomes lay follower of Buddha)