Thursday, June 30, 2022

AN 6.29 oral tradition, importance of memory, Buddha says you're foolish if you don't know the 6 topics from this sutta




Re: Forgetfulness in Buddhism

Post by frank k » Thu Jun 30, 2022 10:06 am
AN 6.29

Buddha calls udāyi a foolish man (mogha purisa) because he answered incorrectly when he asked him to list the 6 topics for recollections anus-sati-thāna

It's really built into the oral tradition that memory, recollection, thinking and investigating with vitakka and vicāra, are fundamental skills.

The modern way of learning really neglects those important basic skills. Even the most important dhamma are treated as disposable entertainment. in one ear, out the other, soon forgotten.

The Dhamma was meant to be memorized, recited frequently, thought about, many times a day, and applied.

AN 6.29 is one of the most important suttas, and I'd bet 999 out of 1000 buddhists couldn't tell me what it's about.


If the Buddha chastised udāyi for being foolish for not having memorized it, don't you think you guys should at least be able to have a short summary of the sutta memorized?

https://lucid24.org/an/an06/an06-0029/index.html

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

New translation of first two verses of KN Dhp Dhammapada

SP-FLUENT style translation

Meaning the priority of this translation is to spell out the meaning of the suttas fluently.

No attempt is made to try to mimic any poetic features of verse in Dhammapada.


KN Dhp 1:

♦ 1.
♦ mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Mind precedes dharma [which are raw mental sensory data to the mind, or fully formed concepts like the Buddha's Dharma].
mano-seṭṭhā mano-mayā.
Mind is their chief; they are all mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pa-duṭṭhena,
If the mind contains anger or any impurity
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
when it speaks or acts,
♦ tato naṃ dukkham-anveti,
then pain-&-suffering follows him,
cakkaṃva vahato padaṃ.
like the wheel that-follows the foot of the ox.

KN Dhp 2:

♦ 2.
♦ mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Mind precedes dharma [which are raw mental sensory data to the mind, or fully formed concepts like the Buddha's Dharma].
mano-seṭṭhā mano-mayā.
Mind is their chief; they are all mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pasannena,
If the mind is pure when it
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts,
♦ tato naṃ sukham-anveti,
then pleasure follows him,
chāyāva an-apāyinī VAR.
like his shadow never-departing.





FLIPT translation (word for word pāḷi to english)

KN Dhp 1:

♦ 1.
♦ mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Mind-precedes (all) dharmas.
mano-seṭṭhā mano-mayā.
Mind-(is their)-chief; (they are all) mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pa-duṭṭhena,
(the) mind, if, with-impurity,
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts **,
♦ tato naṃ dukkham-anveti,
then *** suffering-follows (him),
cakkaṃva vahato padaṃ.
(like the) wheel that-follows (the) foot (of the ox).

KN Dhp 2:

♦ 2.
♦ mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā,
Mind-precedes (all) dharmas.
mano-seṭṭhā mano-mayā.
Mind-(is their)-chief; (they are all) mind-made.
♦ manasā ce pasannena,
(the) mind, if, with-purity,
bhāsati vā karoti vā.
speaks or acts **,
♦ tato naṃ sukham-anveti,
then *** pleasure-follows (him),
chāyāva an-apāyinī VAR.
(like his) shadow never-departing.


Translation Notes


MN 117 has pubbangamā as right view

Tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti.
In this context, right view comes first.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti?
And how does right view come first?
Micchādiṭṭhiṃ ‘micchādiṭṭhī’ti pajānāti, sammādiṭṭhiṃ ‘sammādiṭṭhī’ti pajānāti—sāssa hoti sammādiṭṭhi.
When you understand wrong view as wrong view and right view as right view, that’s your right view.





Sunday, June 26, 2022

sattannaṁ bodhi-pakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ: seven Buddha wings of ☸Dharma

 I love it when I can translate word for word in order from pāḷi to English.

sattannaṁ bodhi-pakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ: seven Buddha wings of ☸Dharma

This way when you chant the pāḷi, it takes no time to decode/translate the meaning of a phrase compared to the usual of having to unscramble the word order and figure out what goes where and applies to whom. 


My translation is not grammatically accurate, 

but it's certainly much more poetic and exciting than the usual boring translations like:


Seven [sets of] Dhamma that aid in awakening.


Buddha = awakened one

Bodhi = awakening.


pakkhi = bird, literally 'with wings'

pakkhiya, figuratively, means belonging to a faction 


So if we want to be more accurate, 

my translation would be something more along the lines of

sattannaṁ bodhi-pakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ: seven Buddhafication wings of ☸Dharma (if we want a little poetic license)

or if we want to be clinical and boring:

seven [sets of] Dharma that are part of the faction to awakening.



But occasionally, being poetic may be justified when it doesn't distort the meaning

sattannaṁ bodhi-pakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ: seven Buddha wings of ☸Dharma


Sounds like a Dharma super weapon or a Buddhist motorcycle gang.


🔗📝 collection of notes on KN Iti 82

Internal

4👑☸ → KN‍ → Iti

https://lucid24.org/kn/kn-iti/single/index.html#s82


External


KN Iti 82 Deva-sadda: Divine sounds [The Gods Roar in celebration], a new translation



Translation Notes



sattannaṁ bodhi-pakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ: seven Buddha wings of ☸Dharma



Forum discussion



Dhammawheel
KN Iti 82 are these errors in Sujato's translation?


KN Iti 82 Deva-sadda: Divine sounds [The Gods Roar in celebration], a new translation




(2022 SP-FLUENT translation by frankk‍ )

82 Deva-sadda-sutta
divine sounds discourse
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Tayome, bhikkhave, devesu deva-saddā niccharanti samayā samayaṁ upādāya.
“monks, these three divine sounds are issued by the gods from time to time.
Katame tayo?
Which three?
Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā
When a noble-one's-disciple shaves off their hair and beard, dresses in ocher robes,
agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajjāya ceteti,
and goes forth from the home life into homelessness,
tasmiṁ samaye devesu devasaddo niccharati:
At that time the gods cry out [with joy]:
‘eso ariyasāvako mārena saddhiṁ saṅgāmāya cetetī’ti.
‘This noble-one's-disciple made up his mind and declared war on Māra [the Evil one]!’
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo devesu devasaddo niccharati samayā samayaṁ upādāya.
This is the first occasion a divine sound is issued by the gods.

(see 37bp🕊️‍ )

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye ariyasāvako
Furthermore, when a noble-one's-disciple
sattannaṁ bodhi-pakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvan-ānu-yogam-anu-yutto viharati,
meditates pursuing the development of the seven Buddha wings of ☸Dharma,
tasmiṁ samaye devesu devasaddo niccharati:
At that time the gods roar [with approval]:
‘eso ariyasāvako mārena saddhiṁ saṅgāmetī’ti.
‘This noble-one's-disciple is doing battle against Māra [the Evil one]!’
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo devesu devasaddo niccharati samayā samayaṁ upādāya.
This is the second occasion a divine sound is issued by the gods.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye ariyasāvako
Furthermore, when a noble-one's-disciple
āsavānaṁ khayā an-āsavaṁ
has destroyed the asinine-inclinations, completely rid of them,
ceto-vimuttiṁ paññā-vimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme
Having realized here and now freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom,
sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati,
they live having realized it with direct knowledge.
tasmiṁ samaye devesu devasaddo niccharati:
At that time the gods roar [in celebration]:
‘eso ariyasāvako vijitasaṅgāmo tameva saṅgāmasīsaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasatī’ti.
‘This noble one’s disciple has won the battle. Having been in the front lines of the battle, he now dwells victorious.’
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo devesu devasaddo niccharati samayā samayaṁ upādāya.
This is the third occasion a divine sound is issued by the gods.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo devesu devasaddā niccharanti samayā samayaṁ upādāyā”ti.
These are the three divine sounds issued by the gods from time to time..”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
That is what the Buddha said. On this it is said:

(verse)

“Disvā vijitasaṅgāmaṁ,
“Seeing the winner of the battle—
sammāsambuddhasāvakaṁ;
a disciple of the Buddha,
Devatāpi namassanti,
even the gods revere them:
mahantaṁ vītasāradaṁ.
a great one, thoroughly mature—
Namo te purisājañña,
‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!
yo tvaṁ dujjayamajjhabhū;
You won a battle hard to win!
Jetvāna maccuno senaṁ,
Having defeated the army of death,
vimokkhena anāvaraṁ.
your liberation is unobstructed.’
Iti hetaṁ namassanti,
And so the gods revere the one,
devatā pattamānasaṁ;
who has achieved their heart’s desire.
Tañhi tassa na passanti,
For they see nothing in them by means of which
yena maccuvasaṁ vaje”ti.
they might fall under the sway of Death.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This too was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.
Tatiyaṁ.
(end of sutta)

(end of sutta⏹️)


 



Saturday, June 18, 2022

MN 127 According to Ajahn Brahm and Vism. redefinition of jhāna, many deva realms could not possibly exist!

 In the EBT sutta definition of the four jhānas, there is such as thing as 'impure' jhāna, and it's still called 'jhāna'. 

MN 127 is an example of this, and many other suttas talk about the ability to see the undercurrents of 5 hindrances bubbling underneath and potentially arresting them before they technically 'out' one from the jhāna. (see learner's jhāna, impure jhāna, is still called "jhāna" )


But according to Ajahn Brahm and Vism. redefinition of jhāna, impure jhāna is not possible, since one supposedly can not have will or intention while in jhāna (wrong! see MN 111, first 7 attainments have cetana (will, intention), desire, attention), one would not even be able to do even a first jhāna.


If we believe Brahm and Vism., then MN 127 talking about doing impure jhāna (with 5 hindrances) would not be possible, and those meditators with impure 'not jhāna', would not be able to attain rebirth in those deva realms with impure radiance. 

So are you going to believe the Buddha's definition of jhāna, or Ajahn Brahm and Vism.? 

(who came 2500 years and 800 years after the Buddha)


I could just see followers of Ajahn Brahm and Vism. going to those deva realms with impure radiance to protest, and telling those devas, "You don't exist! You didn't do real jhāna, you did impure access concentration." 

And the devas respond, "Last time I checked, I'm a deva, and I exist. Read the suttas. There is no access concentration in the EBT. There's just jhāna, and they can be impure."


I highlighted in yellow the exact point in the sutta (you can click the sutta ref. link to jump there) where those devas don't exist according to Ajahn Brahm.


● MN 127 - 🔗🔊 16m, Anuruddha: (buddha's cousin, famous for divine eye):
        MN 1271 – (layman Pañcakaṅga invites Anuruddha for meal offering, accepted)
        MN 1272 - (layman asks if appamāṇā ceto-vimutti different than mahaggatā)
            MN 1272.1 – (layman thinks they are the same practice, just different name)
            MN 1272.2 – (Anuruddha corrects him, says they’re two different practices)
        MN 1273 – (Anuruddha explains ap-pamāṇā/measure-less refers to 4bv brahma-vihāra pervaded in 8 directions)
        MN 1274 – (Anuruddha explains mahag-gatā/expansive is pervading 4bv in gradually larger space starting with one tree)
        MN 1275 - (4 kinds of deva realm rebirth commensurate with appamāna and mahaggatā)
            MN 1275.1 – (oil lamp simile: devas gather ↔ can see different colors of flame, but not different radiance)
            MN 1275.2 – (oil lamp simile: devas leave gathering ↔ can see different colors of flame, and different power of radiance)
            MN 1275.3 – (flies following luggage simile ↔ devas delight in radiance, but don’t assume permanent identity with it)
        MN 1276 – (Kaccana asks Anuruddha: are all devas reborn there limited or immeasurable?)
            MN 1276.1 – (some are limited, some are limitless)
            MN 1276.2 – (Why? Because some meditated pervading smaller space, some larger, some limtlesss)
        MN 1277 – (Kaccana asks Anuruddha: Do all the radiant deities have corrupted radiance, or some pure?)
            MN 1277.1 – (some are corrupted, some pure)
            MN 1277.2 – (Why? Because some did jhāna with more 5 hindrance corruption, some more pure)
            MN 1277.3 – (simile of oil lamp, purity of oil and wick ↔ jhāna meditator purity free of 5niv)
        MN 1278 - (conclusion: Kaccana correctly guesses anuruddha is speaking from personal experience from conversation with devas)



Forum Discussion


https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?p=681178#p681178


Akusala wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:29 amA suggestion to your article if I may. You did state there that: "So are you going to believe the Buddha's definition of jhāna, or Ajahn Brahm and Vism.?" I think it is more accurate to say "are you going to believe my interpretation of Jhana or Ajahn Brahm and Vism's?

Since the Buddha's parinirvana, it is no longer possible to go and ask the Bhagavan directly and confirmed what he meant. So, reading the suttas always requires an interpretation from our part. It may look to you that it is definitely what the Buddha said, it is so obviously clear and straight forward but in fact it always involves an interpretation - a subtle but important distinction.






by frank k » Sun Jun 19, 2022 7:44 am
There are critical and objective standards by which we can judge interpretations.
I've provided detailed audits proving that my interpretation is coherent and internally consistent, using EBT (early buddhist teachings) mainly the pāḷi texts.
See especially this article on coherence: (very short read, truly worth everyone's time to study it carefully!)
http://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/20 ... cy-in.html

Vism. and Ajahn Brahm's interpretation are invalid because they're incoherent and internally inconsistent with the same EBT pāḷi texts, which I've also showed with transparent, detailed audits.
Such as here:
https://lucid24.org/sted/8aam/8samadhi/ ... index.html

In short, when you see them cherry picking a few suttas that circumstantially don't contradict their theory and intentionally ignoring the majority of suttas that contradict their interpretation even when it's brought to their attention publicly, that's clear proof of an invalid, incoherent, internally inconsistent interpretation.

Now, of course my interpretation being coherent and internally consistent is not absolute proof of being correct, but it is obviously not blatantly wrong going out the starting gate, as is the case with Brahm and Vism. And a number of intelligent rational, well respected monastics and scholars have similar interpretations of jhāna to mine.
https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2 ... ectly.html

To give you a rough quantitative approximation on the relativity of wrong here,
the people who have a coherent interpretation of jhāna, are like people who
claim: 2+2 < 4.2, and 2+2 > 3.8 (+ or - 5% error roughly relative to absolute correct being 4.0)

Ajahn Brahm and Vism.,
claim: 2 + 2 > 100
Meaning it's many orders of magnitude (exponential scale) of wrong.

So yes, there's uncertainty in every interpretation of jhāna, but there is relativity of wrong, and one should develop the intelligence and critical thinking ability to recognize that if you're a truth seeker, you should be favoring the methods and interpretations that are more probable, and rejecting blatantly incoherent ideas.

One other huge problem, is people don't understand how cognitive dissonance and other cognitive bias works.

Basically, you see it at work here with Vism. and Ajahn Brahm.
In Brahm's case, because he's a great human being, warm, charismatic, well liked, popular, very intelligent with Phd in Physics from Cambridge, 

the rational part of people's brain turn off and they just start accepting everything he says as the truth because the possibility that his interpretation of jhāna is incoherent doesn't harmonize with the idea of him being warm, wise, intelligent, trustworthy. How could someone like that be wrong?








🔗📝 collection of notes on MN 127

internal 

● MN 127 - 🔗🔊 16m, Anuruddha: (buddha's cousin, famous for divine eye):
        MN 1271 – (layman Pañcakaṅga invites Anuruddha for meal offering, accepted)
        MN 1272 - (layman asks if appamāṇā ceto-vimutti different than mahaggatā)
            MN 1272.1 – (layman thinks they are the same practice, just different name)
            MN 1272.2 – (Anuruddha corrects him, says they’re two different practices)
        MN 1273 – (Anuruddha explains ap-pamāṇā/measure-less refers to 4bv brahma-vihāra pervaded in 8 directions)
        MN 1274 – (Anuruddha explains mahag-gatā/expansive is pervading 4bv in gradually larger space starting with one tree)
        MN 1275 - (4 kinds of deva realm rebirth commensurate with appamāna and mahaggatā)
            MN 1275.1 – (oil lamp simile: devas gather ↔ can see different colors of flame, but not different radiance)
            MN 1275.2 – (oil lamp simile: devas leave gathering ↔ can see different colors of flame, and different power of radiance)
            MN 1275.3 – (flies following luggage simile ↔ devas delight in radiance, but don’t assume permanent identity with it)
        MN 1276 – (Kaccana asks Anuruddha: are all devas reborn there limited or immeasurable?)
            MN 1276.1 – (some are limited, some are limitless)
            MN 1276.2 – (Why? Because some meditated pervading smaller space, some larger, some limtlesss)
        MN 1277 – (Kaccana asks Anuruddha: Do all the radiant deities have corrupted radiance, or some pure?)
            MN 1277.1 – (some are corrupted, some pure)
            MN 1277.2 – (Why? Because some did jhāna with more 5 hindrance corruption, some more pure)
            MN 1277.3 – (simile of oil lamp, purity of oil and wick ↔ jhāna meditator purity free of 5niv)
        MN 1278 - (conclusion: Kaccana correctly guesses anuruddha is speaking from personal experience from conversation with devas)


external


MN 127 According to Ajahn Brahm and Vism. redefinition of jhāna, many deva realms could not possibly exist!


MN 64, MN 127: Want to see Brahm and Sujato do a magic trick? kāya-duṭṭhullānaṃ paṭip-passaddhiyā



Wednesday, June 15, 2022

MN 137 New Translation. Many interesting details about four jhānas, even though the word 'jhāna' never appears!

 I highlight the interesting jhāna details:


● MN 137 - 🔗🔊 22m, Saḷ-āyatana-vibhaṅga: 6-sense-base-analysis:
            MN 1371.1 – (6 internal bases)
            MN 1371.2 – (6 external bases)
            MN 1371.3 – (6 classes of consciousness)
            MN 1371.4 – (6 classes of contact)
        MN 1372 – (18 mental vicāra/explorations = 6 x [so-manassa + do-manassa + upekkha])
        MN 1373 – (36 positions of sentient beings = 18 x [householder + renunciate])
            MN 1373.1 – (6 kinds of householder mental-joy)
            MN 1373.2 – (6 kinds of renunciate mental-joy = pīti of 7sb and 4 jhānas)
            MN 1373.3 – (6 kinds of householder mental-distress: This is what 4th jhāna formula references)
            MN 1373.4 – (6 kinds of renunciate mental-distress)
            MN 1373.5 – (6 kinds of householder equanimous-observation)
            MN 1373.6 – (6 kinds of renunciate equanimous-observation: is what’s in 3rd and 4th jhāna, mind connected to 5 sense fields!)
        MN 1374 – (rely on something superior to give up something inferior)
            MN 1374.1 – (rely on renunciate mental-joy to give up householder mental-joy)
            MN 1374.2 – (rely on renunciate mental-distress to give up householder mental-distress)
            MN 1374.3 – (rely on renunciate equanimous-observation to give up householder equanimous-observation)
            MN 1374.4 – (rely on renunciate mental-joy to give up renunciate mental-distress: use first two jhānas to give up renunciate mental-distress)
            MN 1374.5 – (rely on renunciate equanimous-observation to give up renunciate mental-joy: use 4th and 3rd jhāna to give up 1st and 2nd jhāna)
        MN 1375 – (two kinds of upekkha equanimous-observation)
            MN 1375.1 - (upekkha based on diversity/nanatta are 3rd and 4th jhāna)
            MN 1375.2 - (upekkha based on unity/ekatta are 4 a-rūpa attainments)
            MN 1374.6 – (rely on upekkha of formless to give up upekkha of fourth jhāna)
            MN 1374.7 – (rely on non-identification to give up upekkha of formless)
        MN 1377 - (The teacher -buddha- uses 3 types of sati, to illustrate upekkha reaction)
        MN 1378 - (8 vimokkha + simile of horse and ox trainer in 4 directions)