notes on the Dhamma

  I keep a list of all the errors I've found here, since I don't have an account on suttacentral forum:  tracking suttacentral english translation errors:  B. Sujato translation error s AN 5.151: Paṭhamasammattaniyāmasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) What five? Katamehi   pañcahi? They disparage the talk, the speaker, or themselves. They listen with scattered and scattered mind. They apply the mind irrationally. Kathaṁ   paribhoti,   kathikaṁ   paribhoti,   attānaṁ   paribhoti,   vikkhittacitto   dhammaṁ   suṇāti,   anekaggacitto   ayoniso   ca   manasi   karoti. It should read: They listen to the Dhamma with a scattered and un-ekagga mind My translation of same section Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato suṇanto saddhammaṃ bhabbo niyāmaṃ okkamituṃ kusalesu dhammesu sammattaṃ. Someone with five dharmas is able to enter the sure path with regards to skillful Dharmas when listening to the true...

https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/49086/what-is-it-that-pass-from-this-life-to-the-next/49154#49154 >>how would you answer this question so that it can enlighten/delight/pacify someone from a non-Buddhist tradition (with some inclinations towards an eternal soul). If you develop samādhi (undistractible lucidity perfected with meditative training) to a high level, you can witness for yourself what happens to a soul at the moment of physical death. If you don't (develop samādhi), then all you have is just hearsay, beliefs, and views. Yogis with developed samādhi from all religions, Hinduism, Taoism, Essenes, christian mystics, etc., all witness rebirth of the "soul" as a real observable phenomena. The difference with the Buddha, was he found that the "soul" is conditioned, impermanent.  With proper understanding and training,  one can bring an end to the infinite cycles of rebirth and understand what a "soul" really is.

  Steph Curry, considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA (professional basketball) history. watch about 1 min. of this video, starting at 19m:25sec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_QnFBFPOTE He estimates he probably has made over 750,000 three point shots (making a basket from at least 24ft away) in his lifetime. That much repetition in his shooting motion and buildng of sati into his muscle memory, when he gets into a flow state, his kāya anupassana and 3rd step of ānāpānasati (sensitivity to the sensations in his entire physical body),  he knows exactly the subtle body sensations of what a correct made shot feels like, he knows it's going in the basket or not, right after the ball is released. With the athletic freaks in the NBA  who defend the shooter, flying at them with their world class sprinter speed and their 7 foot wingspan arms swatting at the ball,   there is no time for the shooter to  think (vitakka and vicāra). you just issue a volition ...

 I've reworked the VRJ article, adding many permalinks. Here's the table of contents, and an excerpt from the introduction and conclusion 4👑☸  →  👑8☸  →  8🌄  →  Buddha's Jhāna Vs.  VRJ👻🥶  (Vism. Re-definition of Jhāna)   VRJ👻🥶  1  – EBT Jhāna Vs. Vism. Redefinition      VRJ👻🥶  1.1  – The Buddha’s agenda      VRJ👻🥶  1.2  – THOX agenda      VRJ👻🥶  1.3  – The fallout from the different agendas          VRJ👻🥶  1.3.1  – An uncomfortable truth          VRJ👻🥶  1.3.2  – 'It depends upon what your definition of "is" is.' VRJ👻🥶  2  – How EBT defines Jhānas      VRJ👻🥶  2.1  – Difference between rūpa and a-rūpa      VRJ👻🥶  2.2  – How sukha is defined in EBT jhānas: physical pleasure          VRJ👻🥶  2.2.1  – If the Buddha wanted sukha to be mental in 3rd jhāna...          VRJ👻🥶...

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  sunyo wrote, regarding MN 139: https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/if-jhana-is-total-absorption-without-physical-sensation-why-is-pain-only-abandoned-in-the-fourth-jhana/29410/292 It can’t be the body that feels the pīti and sukha [In four jhānas], because in the suttas the pīti that is felt in the first two jhānas is repeatedly called mental (pīti-māna). It’s similar with the sukha, which is called non-physical (nirāmisa) and in other ways is indicated to be mental. For example, it is said in  MN139  that the sukha that comes from the body (and other physical senses) is not to be developed, and that one should seek sukha “internally”, i.e. in the mind. frankk response ajjhatta = adj. inner; internal; personal; in oneself [adhi + atta] ✓ In the context of MN 139, it's one's self (includes both body and mind), not "mind only" self. Just as in MN 10, one does kāya anupassana (physical body contemplation) "Internally and externally" on one's physical bod...

MN 139 excerpt, translation here mostly Sujato 4 – (Know how to distinguish different kinds of sukha/pleasure.) ‘Sukhavinicchayaṃ jaññā; ‘Know how to distinguish different kinds of pleasure. sukhavinicchayaṃ ñatvā ajjhattaṃ sukhamanuyuñjeyyā’ti— Knowing this, pursue inner pleasure.’ iti kho panetaṃ vuttaṃ. Kiñcetaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ? That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Pañcime, bhikkhave, kāmaguṇā. There are these five kinds of sensual stimulation. Katame pañca? What five? Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā, Sights known by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. sotaviññeyyā saddā … Sounds known by the ear … ghānaviññeyyā gandhā … Smells known by the nose … jivhāviññeyyā rasā … Tastes known by the tongue … kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā— Touches known by the body that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca kā...

Unresolved questions from this sutta. 1. Does this mean the disciple attained stream entry without even needing at least first jhāna? 2. presumably this line: "Afterwards they get rid of two things: desire and aversion." is happening WHILE doing the first jhāna, otherwise they would be a non-returner whether or not they died while doing first jhāna? AN 3.94 Sarada: Springtime 94. Saradasutta 94. Springtime “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṃ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṃ ākāsagataṃ tamagataṃ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca. “After the rainy season the sky is clear and cloudless. And when the sun rises, it dispels all the darkness from the sky as it shines and glows and radiates. Evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, yato ariyasāvakassa virajaṃ vītamalaṃ dhammacakkhuṃ uppajjati, saha dassanuppādā, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa tīṇi saṃyojanāni pahīyanti— In the same way, when the stainless, immaculate vision of The Dharma arises in a noble-one...

Unlike the commentaries, the suttas don't always explicitly say "This word means", "this definition." But if you pay attention, you realize the Buddha glosses many terms in standard formulas which appear as code words.  Here's a collection of some important terms being glossed covertly samādhi sambojjhanga = the 4 jhānas:  DN 2 in the seven awakening factors section, after passadhi, the 4 jhanas are listed where samādhi sambojjhanga would normally appear. upekkha-sambojjhanga = realizing the 6 (or 8) higher knowledges while in imperturbable 4th jhāna. DN 2: happens right after samadhi sambojjhanga, where upekkha would normally be specified Also compare with 16 suttas in Snp 5, where upekkha (in poetic form as 'pekkha') appears frequently doing vipassana to realize nirvana. Viveka = judicious-seclusion MN 139 first jhāna viveka and kāmehi  (Know how to distinguish different kinds of pleasure.) ‘Sukhavinicchayaṃ jaññā; (5kg sensuality-cords are to fear...

Internal What Ajahn Brahm (Brahmavamso) calls “Jhāna” is not Jhāna according to the EBT . To make that distinction clear, I call his redefined “jhāna” BRJ👻🥶 . His redefinition is actually much closer to (V)isuddhi-magga (Re)-definition of (J)hana , minus the Abhidhamma underlying theory. External Polite criticism of wrong jhāna by famous teachers without naming names Ajahn Brahm body scan meditation, he calls it "the Delight of relaxation", the Buddha calls it "four jhānas" Perfect image to capture the emotional and physical feeling of trying to attain Vism. and Ajahn Brahm "real first jhāna" brahm'splaining jhāna, brahm·splain /ˈbräm splān/, brahmsplain, brahmsplanation Should you follow Ajahn Brahm or the Buddha's walking meditation instructions? Doing genuine 4 jhānas: Meditator has eyes closed, but all 5 senses faculties are operational,  aware of the demons who are looking frightened. Doing Visuddhimagga and Ajahn Brahm redefinition of jhān...

  That is a real photo, not AI generated! In 128-degree Death Valley, a man dressed as Darth Vader ran a mile (full story from which the image came from  here .) Note 128 degree F = 53 degree C.  Vism "jhāna", and Ajahn Brahm’s “jhāna” is not the Buddha’s definition of Jhāna What Ajahn Brahm (Brahmavamso) calls “Jhāna” is not Jhāna according to the  EBT . To make that distinction clear, I call his redefined “jhāna”  BRJ👻🥶 . His redefinition is actually much closer to  (V)isuddhi-magga (Re)-definition of (J)hana , minus the Abhidhamma underlying theory. The problem with Buddha's jhāna vs. Pa Auk's vism. jhāna excerpt from  dhammawheel  discussion, I wrote: The problem with Buddha's jhāna vs. Pa Auk's vism. jhāna, is that they're qualitatively very different practices. So different, that the amount of samatha need to attain a formless state, requires much more samatha and internal body energy transformation needed to reach that bar, than what's re...