translating viharati: "enter and remain in jhāna" makes it seem like you rent an Air Bnb for one week out of the whole year

https://www.reddit.com/r/theravada/comments/1ck8tlv/enter_and_remain_in_the_first_jhana_jhana_question/




The way most translators render [the four jhāna formula with "he enters and remains in"]

 make it seem like jhāna is something you only do occasionally and with great effort and intention. 

But viharati ("dwells in") isn't just an Air BNB rental that you rent for one week out of the entire year.

Do you only do satipatthana one week out of the year?

Do you only do right effort one week out of the year?

They also are described with viharati "enters and remains in".

A better way to translate would consistently render right sati, right samādhi, right effort the same way.

"araddha viriyam viharati" = he lives arousing vigor (of 4 right efforts).

"kaye kāya anupassi viharati" = he lives continuously seeing the body as a body truly is.

"🌘 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati" = he attains and lives in first jhāna

Sujato sometimes translates 'viharati' as 'lives', sometimes as 'meditate'

It's not wrong, and if you're the type of person that thinks you should be meditating (in any posture, activity) all the time, then no problem.

But I would bet most people don't think of 'meditate' that way.  

They think of it as something you only do once in a while, once a week maybe, or 20 minutes a day. 

Conclusion

Common sense dictates that when you acquire a wonderful skill, you apply it to your life, develop it and constantly strive to improve that skill as much as possible whenever possible.

"enter and remain in jhāna" makes it seem like you rent an Air Bnb for one week out of the whole year.

Why rent for a measly one week when you can own it and live in it all the time?

🌘 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati" = he attains and lives in first jhāna

Forum discussion

https://www.reddit.com/r/theravada/comments/1cknpfr/comment/l2o2ei3/?context=3

Spirited_Ad8737

5h ago

I believe I remember seeing "abides in", as another possible alternative to your suggestion.

lucid24-frankk

OP

•

in 1m

I've seen it translated with 'abide', but I don't think the modern defn. fits:

oxford american dictionary has the 'live, dwell' meaning for 'abide' under archaic.

əˈbīd

a·bide

v.

1) [intrans.] abide by accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)

I said I would abide by their decision

2) [trans.] can/could not abide informal be unable to tolerate (someone or something)

if there is one thing I cannot abide it is a lack of discipline

3) [intrans.] (of a feeling or a memory) continue without fading or being lost

■ archaic live; dwell

'dwell' is a great translation for viharati, BUT...

In pali, vihāra is a dwelling. (noun)

viharati (verb) = dwell

But again, it runs into same problem as 'meditate', where you don't think of it as something you 24/7.

I dwelled in the dwelling when it rained.

I dwelled in my dwelling at night and then had breakfast and spent the next 16 hours outside of my dwelling.

But 'living' is something everyone knows you do 24/7