notes on the Dhamma

brahm·splain /ˈbräm splān/ verb informal brahmsplain;  3rd person present: brahmsplains;  past tense: brahmsplained;  past participle: brahmsplained;  gerund or present participle: brahmsplaining; noun: brahmsplanation;     (of a supposed expert on Jhāna and/or Pāḷi) explain ('splain) how Jhāna works according to the suttas, to someone (who oftentimes knows more about Jhāna, suttas, Vism., than the 'expert'), in a condescending manner, with a baffling combination of overconfidence and cluelessness. 1.  "Sujato brahm'splained that the Buddha teased out a special esoteric meaning out of that word 'vitakka'  because he [the Buddha!] had an impoverished vocabulary and was forced to redefine it."  2. "I asked a Pa Auk teacher what is ekaggata,  what does it mean in first jhāna,  and why does it redundantly have the same role as both vitakka and vicāra (gluing mind to nimitta),  and how the heck does second jhāna even work i...

  Re: Ven. Anālayo on vitakka/vicāra and jhāna Report Quote Post   by  frank k  »  Thu Aug 15, 2024 3:40 am Not that hard to prove [Analayo's interpretation of jhāna is wrong]. Look at the time line from EBT, to KN Pe interpretation of jhāna which is embodied, non-frozen, straightforward verbal thought vitakka. Pe is the earliest jhāna commentary. Then look at vimutti magga, also an embodied jhāna, and seems to take vitakka explanation straight from Pe. So for 500 years after Buddha died, jhāna is interpreted with an honest dictionary, straightforward embodied jhāna with lucid discerning, clear comphrension and vipassana capability in all four jhānas, and vitakka as verbal thought. Then in Vism., which is based on Vimt. but uses a later more corrupted form of Abhidhamma, jhāna becomes a disembodied frozen stupor where vitakka gets redefined into something completely unheard of. And it's only in the redefinition of first jhāna, that vitakka gets redefined into "n...

  Gold Wrapped In Rags Autobiography of Ajaan Jia Cundo Translator: Ajaan Dick Sīlaratano Gold Wrapped in Rags tells the life story of Ajaan Jia Cundo, a famous Thai meditation monk who was a longtime disciple of Ajaan Mun and a contemporary of Ajaan Maha Boowa. This book describes many episodes detailing the events that happened in Ajaan Jia’s life as a forest monk, including vivid descriptions of the decisive experiences that occurred during crucial periods of his spiritual growth and development as he pushed forward with unwavering determination to attain Nibbāna – the end of all suffering. Download epub and mobi here: https://forestdhamma.org/books/english-books/