Proof that Sujato's translation of saṅkappo as "thought" is wrong

 
B. Bodhi, Brahmali translate saṅkappo as “intention”.
Thanissaro has “resolve”

Sujato has saṅkappo  = “thought” the vast majority of the time.

SN 45.8: Vibhaṅgasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

And what is right thought?Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammā-saṅkappo?It is the thought of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness.Yo kho, bhikkhave, nekkhammasaṅkappo, abyāpādasaṅkappo, avihiṁsāsaṅkappo—This is called right thought.ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.

But these 3 passages alone are enough to establish that it's wrong.

Bu Vb‍ ^1.3 third pārājika, for offense of killing, sankappa explicitly glossed as intention
In fact Sujato even translates saṅkappo correctly as "intention" in these next two suttas:
AN ^6.63 Saṅkappa-rāgo purisassa kāmo; Greedy intention is a person’s sensual pleasure
SN ^1.34 Saṅkappa-rāgo purisassa kāmo; Greedy intention is a person’s sensual pleasure


In a future article we'll go into more detail what serious problems this causes in understanding Dhamma and Jhāna with Sujato's mistranslation and misinterpretation of this term.

But for this one, just want to make it short and sweet and show definitive Proof that Sujato's translation of saṅkappo as "thought" is wrong

Just this Vianaya passage alone, with its explicit gloss of the term,

 shows saṅkappo (resolve, intention)  is not the same as vitakka (thought).

You wouldn't be able to enforce and make any sense of this important vinaya rule if you

sloppily inserted "thought" where "intention" is critical.

Bu Vb‍ ^1.3 third pārājika, for offense of killing, sankappa explicitly glossed as intention

(brahmali translation)

“Yo pana bhikkhu sañcicca manussaviggahaṁ jīvitā voropeyya satthahārakaṁ vāssa pariyeseyya maraṇavaṇṇaṁ vā saṁvaṇṇeyya maraṇāya vā samādapeyya—	‘If a monk intentionally kills a human being or seeks an instrument of death for him or praises death or incites someone to die, saying,
‘ambho purisa, kiṁ tuyhiminā pāpakena dujjīvitena, mataṁ te jīvitā seyyo’ti,	“My friend, what’s the point of this miserable and difficult life? Death is better for you than life!”—
iti citta-mano citta-saṅkappo anekapariyāyena maraṇavaṇṇaṁ vā saṁvaṇṇeyya, maraṇāya vā samādapeyya,	thinking and intending thus, if he praises death in many ways or incites someone to die—
ayampi pārājiko hoti asaṁvāso”ti.	he too is expelled and excluded from the community.’”
----	----
....	Definitions
Yo panāti	A:
yo yādiso …pe…	whoever …
bhikkhūti	Monk:
…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.	… The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
Sañciccāti	Intentionally:
jānanto sañjānanto cecca abhivitaritvā vītikkamo.	knowing, perceiving, having intended, having decided, he transgresses.
Manussaviggaho nāma	A human being:
yaṁ mātukucchismiṁ paṭhamaṁ cittaṁ uppannaṁ paṭhamaṁ viññāṇaṁ pātubhūtaṁ, yāva maraṇakālā etthantare eso manussaviggaho nāma.	from the mind’s first appearance in the mother’s womb, from the first manifestation of consciousness, until the time of death: in between these—this is called “a human being”.
Jīvitā voropeyyāti	Kills:
jīvitindriyaṁ upacchindati uparodheti santatiṁ vikopeti.	Cuts off the life faculty, brings it to an end, interrupts its continuation.
Satthahārakaṁ vāssa pariyeseyyāti	Or seeks an instrument of death for him:
asiṁ vā sattiṁ vā bheṇḍiṁ vā laguḷaṁ vā pāsāṇaṁ vā satthaṁ vā visaṁ vā rajjuṁ vā.	a sword, a dagger, an arrow, a club, a rock, a knife, poison, or a rope.
Maraṇavaṇṇaṁ vā saṁvaṇṇeyyāti	Or praises death:
jīvite ādīnavaṁ dasseti, maraṇe vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati.	he shows the disadvantage in living and speaks in praise of death.
Maraṇāya vā samādapeyyāti	Or incites someone to die:
satthaṁ vā āhara, visaṁ vā khāda, rajjuyā vā ubbandhitvā kālaṁ karohīti.	he says, “Kill yourself with a knife,” “Eat poison,” “Die by hanging yourself with a rope.”
Ambho purisāti	My friend:
ālapanādhivacanametaṁ.	this is a form of address.
Kiṁ tuyhiminā pāpakena dujjīvitenāti	What’s the point of this miserable and difficult life:
pāpakaṁ nāma jīvitaṁ	Miserable life:
aḍḍhānaṁ jīvitaṁ upādāya daliddānaṁ jīvitaṁ pāpakaṁ lāmakaṁ,	the life of the poor is miserable compared to the life of the rich;
sadhanānaṁ jīvitaṁ upādāya adhanānaṁ jīvitaṁ pāpakaṁ,	the life of the impoverished is miserable compared to the life of the wealthy;
devānaṁ jīvitaṁ upādāya manussānaṁ jīvitaṁ pāpakaṁ.	the life of humans is miserable compared to the life of the gods.
Dujjīvitaṁ nāma	Difficult life:
hatthacchinnassa pādacchinnassa hatthapādacchinnassa kaṇṇacchinnassa nāsacchinnassa kaṇṇanāsacchinnassa,	the life of one whose hands are cut off, whose feet are cut off, whose hands and feet are cut off, whose ears are cut off, whose nose is cut off, whose ears and nose are cut off.
iminā ca pāpakena iminā ca dujjīvitena mataṁ te jīvitā seyyoti.	Because of this sort of miserableness and this sort of difficult life, one says, “Death is better for you than life!”
Iti cittamanoti	Thinking:
yaṁ cittaṁ taṁ mano, yaṁ mano taṁ cittaṁ.	mind and thought are equivalent.
Citta-saṅkappo’ti	Intending:
maraṇa-saññī maraṇa-cetano maraṇ’ādhippāyo.	perceiving death, intending death, aiming at death.