Domanassa

[danielgbg]

I have a question about the word domanassa (Sk. daurmanasya, duḥ+manas). It is translated into sad-mindedness, distress, dejectedness, melancholy, grief. A direct translation would be bad-mindedness, and I wonder why this is said to refer to sadness, grief, etc. rather than ill will or anger?

[cooran]

Here is Nyanatiloka's translation:

http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/b_f/domanassa.htm


With metta,
Chris

[culaavuso]

Domanassa, somanassa, and upekkha seem to be the three mental feelings of pleasant, unpleasant, and equanimous. As such, ill-will would appear to be accompanied with an unpleasant mental feeling (domanassa) but ill-will itself (byāpāda) seems to be an intention or resolve (saṅkappa) that is a condition giving rise to domanassa and not domanassa itself. Sadness and grief seem to be a bit narrower in their English meaning than the broad range of mental feeling covered by domanassa, somewhat similar to the way that pain is a bit narrower in its English meaning than the broad range of feeling covered by dukkha.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, micchāsaṅkappo? Kāmasaṅkappo, byāpādasaṅkappo, vihiṃsāsaṅkappo– ayaṃ, bhikkhave, micchāsaṅkappo.

And what is wrong resolve? Being resolved on sensuality, on ill will, on harmfulness. This is wrong resolve.

Kiñcetaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ? ‘Cakkhunā rūpaṃ disvā somanassaṭṭhānīyaṃ rūpaṃ upavicarati, domanassaṭṭhānīyaṃ rūpaṃ upavicarati, upekkhāṭṭhānīyaṃ rūpaṃ upavicarati.

Seeing a form via the eye, one explores a form that can act as the basis for happiness, one explores a form that can act as the basis for unhappiness, one explores a form that can act as the basis for equanimity.

(Likewise for the rest of the six senses)

Pali-English Dictionary for byāpāda

Pali-English Dictionary for domanassa

[bharadwaja]

A direct translation would be bad-mindedness, and I wonder why this is said to refer to sadness, grief, etc. rather than ill will or anger?

Yes "bad-minded" is what domanassa literally means (genitive of dumano). Byāpāda means loss/ruin/destruction rather than ill-will.

[Assaji]

I have a question about the word domanassa (Sk. daurmanasya, duḥ+manas). It is translated into sad-mindedness, distress, dejectedness, melancholy, grief. A direct translation would be bad-mindedness, and I wonder why this is said to refer to sadness, grief, etc. rather than ill will or anger?

Perhaps the reason is that the bad, unpurified condition of the mind causes this kind of suffering (dukkha).

See also:
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=13998
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 34#p121234