"Become cool"

Explore the ancient language of the Tipitaka and Theravāda commentaries
Post Reply
User avatar
Paribbajaka
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:13 am

"Become cool"

Post by Paribbajaka »

Hi everyone!

I was listening to a talk by Ajahn Sujato on the Devadatta legend and, while discussing Nalagiri rampaging through the town square, references the Buddha telling the townsfolk to "chill out" when they try to warn him of the plot. He follows this up by saying the Pali is literally "become cool" and he gives a phrase that sounds to my ears like it may be spelled "sitthi bhutam" or something similar. Does anyone have any more knowledge on this?

I have searched both the phrase and the given translation and am not coming up with anything. Thank you very much!
May all beings be happy!
Dennenappelmoes
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:34 pm

Re: "Become cool"

Post by Dennenappelmoes »

I did hear in a talk that nibbana is described as cool, it is the coolest state :thumbsup: This is probably related. However, analysing this is fun and linguistically interesting, but in my opinion it is not very insightful for the actual contents of the teachings. The language as it was, was inherited by the ones who wrote down what the Buddha had said, not invented by them. Similarly if we'd say something gives you a "warm" feeling, we all know what that means, but to a person 1000 years in the future the notion of "warm" in the abstract sense may have a completely different connotation.
:anjali:
User avatar
Assaji
Posts: 2106
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm

Re: "Become cool"

Post by Assaji »

Hi Paribajjaka,

The compound is probably "sīti-bhūtaṃ".

And the sources about Nāḷāgiri are listed in the article: http://www.aimwell.org/DPPN/naalaagiri.htm

Here's a story from Culavagga (note that "sīti-bhūtaṃ" isn't used here):

Nāḷāgiripesanaṃ

342. Tena kho pana samayena rājagahe nāḷāgiri nāma hatthī caṇḍo hoti, manussaghātako. Atha kho devadatto rājagahaṃ pavisitvā hatthisālaṃ gantvā hatthibhaṇḍe etadavoca – ‘‘mayaṃ kho, bhaṇe, rājañātakā nāma paṭibalā nīcaṭṭhāniyaṃ uccaṭṭhāne ṭhapetuṃ, bhattampi vetanampi vaḍḍhāpetuṃ. Tena hi, bhaṇe, yadā samaṇo gotamo imaṃ racchaṃ paṭipanno hoti, tadā imaṃ nāḷāgiriṃ hatthiṃ muñcetvā imaṃ racchaṃ paṭipādethā’’ti. ‘‘Evaṃ bhante’’ti kho te hatthibhaṇḍā devadattassa paccassosuṃ. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṃ rājagahaṃ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Atha kho bhagavā taṃ racchaṃ paṭipajji. Addasāsuṃ kho te hatthibhaṇḍā bhagavantaṃ taṃ racchaṃ paṭipannaṃ. Disvāna nāḷāgiriṃ hatthiṃ muñcitvā taṃ racchaṃ paṭipādesuṃ. Addasā kho nāḷāgiri hatthī bhagavantaṃ dūratova āgacchantaṃ. Disvāna soṇḍaṃ ussāpetvā pahaṭṭhakaṇṇavālo yena bhagavā tena abhidhāvi. Addasāsuṃ kho te bhikkhū nāḷāgiriṃ hatthiṃ dūratova āgacchantaṃ. Disvāna bhagavantaṃ etadavocuṃ – ‘‘ayaṃ, bhante, nāḷāgiri hatthī caṇḍo manussaghātako imaṃ racchaṃ paṭipanno. Paṭikkamatu, bhante, bhagavā; paṭikkamatu sugato’’ti. ‘‘Āgacchatha, bhikkhave, mā bhāyittha. Aṭṭhānametaṃ, bhikkhave, anavakāso, yaṃ parūpakkamena tathāgataṃ jīvitā voropeyya. Anupakkamena, bhikkhave, tathāgatā parinibbāyantī’’ti. Dutiyampi kho te bhikkhū…pe… tatiyampi kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṃ etadavocuṃ – ‘‘ayaṃ, bhante, nāḷāgiri hatthī caṇḍo manussaghātako imaṃ racchaṃ paṭipanno. Paṭikkamatu, bhante, bhagavā; paṭikkamatu sugato’’ti. ‘‘Āgacchatha, bhikkhave, mā bhāyittha. Aṭṭhānametaṃ, bhikkhave, anavakāso, yaṃ parūpakkamena tathāgataṃ jīvitā voropeyya. Anupakkamena, bhikkhave, tathāgatā parinibbāyantī’’ti.

Tena kho pana samayena manussā pāsādesupi hammiyesupi chadanesupi āruḷhā acchanti. Tattha ye te manussā assaddhā appasannā dubbuddhino, te evamāhaṃsu – ‘‘abhirūpo vata, bho [abhirūpo vata bho gotamo (syā. kaṃ.)], mahāsamaṇo nāgena viheṭhīyissatī’’ti. Ye pana te manussā saddhā pasannā paṇḍitā byattā buddhimanto, te evamāhaṃsu – ‘‘nacirassaṃ vata, bho, nāgo nāgena saṅgāmessatī’’ti. Atha kho bhagavā nāḷāgiriṃ hatthiṃ mettena cittena phari. Atha kho nāḷāgiri hatthī bhagavato [bhagavatā (sī.)] mettena cittena phuṭṭho [phuṭo (ka.)] soṇḍaṃ oropetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato purato aṭṭhāsi. Atha kho bhagavā dakkhiṇena hatthena nāḷāgirissa hatthissa kumbhaṃ parāmasanto nāḷāgiriṃ hatthiṃ imāhi gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi –

‘‘Mā kuñjara nāgamāsado, dukkhañhi kuñjara nāgamāsado;

Na hi nāgahatassa kuñjara sugati, hoti ito paraṃ yato.

‘‘Mā ca mado mā ca pamādo, na hi pamattā sugatiṃ vajanti te;

Tvaññeva tathā karissasi, yena tvaṃ sugatiṃ gamissasī’’ti.

Atha kho nāḷāgiri hatthī soṇḍāya bhagavato pādapaṃsūni gahetvā uparimuddhani ākiritvā paṭikuṭiyova [paṭikuṭito paṭisakki (sī. syā.)] osakki, yāva bhagavantaṃ addakkhi. Atha kho nāḷāgiri hatthī hatthisālaṃ gantvā sake ṭhāne aṭṭhāsi. Tathā danto ca pana nāḷāgiri hatthī ahosi. Tena kho pana samayena manussā imaṃ gāthaṃ gāyanti –

[ma. ni. 2.352; theragā. 878] ‘‘Daṇḍeneke damayanti, aṅkusehi kasāhi ca;

Adaṇḍena asatthena, nāgo danto mahesinā’’ti.

Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti – ‘‘yāva pāpo ayaṃ devadatto, alakkhiko, yatra hi nāma samaṇassa gotamassa evaṃmahiddhikassa evaṃ mahānubhāvassa vadhāya parakkamissatī’’ti. Devadattassa lābhasakkāro parihāyi. Bhagavato ca lābhasakkāro abhivaḍḍhi.


English translation:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe20/sbe20076.htm

Metta, Dmytro
User avatar
Paribbajaka
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:13 am

Re: "Become cool"

Post by Paribbajaka »

Thank you!
May all beings be happy!
Post Reply