Indifferent to past form, not delighting in future form

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
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phil
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Indifferent to past form, not delighting in future form

Post by phil »

Hi all

Thanks always for your help with my questions, this is a wonderful forum.

There is a passage in SN 22:79 that includes "having reflected thus (that he has been, is being and will be 'devoured by form " he becomes indifferent towards past form) he does not seek delight in future form and he is practiving revulsion towards present form. " Surprisingly, there is no footnote for these terms in Bhikhu Bodhi's anthology. I think 'practicing revulsion' is nibbida (?) and obviously doesn't mean sticking one's tongue out in disgust.

I'm more interested in asking about the first and the third, is there any particular difference in the canon in how we are to understand the past and future khandas? It would seem to me that reflections about the past or the future are always proliferations and could be considered the same but is there an idea that there is more aversion to the past and more greed towards the future and that they require different ways of understanding? It almost sounds like that. But that doesn't make sense. Dosa and lobha are pretty free time travelers I'm sure!

Thanks
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
Garrib
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Re: Indifferent to past form, not delighting in future form

Post by Garrib »

I think that when we think about the past - we either tend to regret things, or feel traumatized by them, or wish we still had things/circumstances that are now gone. When we think about the future, we tend to exaggerate how good it could be, and cling onto a certain view of how it will all turn out really wonderful. So yea, I would agree that there is a tendency to feel more aversion "towards the past" and more greed "towards the future", though like you say - all of the defilements know no bounds and refuse to be hemmed in by imaginary temporal constraints!
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phil
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Re: Indifferent to past form, not delighting in future form

Post by phil »

Garrib wrote: Sun Oct 15, 2017 3:16 am I think that when we think about the past - we either tend to regret things, or feel traumatized by them, or wish we still had things/circumstances that are now gone. When we think about the future, we tend to exaggerate how good it could be, and cling onto a certain view of how it will all turn out really wonderful. So yea, I would agree that there is a tendency to feel more aversion "towards the past" and more greed "towards the future", though like you say - all of the defilements know no bounds and refuse to be hemmed in by imaginary temporal constraints!
Thanks Garrib, well said.
Looking for canonic references here though. I guess starting with the etymology of the terms used in Pali for "indifferent" and "not delighting" which I'm surprised aren't footprinted in Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation. Maybe I missed a footnote in another secion of the sutta.
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
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