I'm not quite sure what "locative absolutes" and "past participles" are.
All in all, I figure you are saying that you can't find any sutta reference where it says categorically insight arises within jhana (samadhi)?
I only know of MN44 which I quoted above and the Yuganaddha Sutta. However, this sutta mentions samatha (yoked with vipassana) which is not samadhi.
As you are very knowledgeable on the suttas Sylvester, I trust you are correct.
[MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Hi Sylvester,
You may have already addressed this, but let me quote Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation and ask about the higher attainments.
Though the Jhanas and most of the immaterial attainments we have this pattern:
"[Having experienced the base of nothingness and emerged], he defined the states that had occurred..."
However, an argument for the "vipassana within jhana" is that the description changes for the base of neither perception-nor-non-perception, which would be more like my rendering above:
Here's the last attainment, just for completeness:
Mike
You may have already addressed this, but let me quote Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation and ask about the higher attainments.
Though the Jhanas and most of the immaterial attainments we have this pattern:
I take it that you think this might be better translated as:15. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the base of nothingness.
16. “And the states in the base of nothingness—the perception of the base of nothingness and the unification of mind; the contact, feeling, perception, volition, and mind; the zeal, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention—these states were defined by him one by one as they occurred; known to him those states arose, known they were present, known they disappeared. He understood thus:…and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is.
"[Having experienced the base of nothingness and emerged], he defined the states that had occurred..."
However, an argument for the "vipassana within jhana" is that the description changes for the base of neither perception-nor-non-perception, which would be more like my rendering above:
BB's note does mention that this is a particularly subtle state, so perhaps that is the reason for the change in pattern.17. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
18. “He emerged mindful from that attainment. Having done so, he contemplated the states that had passed, ceased, and changed, thus: ‘So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish.’ [1051] Regarding those states, he abided unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond,’ and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is.
Here's the last attainment, just for completeness:
19. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the cessation of perception and feeling. And his taints were destroyed by his seeing with wisdom.[1052]
20. “He emerged mindful from that attainment. Having done so, he recalled the states that had passed, ceased, and changed, thus: ‘So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish.’ [1053] Regarding those states, he abided unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. He understood: ‘There is no escape beyond,’ and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is not. [1054]
BB's Notes
[1051] This indirect introspective method must be used to contemplate the fourth immaterial attainment because this attainment, being extremely subtle, does not enter into the direct range of investigation for disciples. Only fully enlightened Buddhas are able to contemplate it directly.
[1052] MA offers this explanation of the passage, transmitted by “the elders of India”: “The Elder Sāriputta cultivated serenity and insight in paired conjunction and realised the fruit of non-returning. Then he entered the attainment ofcessation, and after emerging from it he attained arahantship.”
[1053] Since there are no mental factors in the attainment of cessation, MA says that “these states” here must refer either to the states of material form that were occurring while he attained cessation, or to the mental factors of the preceding fourth immaterial attainment.
[1054] Note the realisation that there is “no escape beyond” the attainment of arahantship.
Mike
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Hi Mike.
I'm on my phone now, so give me some time. But I believe I have addressed this in a thread with Bakmoon ( I think ) some time back. Let me see if I can locate it.
Edit - found the old thread on MN 111 - http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 80#p222451" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I may have some more to say about the translation but that's it for now.
I'm on my phone now, so give me some time. But I believe I have addressed this in a thread with Bakmoon ( I think ) some time back. Let me see if I can locate it.
Edit - found the old thread on MN 111 - http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 80#p222451" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I may have some more to say about the translation but that's it for now.
Last edited by Sylvester on Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Whatever you do, don't trust me. Audit my claim and you can start here - https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=5z ... le&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Phena wrote:I'm not quite sure what "locative absolutes" and "past participles" are.
All in all, I figure you are saying that you can't find any sutta reference where it says categorically insight arises within jhana (samadhi)?
I only know of MN44 which I quoted above and the Yuganaddha Sutta. However, this sutta mentions samatha (yoked with vipassana) which is not samadhi.
As you are very knowledgeable on the suttas Sylvester, I trust you are correct.
In the Constant Jhana thread, I had spilt some ink on this grammatical point in relation to the pericopes on jhana and the psychic powers. Could you try searching that out?
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Thanks, that helps but it's still not completely clear to me why the change for the description of the perception-nor-non-perception attainment, though I guess BB's note explains it reasonably well.Sylvester wrote:Hi Mike.
I'm on my phone now, so give me some time. But I believe I have addressed this in a thread with Bakmoon ( I think ) some time back. Let me see if I can locate it.
Edit - found the old thread on MN 111 - http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 80#p222451" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I may have some more to say about the translation but that's it for now.
Mike
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
My answering will be very slow since I use others' devices to go online and that depends on the availability of them and also on my own practice schedule. But, I see there are Sylvester like members who are more available and qualified.
Evidently, we can see some even labeling this upacāra samādhi as a jhāna where all their six sensors function as in a non-jhāna state, eg. hearing sounds or thinking. I think the issue is due to some preferences or biases, practitioners grasp an experience which is not the actual. Then they will interpret the Dhamma to suit their grasping, or even take adhamma as proof of their grasping. The Buddha's "elephant foot simile" comes to my mind. Unless one keeps an open mind it'll be a very difficult to reach the biggest footprint.
Regarding, AN 4.170, it's interesting to find out that in the Chinese Āgama parallel, there's no mention of "insight preceded by tranquility" nor "tranquility preceded by insight." But, it has "serenity and insight together," which perfectly accord with what I quoted above from DN 2.
Something to contemplate: Arūpa jānas existed among Hindus even before the Buddha. The Buddha claimed to master them under two teachers before enlightenment, but he didn't take such absorptions (even the first one) as the basis for his enlightenment since they didn't fulfil Sammā Samādhi and one who has experienced fourth jhāna "know by direct experience" that he gained imperturbability (āneñjappatta), and there's no Sammā Samādhi beyond it (biggest footprint).
If we consider samādhi/samatha as the whole mountain ("Samadhi is the Path" - AN 6.64), then jhāna is the peak. As you know, a peak has an ascending slope and a descending slope. We can equate the first 7 factors of the Noble Eightfold Path to this ascending slope. Then, the 8th factor is the peak. The descending slope is where the mind remains hindrance free after emerging from the jhāna. The hindrance free duration will depend on the strength of the jhāna. Most importantly, this descending slope is where the insights arise, and also used for psychic powers, if one wishes.dhammarelax wrote:I am not aware of a Sutta reference for that, however it seems that one interpretation suggests that Samatha and Jhana are closely related, eg: from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el351.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
Now, some later texts expressed the view that whatever samādhi available in the ascending slope (especially closer to the peak) is suffice for vipassanā. They called this as upacāra samādhi. I think, this is why U Ba Kin in his instructions advised meditators to gain nimitta from the ānāpanasati before turning to vipassanā (see Living Buddhist Masters by Jack Kornfield). Apart from the Buddha never recommended it, there's no way of knowing whether this so-called upacāra samādhi is actually closer to the peak or not unless one continues and get absorbed into a jhāna.[81]Again, a monk, having given up pleasure and pain, and with the disappearance of former gladness and sadness, enters and remains in the fourth jhāna...
[83]‘And so, with mind concentrated, purified and cleansed, unblemished, free from impurities, malleable, workable, established, and having gained imperturbability, he takes out (abhinīharati) and inclines (abhininnāmeti) his mind towards knowing and seeing (insight). And he knows: “This my body is material, made up from the four great elements, born of mother and father, fed on rice and gruel, impermanent, liable to be injured and abraded, broken and destroyed, and this is my consciousness which is bound to it and dependent on it.”
[85]And he, with mind concentrated, ... having gained imperturbability, takes out and inclines his mind to the production of a mind-made body. And out of this body he produces another body, having a form, mind-made, complete in all its limbs and faculties.
- DN 2
Evidently, we can see some even labeling this upacāra samādhi as a jhāna where all their six sensors function as in a non-jhāna state, eg. hearing sounds or thinking. I think the issue is due to some preferences or biases, practitioners grasp an experience which is not the actual. Then they will interpret the Dhamma to suit their grasping, or even take adhamma as proof of their grasping. The Buddha's "elephant foot simile" comes to my mind. Unless one keeps an open mind it'll be a very difficult to reach the biggest footprint.
As Sylvester already pointed out, this refers to after the jhānas. See in the light of above quoted DN 2, where insight and psychic powers achieved having taken the mind out of the jhāna. No walking in jhānas.dhammarelax wrote:To be honest never thought of that possibility, thanks for pointing it out, what do you think of AN4.12 (https://suttacentral.net/en/an4.12" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; " if his mind is concentrated and one-pointed, then that bhikkhu is said to be ardent and to dread wrongdoing; he is constantly and continuously energetic and resolute while walking." suggests that Jhana can be achieved even while walking?
Can you be more specific?Cittasanto wrote:Does any of this correspond to any other text?
Be cautious regarding Ven. Thanissaro's English translations. I noticed on multiple occasions there's a bias of interpretation when come to suttas regarding meditation. I suggest you to compare his interpretations directly with Pāli suttas before taking them as evidence for what you're claiming.Cittasanto wrote:There not being discursive thought does not equate to lacking thought completely i.e. by means of focused observation where there is knowing what is going on.AN 9.44 Paññavimutti Sutta: Released Through Discernment translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu wrote:[Udayin:] "'Released through discernment, released through discernment,' it is said. To what extent is one described by the Blessed One as released through discernment?"
[Ananda:] "There is the case, my friend, where a monk, withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. And he knows it through discernment. It is to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as released through discernment, though with a sequel.
"Furthermore, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana... the third jhana... the fourth jhana... the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. And he knows it through discernment. It is to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as released through discernment, though with a sequel.
"Furthermore, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters & remains in the cessation of perception & feeling. And as he sees with discernment, the mental fermentations go to their total end. And he knows it through discernment. It is to this extent that one is described by the Blessed One as released through discernment without a sequel."
Remember the Jhana's are not defined in hard and fast terms hence there are some drastic differences in interpretation. they are all true phenomena, and possible interpretations of the Jhana. as an example Ajahn Brahm's teachings are based on the sutta's yet they are very close to compartmental interpretations.
as has already been pointed out the two forms of samadhi & panna should go in tandem AN 4.170 [url=http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#dhp-372]DHP 327
Regarding, AN 4.170, it's interesting to find out that in the Chinese Āgama parallel, there's no mention of "insight preceded by tranquility" nor "tranquility preceded by insight." But, it has "serenity and insight together," which perfectly accord with what I quoted above from DN 2.
AFAIK, BB''s claim has no base in the suttas. If there's any appreciate a reference.mikenz66 wrote:Thanks, that helps but it's still not completely clear to me why the change for the description of the perception-nor-non-perception attainment, though I guess BB's note explains it reasonably well.BB's Notes
[1051] This indirect introspective method must be used to contemplate the fourth immaterial attainment because this attainment, being extremely subtle, does not enter into the direct range of investigation for disciples. Only fully enlightened Buddhas are able to contemplate it directly.
Something to contemplate: Arūpa jānas existed among Hindus even before the Buddha. The Buddha claimed to master them under two teachers before enlightenment, but he didn't take such absorptions (even the first one) as the basis for his enlightenment since they didn't fulfil Sammā Samādhi and one who has experienced fourth jhāna "know by direct experience" that he gained imperturbability (āneñjappatta), and there's no Sammā Samādhi beyond it (biggest footprint).
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Hi Mike
I thought I'd attempt to do justice to one of your queries on BB's translation of MN 111, so here goes -
Secondly, we see hagiography in assigning to the Buddha and this Chief Disciple as to what seems to be extraordinary powers, ie the power to discriminate in states that are supposed to be bereft of thinking and intention (DN 9).
I would omit "as they occurred" and just make the observation that anupadavavatthitā honti is a very typical periphrastic construction that can be very simply rendered as "they were defined successively", where honti is just a nice auxillary verb "were". Warder has this to say -
My more recent guess (ie I no longer pretend that MN 111 is not suspect) is that the sutta was originally structured in a way that Ven Sariputta's vipassana was exactly the same running through all 9 attainments. I suspect that the passages on his vipassana about the final 2 attainments would have been modified to fit in with the Buddha's hagiography which attempts to set Him apart from the disciples, ie the 2 passages were modified to include the emergence passage, as the final 2 discriminations would only have been available to the Buddha within those attainments in accordance with the hagiography.
However, having checked the Psm, these 2 special discriminations are not listed as being peculiar to the Buddha, adding to my suspicions that the sutta is definitely showing the advanced signs of hagiography creeping in.
Not too heretical, I hope...
I thought I'd attempt to do justice to one of your queries on BB's translation of MN 111, so here goes -
In this regard, I would not tweak BB's translation in the manner you offered, since that would entail excising an entire chunk of the passage. However, I would not agree with his translation here (using the 1st jhana passage) -mikenz66 wrote:Hi Sylvester,
You may have already addressed this, but let me quote Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation and ask about the higher attainments.
Though the Jhanas and most of the immaterial attainments we have this pattern:I take it that you think this might be better translated as:15. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the base of nothingness.
16. “And the states in the base of nothingness—the perception of the base of nothingness and the unification of mind; the contact, feeling, perception, volition, and mind; the zeal, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention—these states were defined by him one by one as they occurred; known to him those states arose, known they were present, known they disappeared. He understood thus:…and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is.
"[Having experienced the base of nothingness and emerged], he defined the states that had occurred..."
Here, he follows the Comy on 2 points. Firstly, there is the unspoken premise that vavatthita:[pp.of vavattheti] is used in this sutta in the same sense as it is used in a later text, ie the Paṭisambhidāmagga. This does not necessarily have to be case, since MN 111 gives a clue that the action here is connected with perception simpliciter, given its occurence in only the 7 saññāsamāpattis, and not in the final 2 attainments. Admittedly, this is a weak critique, given that tradition assigns the Paṭisambhidāmagga to Ven Sariputta, so who better a candidate to demonstrate the powers to vavattheti than the author of the textbook on the subject?Ye ca paṭhame jhāne dhammā vitakko ca vicāro ca pīti ca sukhañca cittekaggatā ca, phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṃ chando adhimokkho vīriyaṃ sati upekkhā manasikāro—tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti.
And the states in the first jhana - the applied thought, the sustained thought, the rapture, the pleasure, and the unification of mind; the contact, feeling, perception, volition, and mind; the zeal, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention - these states were defined by him one by one as they occurred.
Secondly, we see hagiography in assigning to the Buddha and this Chief Disciple as to what seems to be extraordinary powers, ie the power to discriminate in states that are supposed to be bereft of thinking and intention (DN 9).
I would omit "as they occurred" and just make the observation that anupadavavatthitā honti is a very typical periphrastic construction that can be very simply rendered as "they were defined successively", where honti is just a nice auxillary verb "were". Warder has this to say -
In fact, I would say that the Comy in its hagiographic enthusiasm may have violated 2 central commentarial conceptions of the mind, ie momentariness and the doctrine of universals. Each citta being momentary and containing the universals contact, unification, attention, vitality (jīvitindriya which is omitted in the lists in MN 111) and volition, cannot possibly be discriminated into its universals, since that would require the mind to be conscious of so many states concurrently. That violates the single contact per consciousness paradigm.hu as auxiliary has two senses. Firstly the perfective aspect
as in the case of as, but at any time, any point in time (“ future perfect
” , " past-perfect ” — " pluperfect ” ), In this case the
present tense of hu is usually a “ historical ” present expressing
past time, hence whereas as as auxiliary expresses present time
hu is used for past or future time.
p.235
I note the distinction that has often been pressed into service, ie why is there no mention of emergence in the 7 saññāsamāpattis? I've attempted to address this in this post - http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 80#p222720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;However, an argument for the "vipassana within jhana" is that the description changes for the base of neither perception-nor-non-perception, which would be more like my rendering above:BB's note does mention that this is a particularly subtle state, so perhaps that is the reason for the change in pattern.17. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
18. “He emerged mindful from that attainment. Having done so, he contemplated the states that had passed, ceased, and changed, thus: ‘So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish.’ [1051] Regarding those states, he abided unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond,’ and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is.
Here's the last attainment, just for completeness:19. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the cessation of perception and feeling. And his taints were destroyed by his seeing with wisdom.[1052]
20. “He emerged mindful from that attainment. Having done so, he recalled the states that had passed, ceased, and changed, thus: ‘So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish.’ [1053] Regarding those states, he abided unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. He understood: ‘There is no escape beyond,’ and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is not. [1054]
My more recent guess (ie I no longer pretend that MN 111 is not suspect) is that the sutta was originally structured in a way that Ven Sariputta's vipassana was exactly the same running through all 9 attainments. I suspect that the passages on his vipassana about the final 2 attainments would have been modified to fit in with the Buddha's hagiography which attempts to set Him apart from the disciples, ie the 2 passages were modified to include the emergence passage, as the final 2 discriminations would only have been available to the Buddha within those attainments in accordance with the hagiography.
However, having checked the Psm, these 2 special discriminations are not listed as being peculiar to the Buddha, adding to my suspicions that the sutta is definitely showing the advanced signs of hagiography creeping in.
Not too heretical, I hope...
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Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Hi StillnessStillness wrote:
If we consider samādhi/samatha as the whole mountain ("Samadhi is the Path" - AN 6.64), then jhāna is the peak. As you know, a peak has an ascending slope and a descending slope. We can equate the first 7 factors of the Noble Eightfold Path to this ascending slope. Then, the 8th factor is the peak. The descending slope is where the mind remains hindrance free after emerging from the jhāna. The hindrance free duration will depend on the strength of the jhāna. Most importantly, this descending slope is where the insights arise, and also used for psychic powers, if one wishes.
I accept the insight arising outside Jhana, but let me ask you something, in my practice insight also puts you in to Jhana, applying the 4NTs to the distractions then you get in to Jhana, how does this square out?
Smile all the time
dhammarelax
Even if the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving just the skin, tendons, & bones, I will use all my human firmness, human persistence and human striving. There will be no relaxing my persistence until I am the first of my generation to attain full awakening in this lifetime. ed. AN 2.5
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Hi dhammarelax,dhammarelax wrote:I accept the insight arising outside Jhana, but let me ask you something, in my practice insight also puts you in to Jhana, applying the 4NTs to the distractions then you get in to Jhana, how does this square out?
For an Arahant, 4NT is naturally there. Because, their mind is nīvaraṇa free, always. For other Ariyas, 4NT available only when they direct their mind to it. Let us say you are a sotāpanna, then, when you have a distraction, if you direct your mind to 4NT and proceed, naturally you'll get absorbed into the mind itself, which is the jhāna.
But, if you're not even a sotāpanna, then what you have is just a knowledge in 4NT. For most, "applying the 4NTs to the distractions" will be "distracting the distractions", and may not proceed further than Right Effort or Right Mindfulness unless you managed to let go of the dhammavitakka (in this case knowledge in 4NT) after getting rid of the distractions. Then, a jhāna is a possibility.
Have I made myself clear?
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
More than just the grammar alone it is important to examine the text as a whole hermetically. To me it seems that this text is very carefully structured to indicate that the vipassana does in fact occur in jhana, because in the case of the last two attainments, the Ven. Sariputta is explicitly described as withdrawing from the attainment and then doing vipassana, but in all the others it does not say this. If the Ven. Sariputta were not engaged in doing vipassana within these jhanas, then including the explicit mention in the last two attainments is redundant, so for me this text seems to clearly teach vipassana in jhana.
In my humble opinion the key to making sense of this is to understand that when it says
Sāriputto bhikkhave, addhamāsaṃ anupadadhammavipassanaṃ vipassati.
(Sariputta had insight into states one by one as they
occurred)
That this doesn't mean that the Ven. Sariputta was engaged in what we would call Vipassana meditation (i.e. the analytical discursive kind in which you direct your attention to various objects) while being absorbed in jhana. Rather, this simply means that when he was in jhana, he was clearly aware of the factors of the jhana while in the jhana itself, and this counts as the quality of vipassana. Just my interpretation, but I think that looking at it this way both preserves the plain meaning of the text and is also broadly compatible with how jhanas are understood.
By the way, does the commentary have anything to say on this subject?
In my humble opinion the key to making sense of this is to understand that when it says
Sāriputto bhikkhave, addhamāsaṃ anupadadhammavipassanaṃ vipassati.
(Sariputta had insight into states one by one as they
occurred)
That this doesn't mean that the Ven. Sariputta was engaged in what we would call Vipassana meditation (i.e. the analytical discursive kind in which you direct your attention to various objects) while being absorbed in jhana. Rather, this simply means that when he was in jhana, he was clearly aware of the factors of the jhana while in the jhana itself, and this counts as the quality of vipassana. Just my interpretation, but I think that looking at it this way both preserves the plain meaning of the text and is also broadly compatible with how jhanas are understood.
By the way, does the commentary have anything to say on this subject?
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
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Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Greetings Bakmoon.Bakmoon wrote:so for me this text seems to clearly teach vipassana in jhana.
Are you speaking from your direct jhanic experience?
Cheers!
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
I'm speaking from the way this text is put together.WorldTraveller wrote:Greetings Bakmoon.Bakmoon wrote:so for me this text seems to clearly teach vipassana in jhana.
Are you speaking from your direct jhanic experience?
Cheers!
As to meditative experience I think it's better not to disclose personal attainments online in general.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
-
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 11:07 am
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
I asked that becasue how a person with direct expreience intereprets the Dhamma is quite different from a person without such an expreience, especially comes to a topic like jhana. Earlier, OP talked about the "similie of the elephant footprint".Bakmoon wrote:I'm speaking from the way this text is put together.
As to meditative experience I think it's better not to disclose personal attainments online in general.
Yes, I respect your view regarding disclosure.
Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Bakmoon wrote:More than just the grammar alone it is important to examine the text as a whole hermetically. To me it seems that this text is very carefully structured to indicate that the vipassana does in fact occur in jhana, because in the case of the last two attainments, the Ven. Sariputta is explicitly described as withdrawing from the attainment and then doing vipassana, but in all the others it does not say this. If the Ven. Sariputta were not engaged in doing vipassana within these jhanas, then including the explicit mention in the last two attainments is redundant, so for me this text seems to clearly teach vipassana in jhana.
In my humble opinion the key to making sense of this is to understand that when it says
Sāriputto bhikkhave, addhamāsaṃ anupadadhammavipassanaṃ vipassati.
(Sariputta had insight into states one by one as they
occurred)
That this doesn't mean that the Ven. Sariputta was engaged in what we would call Vipassana meditation (i.e. the analytical discursive kind in which you direct your attention to various objects) while being absorbed in jhana. Rather, this simply means that when he was in jhana, he was clearly aware of the factors of the jhana while in the jhana itself, and this counts as the quality of vipassana. Just my interpretation, but I think that looking at it this way both preserves the plain meaning of the text and is also broadly compatible with how jhanas are understood.
By the way, does the commentary have anything to say on this subject?
Hi Bakmoon
Firstly, the translation above. The Pali has been rendered nicely into idiomatic English from a more literal rendering -
Sāriputto, bhikkhave, aḍḍhamāsaṃ anupadadhammavipassanaṃ vipassati.
Monks, Sariputta clearly saw insight into states successively in a fortnight.
(rendering the present tense vipassati as a historical present)
According to the Comy -
The CPD gives the meaning of anupaṭipāṭi as "successively", but includes a commentarial meaning of "immediately after".Anupadadhammavipassananti samāpattivasena vā jhānaṅgavasena vā anupaṭipāṭiyā dhammavipassanaṃ vipassati,
"Anupadadhammavipassanaṃ" means he clearly saw insight into states by means of the attainments and jhana factors anupaṭipāṭiyā.
So, I am actually struggling to see why BB and Ven T have furnished "as they occurred" in their translations. It is not in Horner's translation, although she uses "uninterrupted".
The answer might perhaps be found in the next passage on discrimination, explained by the Comy as follows -
The reason why I inserted "as they occurred" into the Comy is because instead of simply parsing anupadavavatthitā (discriminated successively), the Comy chose to parse "anupadavavatthitā hontī". It appears that the Comy does not treat honti here as a mere auxillary verb in a periphrastic construction with vavatthitā, but that it functions to convey an additional verbal idea, ie "as the dhammas occurred".Anupadavavatthitā hontīti anupaṭipāṭiyā vavatthitā paricchinnā ñātā viditā honti.
"Anupadavavatthitā hontī" means they were successively discriminated, defined, understood and known as they occurred.
Is this reading even necessary? Occam's Razor would suggest that the normal periphrastic construction is the easiest, so I would take the phrase to simply mean "they were discriminated successively" and complete drop "as they occurred". This lean interpretation does the least violence to such absorption suttas such as DN 9 and DA 28, which posit that the perception in the attainments is very singular, not diverse. See how the singular perception proposition is repeated for emphasis in each passage.
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Re: [MN 111] Fallacy of Anupadadhammavipassana while in a jhana
Hi Sylvester,Sylvester wrote:...
In my humble opinion the key to making sense of this is to understand that when it says
Sāriputto bhikkhave, addhamāsaṃ anupadadhammavipassanaṃ vipassati.
(Sariputta had insight into states one by one as they
occurred)
According to your Pali knowledge, the below understanding occured in the jhana or after the jhana? Thanks in advance.
He understood thus, "So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish. There is an escape beyond, and with the cultivation of that [attainment]." He confirmed that there is.