Dear Nina,

Thanks for you thoughtful (in more ways than one) note on the Buddha's
"omniscience". I shall study it.

Sukhi.

Piya

----- Original Message -----
From: "nina van gorkom" <nilo@...>
To: <Pali@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, 10 June, 2003 1:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Pali] Buddha knows, omniscience.


> Dear Piya,
>
> I studied the subject of omniscience for dsg, three parts, but I shall
post
> only one part of it now. I have more from Vis and Path of Discrimination,
> but this may be too long. Here is also the sutta you once quoted to me.
This
> is not what you were looking for, but you mentioned omniscience here.
There
> are different opinions and also misunderstandings about omniscience and
> perhaps my quotes may be of help.
> Nina
> op 08-06-2003 15:45 schreef Piya Tan op libris@...
>
> > I'm aware of some of the problems of omniscience, but I don't think the
> > passage suggests omniscience in the post-Canonical sense. I'm guided by
such
> > suttas as the Sabba Sutta (S 35.23/4:16).
> Nina:
> The citta that knows an object falls away immediately, and so it is with
the
> Buddha's citta with omniscience. He directed his omniscience then to this
> and then to that object, not to more than one object at a time. Each citta
> can know only one object at a time.
>
> In the Commentary to the Brahmjala Sutta, Tr. by Ven. Bikkhu Bodhi, (The
> All-embracing Net of Views, p. 128) we find under <Deep, difficult to see>
a
> discussion about it that the plural <dhammas> is used for the objects of
> omniscience, sabba~n~nuta~naa.na. I only quote parts, it is rather long.
It
> is said:
> <Because it takes a multiplicity of objects... It knows the entire past,
> thus it is knowledge of omniscience, thus it is the unobstructed
knowledge,
> etc (Pts I.1.73). Therefore, because it is associated with multiple
classes
> of consciousness, and because it takes a multiplicity of objects on the
> successive occasions of its arising, it is described in the plural.>
> There is a discussion in the Subco. :<Query: If this is so, how is it
> possible for a single, limited type of knowledge to penetrate without
> omission the entire range of the knowable with its inconceivable,
> immeasurable subdivisions?
> Reply: Who says the Buddha-knowledge is limited?.... With the abandoning
of
> the entire obstruction of the knowable, the Exalted One gained
unobstructed
> knowledge which occurs subject to his wish and is capable of comprehending
> all dhammas in all their modes. By means of this knowledge the Exalted One
> was capable of penetrating all dhammas in continuous succession
(santanena);
> therefore he was omniscient or all-knowing in the way fire is called
> "all-consuming" through its ability to burn all its fuel in continuous
> succession. He was not, however, omniscient in the sense that he could
> comprehend all dhammas simultaneously. >
> This text refers to the Tika of the Visuddhimagga, VII, 29, footnote 7,
> where there is the same discussion.
>
> I quote from the Commentary to the Abh. Sangaha (Title: Exposition of the
> Topics of Abhidhamma, P.T.S., which just came out in one book together
with
> Summary of the Topics of Abhidhamma).
> Ch 3, Miscellaneous Topics, under: impulsion, javana. It states:
> <For, although the transcendent path (lokuttara magggacitta), and so on,
> last for just one moment, since they possess the intrinsic nature of
> impulsion, they are still regarded as [performing] the function of
> impulsion; just as the omniscience [of a Buddha], although it has only one
> object at a time in its range, since it has the capacity of knowing
> everything, never loses the name [of omniscience].>
> In the same Commentary we read in the Prologue:
> <Herein the Perfectly Awakened One (sammasambuddha) is the Blessed One,
who
> has awakened to all dhammas perfectly and by himself. Perfectly and by his
> own knowledge, which has been produced by his fulfilment of the
perfections
> both individually and collectively, he knows and understands all things,
> whether conditioned or unconditioned, by virtue of penetrating to their
true
> and essential characteristics. Thus he has said: "Having known by myself,
to
> whom can I point [as my teacher]?...>
> <Just as, by association with the rays of the sun, a lotus blossoms with
the
> beauty of the loveliest radiance, he himself, by association with the
> knowledge of the highest path, blossoms perfectly with omniscience adorned
> with immeasurable qualities...>
> Here the Commentary refers to the Middle Length Sayings I, 26, The Ariyan
> Quest where the Buddha said to Upaka:
> <Victorious over all, omniscient am I,
> Among all things undefiled,
> Leaving all, through death of craving freed,
> By knowing for myself, whom should I point to?
> For me there is no teacher...>
> We find the same text in the Dhammapada, vs. 353.
>
> Nina.
>
>
>
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