From: Bhikkhu Bodhi
Message: 4002
Date: 2014-12-01
I agree completely with Dmytro about this. There
has currently been a shift among
translators and writers on the Dhamma away from "enlightenment"
as a
rendering of bodhi/sambodhi toward "awakening." This is, in my
view,
a mistake. It implies that our normal condition of life is a
dream—something unreal
and illusory—and that the aim of following the Dhamma is to
emerge from this dream-like
illusion into reality (often conceived as a nondual state). The
Nikāyas, however, do
not use this kind of language, nor do they suggest that ordinary
life is analogous to a dream. A further drawback with
"awakening" it that it suggests a superficial and *sudden*
experience,
like the sudden emergence from a dream. On the other hand
"enlightenment" suggests to me a deep and thorough
comprehension, one that might be reached by a long course of
prior cultivation.
I have rarely if ever encountered in the suttas the metaphorical use of sleep and dreaming to characterize the condition of deluded sentient beings in samsara; thus "awakening," which represents sambodhi as the emergence from sleep or a dream, rarely if ever occurs in the suttas. The metaphor does occur very occasionally in the Aṭṭhakathā, in a stock commentarial passage on the bojjhangas. Such instances however are extremely rare. Normally, when sleep is used metaphorically, it signifies a condition of pamāda rather than of bodhi/sambodhi. Thus it indicates, not the opposite of bodhi/sambodhi, but the opposite of appamāda or jāgariya, "heedlessness" and "vigilence." Thus a verse at SN 1:7 (I 3) says:
‘‘Pañca
jāgarataṃ suttā, pañca suttesu jāgarā; Pañcabhi
[pañcahi (sī.)] rajamādeti,
pañcabhi [pañcahi (sī.)]
parisujjhatī’’ti
And
in
Dhammapada 29 we read:
Appamatto pamattesu, suttesu bahujāgaro;
Abalassaṃva sīghasso, hitvā yāti sumedhaso.
And Dhammapada
47:
Pupphāni heva pacinantaṃ, byāsattamanasaṃ naraṃ;
Suttaṃ gāmaṃ mahoghova, maccu ādāya gacchati.
The word “enlightenment” seems to me preferable as a rendering
over “awakening.”
To my mind the word does not suggest the European Enlightenment,
the triumph of
reason and experience over blind faith and religious dogma.
Also, it no longer
carries the connotation of a "lighting up" of the mind, the root
metaphor from which it was formed. Yet to the extent that it
does stem from the word
"light," it connects far more closely with the Buddha's sambodhi
experience.
This is because the metaphor and
imagery used with greatest frequency to describe the condition
of samsaric
existence is not dreaming but darkness (tamas, andhakāra,
etc.).
Thus the metaphor which, in contrast, describes the Buddha's
experience of sammā sambodhi is the
dispelling of darkness and the arising of light and vision. Thus
in a frequent
passage (as at MN 19; I 117):
Tassa me evaṃ jānato
evaṃ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṃ vimuccittha, bhavāsavāpi cittaṃ
vimuccittha,
avijjāsavāpi cittaṃ vimuccittha, vimuttasmiṃ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṃ
ahosi – ‘khīṇā jāti,
vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthattāyā’ti
abbhaññāsiṃ. Ayaṃ
kho me, bhikkhave, rattiyā pacchime yāme tatiyā vijjā adhigatā;
avijjā vihatā
vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato āloko uppanno; yathā taṃ appamattassa
ātāpino
pahitattassa viharato.
The refrain that occurs in the Dhammacakka Sutta (SN 56:11) and
in a number of other suttas states:
Pubbe ananussutesu
dhammesu cakkhuṃ udapādi, ñāṇaṃ udapādi, paññā udapādi,
vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.
"In regard to principles not passed down before, the
eye arose, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, cognition arose,
light arose."
And in the Dvayatānupassanā Sutta of the
Suttanipāta:
762. ... Passa dhammaṃ durājānaṃ,
sampamūḷh’ettha aviddasu
Satañca
vivaṭaṃ hoti, āloko passatāmiva;*
Santike
na vijānanti, magā
dhammass' akovidā.
"Behold a Dhamma hard to understand; here the ignorant are
bewildered.
For those who are shrouded there is gloom,
darkness for those who do not see.
For the good it is opened up;
for those who see it is like light.
Though
in its presence, they do not understand it--
those who are like animals, unskilled in the Dhamma."
And further, in his teaching mission, what the Buddha is
consistently said to
accomplish is not to "wake up" others. Though this metaphor may
be used
occasionally in the commentaries (we would have to investigate
this point for
references), in the suttas his impact is described rather as the
shedding of
light on the world. Those who hear his discourses describe the
effect, not as if they had awakened from a dream, but as if a
man had brought a lamp into a dark room so that those with good
eyesight can see forms (andhakāre vā telapajjotaṃ dhāreyya, cakkhumanto
rūpāni dakkhanti).
See too Samyutta 56:37, Suriya Sutta:
‘‘Yāvakīvañca,
bhikkhave, candimasūriyā loke nuppajjanti, neva tāva mahato
ālokassa pātubhāvo
hoti mahato obhāsassa. Andhatamaṃ tadā hoti andhakāratimisā.
Neva tāva rattindivā [rattidivā (ka.)] paññāyanti, na
māsaddhamāsā paññāyanti,
na utusaṃvaccharā paññāyanti.
‘‘Yato ca kho,
bhikkhave, candimasūriyā
loke uppajjanti, atha mahato ālokassa pātubhāvo hoti mahato
obhāsassa. Neva andhakāratamaṃ tadā hoti
na andhakāratimisā. Atha rattindivā
paññāyanti, māsaddhamāsā paññāyanti, utusaṃvaccharā paññāyanti.
Evameva kho,
bhikkhave, yāvakīvañca
tathāgato loke nuppajjati arahaṃ sammāsambuddho, neva tāva
mahato ālokassa
pātubhāvo hoti mahato obhāsassa. Andhatamaṃ tadā hoti
andhakāratimisā. Neva
tāva catunnaṃ ariyasaccānaṃ ācikkhaṇā hoti desanā paññāpanā
paṭṭhapanā vivaraṇā
vibhajanā uttānīkammaṃ.
‘‘Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṃ sammāsambuddho, atha mahato ālokassa pātubhāvo hoti mahato obhāsassa. N’eva andhatamaṃ tadā hoti na andhakāratimisā. Atha kho catunnaṃ ariyasaccānaṃ ācikkhaṇā hoti desanā paññāpanā paṭṭhapanā vivaraṇā vibhajanā uttānīkammaṃ. Katamesaṃ catunnaṃ? Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa…pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.
“Bhikkhus,
so
long as the sun and moon have not arisen in the world, for
just so long
there is no manifestation of great light and radiance, but
then blinding
darkness prevails, a dense mass of darkness; for just so
long day and night are
not discerned, the month and fortnight are not discerned,
the seasons and the
year are not discerned.
“But,
bhikkhus, when the sun and moon arise in the world, then
there is the
manifestation of great light and radiance; [443] then there
is no blinding
darkness, no dense mass of darkness; then day and night are
discerned, the
month and fortnight are discerned, the seasons and year are
discerned.
“So too, bhikkhus, so long as a
Tathāgata
has not arisen in the world, an Arahant, a Perfectly
Enlightened One, for just
so long there is no manifestation of great light and
radiance, but then
blinding darkness prevails, a dense mass of darkness; for
just so long there is
no explaining, teaching, proclaiming, establishing,
disclosing, analysing, or
elucidating of the Four Noble Truths.
“But, bhikkhus, when a Tathāgata
arises
in the world, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, then
there is the
manifestation of great light and radiance; then no blinding
darkness prevails,
no dense mass of darkness; then there is the explaining,
teaching, proclaiming,
establishing, disclosing, analysing, and elucidating of the
Four Noble Truths.
What four? The noble truth of suffering … the noble truth of
the way leading to
the cessation of suffering.
“Therefore,
bhikkhus, an exertion should
be made to understand: ‘This is suffering.’… An exertion
should be made to
understand: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of
suffering.’”
And Samyutta
Nikaya 56:46 (V 455):
“Those
ascetics and
brahmins, bhikkhu, who do not understand as it really is: ‘This
is suffering’ …
‘This is the way to the cessation of suffering’, … they tumble
into the
darkness of birth, tumble into the darkness of aging, tumble
into the darkness
of death, tumble into the darkness of sorrow, lamentation, pain,
displeasure,
and despair…. But, bhikkhu, those ascetics and brahmins who
understand as it
really is: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the way leading to the
cessation of
suffering’, they do not tumble into the darkness of birth, nor
tumble into the
darkness of aging, nor tumble into the darkness of death, nor
tumble into the
darkness of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and
despair.”
There are no
doubt many other passages that can confirm my contention here,
but these should
suffice for now. If anyone can come forward with a canonical
passage that uses
the metaphor of dreaming to characterize existence in saṃsāra, that may compel me to
reconsider my position and to see bodhi/sambodhi
as signifying “awakening.”
Best,
Ven. Bhikkhu
Bodhi
Dear D.C.,
Nice to meet you!
I'm wondering about the meanings of Pali terms in Kyiv, Ukraine.
> I am interested in the topic of Buddha (the Buddha). Would you mind if I join in the discussion.
You are welcome! I would be especially grateful for Pali glosses that help to comprehend the meaning of this term.
Best wishes,Dmytro
On Mon, Dec 1, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Dmytro Ivakhnenko aavuso@... [palistudy] <palistudy@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Dear Bryan,
Thank you for the introduction.
> “Buddha” is not a name, but a title; it means “he who has woken up”,derived from the past participle of the Indic verbal stem budh, “to wake, wake up, be awake”.
May I ask, why do you think so?
As far as I can conclude from the Sutta, "Buddha" means "he who has comprehended":
From Pasadika sutta (DN 29):
Yañca kho, cunda, sadevakassa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya diṭṭhaṃ sutaṃ mutaṃ viññātaṃ pattaṃ pariyesitaṃ anuvicaritaṃ manasā, sabbaṃ tathāgatena abhisambuddhaṃ, tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati. Yañca, cunda, rattiṃ tathāgato anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambujjhati, yañca rattiṃ anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyā parinibbāyati, yaṃ etasmiṃ antare bhāsati lapati niddisati.
'Cunda, whatever in this world with its devas and maras and Brahmas, with its ascetics and Brahmins, its princes and people, is seen by people, heard, sensed, cognized, whatever was ever achieved, sought after or mentally pondered upon -- all that has been fully comprehended [abhisambuddham] by the Tathagata. That is why he is called Tathagata. Between the night in which the Tathagata comprehends [abhisambujjhati] the unequalled Perfect Comprehension (samma-sambodhi), Cunda, and the night in which he goes out to the Nibbana-element without remainder, whatever he proclaims, says or explains is so and not otherwise.'
Though the verb 'bujjhati' has a meaning 'awakes', this meaning is mentioned only in few places in the Commentaries:
Bujjhatīti kilesasantānaniddāya uṭṭhahati, cattāri vā ariyasaccāni paṭivijjhati, nibbānameva vā sacchikaroti.
"Awakes - arises from the sleep of defilement-flow"
(Dhammasangani-Atthakatha)
In the suttas, Bodhi is precisely defined as the Comprehension, of the four Actualities for the Noble Ones (ariya-sacca).
Perfect Comprehension (samma-sambodhi) comprises a whole universe:
Comprehension of the Four Actualities for the Noble Ones (cattāro ariyasaccāni)
Yāvakīvañca me, bhikkhave, imesu catūsu ariyasaccesu evaṃ tiparivaṭṭaṃ dvādasākāraṃ yathābhūtaṃ ñāṇadassanaṃ na suvisuddhaṃ ahosi, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
"And, monks, as long as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk. [But as soon as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me: 'Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.'"]
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html
Similarly regarding four elements (dhātū - paṭhavī, apo, tejo, vāyo - solid, liquid, fire, gas):
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, imāsaṃ catunnaṃ dhātūnaṃ evaṃ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ na abbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Pubbesambodha sutta).
Similarly regarding five appropriated aggregates (upādānakkhandhā - rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā, viññāṇa - body, feelings, recognitions, volitions, consciousness):
‘‘Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, imesaṃ pañcannaṃ upādānakkhandhānaṃ evaṃ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Assāda sutta).
Similarly regarding four "turns" of appropriated aggregates (Upādānaparipavattā - aggregate, its arising, its cessation, and the way to cessation):
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, ime pañcupādānakkhandhe catuparivaṭṭaṃ yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Upādānaparipavattā sutta)
Similarly regarding six inner spheres of perception (ajjhattikā āyatanā - cakkhūṃ, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, mano - sight, hearing, etc. ):
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, imesaṃ channaṃ ajjhattikānaṃ āyatanānaṃ evaṃ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ
(Paṭhama-pubbesambodha sutta)
Similarly regarding six outer spheres of perception (bāhirā āyatanā - visible forms, sounds, etc.)
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, imesaṃ channaṃ bāhirānaṃ āyatanānaṃ evaṃ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Dutiya-pubbesambodha sutta)
Similarly regarding five faculties (pañcā indriyāni - saddhindriyaṃ, vīriyindriyaṃ, satindriyaṃ, samādhindriyaṃ, paññindriyaṃ - faith, persistence, remembrance, composure, discernment):
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, imesaṃ pañcannaṃ indriyānaṃ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Punabbhavasutta)
Similarly regarding six faculties (cha indriyāni - cakkhuṃ, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, mano - sight, hearing, etc.)
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, imesaṃ channaṃ indriyānaṃ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassa maṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Sambuddha sutta)
Similarly regarding the world (loka):
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, bhikkhave, evaṃ lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ nābbhaññāsiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Pubbevasambodha sutta)
Similarly regarding bonds to another sex of to pleasurable rebirth (aññataraññataramethunasaṃyoga):
‘‘Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, brāhmaṇa, imesaṃ sattannaṃ methunasaṃyogānaṃ aññataraññataramethunasaṃyogaṃ attani appahīnaṃ samanupassiṃ, neva tāvāhaṃ, brāhmaṇa, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Methuna suttaṃ)
Similarly regarding the knowledge and vision of higher gods (adhidevañāṇadassana):
Yāvakīvañca me, bhikkhave, evaṃ aṭṭhaparivaṭṭaṃ adhidevañāṇadassanaṃ na suvisuddhaṃ ahosi, neva tāvāhaṃ, bhikkhave, ‘sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Gayāsīsa sutta)
Similarly regarding the nine consecutive attainments (anupubbavihārasamāpattiyā - cattāro rūpajjhānā, cattāro aruppajjhāna, saññāvedayitanirodha - four bodily jhanas, four non-bodily jhanas, cessation of recognition and feeling):
Yāvakīvañcāhaṃ, ānanda, imā nava anupubbavihārasamāpattiyo na evaṃ anulomapaṭilomaṃ samāpajjimpi vuṭṭhahimpi, neva tāvāhaṃ, ānanda, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṃ.
(Tapussasutta)
"Ananda, as long as I had not attained & emerged from these nine step-by-step dwelling-attainments in forward & backward order in this way, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people. But as soon as I had attained & emerged from these nine step-by-step dwelling-attainments in forward & backward order in this way, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people. Knowledge & vision arose in me: 'My release is unshakable. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.'"
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an09/an09.041.than.html
http://www.freesangha.com/forums/pali/bodhi/
With best wishes,
Dmytro
--
Metta is being friendly to everybody
-- Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi Chuang Yen Monastery 2020 Route 301 Carmel NY 10512 U.S.A. To help feed the hungry and educate disadvantaged children around the world, please check: Our website: http://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/ Our blog: http://buddhistglobalrelief.wordpress.com/ For my Dhamma lectures and teachings: http://www.baus.org/en/?cat=9 (includes schedule of classes) http://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html http://www.noblepath.org/audio.html http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL23DE0292227250FA For my public photo albums: http://picasaweb.google.com/venbodhi Sabbe sattā averā hontu, abyāpajjā hontu, anighā hontu, sukhī hontu! 願眾生無怨，願眾生無害，願眾生無惱，願眾生快樂！ May all beings be free from enmity, free from affliction, free from distress. May they be happy!