Dear Dimitry,

It is not easy to see why your rendering of 'parimukha.m' as 'the front of
chest' should qualify you as being insane, but well, you surely know of the
charming short Akosa Sutta (Samyutta-Nikâya 07.002), where the Buddha
explains why an insult does not touch him since insults do not dwell in his
own mind and he does not wish to share it from the abuser...

Whatever, back to your problematic.

Personnally, I litterally translate, with many other translators,
'parimukham' as 'around the mouth' or 'in front of the muzzle' ('pari' +
'mukham'). There are many etymological and linguistic reasons for this, the
funniest one (but 100% serious) reason being that mukha means "to do moo" -
just watch the lips, this is quite evident. Nothing new there, old
Rhys-Davids and all books of indo-european language roots that I have with
me confirm this.

Now, from the litteral translation, we can go to the more litterary one (I
would be surprised that one would be asked to moo during ân'âp'âna-sati).

I find it normal that there is a stress on some sort of concentration
around the mouth, considering it is a sutta on the breathing method. Then,
I do think also that there is more than meet the eye here with this
sentence, and believe that this instruction has something to do with a
psychological instruction. I'll reiterate it here (attentive readers please
forgive me), because it has played an important role in my evolution as a
follower of the Buddha.

The idea expressed in the Suttas, I think, is that, with both lucidity and
detachment, one observes oneself observing (some aspect of reality), and
then you can expand to yourself observing yourself observing yourself...
until this multi-layered process of sati-observation dissolves itself, and
what is left is pure, detached sam'â'dhi and vi'mokha. For me, this
indirect way to detachment is the only one which has worked. By the very
act of systematic and multi-layered observation did I get to jhâna
detachment and liberation. I do not pretend this to be the only way, it
simply works with me.

I can only teach what I know. Consequently, I simply translate
"pari'mukha.m sati.m upa'.t.thapetvâ" as "he sets his mindfulness in front
of him", thereby settling for a more litterary "he lucidly observes his
mindfulness".

All this being said, I have absolutely no qualm on your own rendering, but
could you please explain why "chest" would seem to you more adequate than
"mouth"?

Mettâ,

Gabriel Jîvasattha Bittar

>Hello,
>
>I've got quite a feedback about the meaning of the word 'parimukha.m' - an
>energetic letter inquiring whether I'm INSANE to render 'parimukha.m'
>as 'the front of chest'. So I made further investigation of the Pali
>Canon and found rather straightforward explanation:
>
>537. "Parimukha.m sati.m upa.t.thapetvaa"ti tattha katamaa sati? Yaa
>sati anussati pa.tissati …pe… sammaasati - aya.m vuccati "sati".
>Aya.m sati upa.t.thitaa hoti supa.t.thitaa naasikagge vaa
>mukhanimitte vaa. Tena vuccati "parimukha.m sati.m
>upa.t.thapetvaa"ti.
>
>Vibhangapali .252
>
>In my inexperienced opinion Vibhanga seems to be one of the most
>authoritative commentaries. In the passage above it clearly explains
>'parimukha.m' as 'the tip of the nose (naasikagge) or mouth (mukha)
>theme of concentration (nimitta)'. Buddhaghosa's commentaries seem to
>be later.
>
>I will greatly appreciate any further feedback regarding my (in)sanity
>on this subject.
>
>Metta,
> Dimitry

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