Dear Pali Friends
The following is a fresh translation of Vitthaara Suttam before I
write a new modern commentary on it in response to requests from
Dhamma friends on another list.
I hope you find it useful.
With regards,
Suan Lu Zaw
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Dear Joyce, Venerable Dhammarati, Howard, and Robert
How are you?
Joyce wrote:
"Perhaps you might be willing to pick any Sutta you feel appropriate
for the list, or part of one and then model this bringing out what is
most essential, the important insights in the Sutta based on your
current understanding."
Also Venerable Dhammarati wrote:
"Do any of the Abhidhammaka friends know of where in the Abhidhamma
these four kinds of kamma are mentioned..?
. Please take some time
to find and quote from the Abhidhamma on Kamma."
Howard also asked:
"I find this to be an interesting question you (Dhammarati) raise,
and I am interested in hearing the answers."
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Suan Lu Zaw responded as follows.
In line with the above requests, I looked into Vitthaara Suttam on
four groups of actions. I found this Suttam quite far-reaching. For
starter, it contains etiology, the Buddha's answer to the existence
of rebirth, the Buddha's concept of action, and the like.
To appreciate the beauty of this Suttam on one hand, and to
accommodate the requests of the above dhamma friends on the other
hand, I decided to write a new modern commentary in English language
to complement the existing Pali commentary on this Suttam.
Before I wrote a commentary on this Suttam, I also decided to
translate the original Suttam afresh into English despite the
existence of previous translations done by other scholars. It is my
view that there is always room for improvement in translation from
one language into another. Fresh translations also give the readers
the opportunity to compare different versions and gain new insights.
Accordingly, whenever I translate an original Pali work, I do so in
such a way as to help future or other scholars to produce even better
translations. I do that by making sure that my own translations are
syntactically literal and in as natural English as possible. In
short, students of Pali and Pali scholars alike can perform "Syntax
Walk-through" in my translation and thereby improve or enhance their
further understanding of Pali language.
Vitthaara Suttam, from which the following translation was made, can
be found in Section 233, Kammavaggo, Catukkanipaata, Anguttaranikaayo
on Chatthasangayana CD-ROM version 3 produced by Vipassana Research
Institute. Those who use Roman edition should see page 230 in Volume
2 of that edition.
VITTHAARA SUTTAM ON FOUR GROUPS OF KAMMA
Vitthaara Suttam On Four Groups Of Kamma
Translated By Suan Lu Zaw
Monks, four actions have been declared by me by having personally
realized them with extraordinary wisdom. What are the four? Monks,
there is dark action having dark result. Monks, there is white action
having white result. Monks, there is dark and white action having
dark and white result. Minks, there is un-dark and un-white action
having un-dark and un-white result, which takes place for depletion
of actions.
Monks, what is dark action having dark result? Here, monks, some
carry out physical action with anger, verbal action with anger, and
mental action with anger. Having carried out physical action with
anger, having carried out verbal action with anger, and having
carried out mental action with anger, he is reborn in the harsh
world. Being reborn in the harsh world, harsh contacts touch him.
Being touched by harsh contacts, he experiences the really miserable
harsh feelings like those beings in hell do. Monks, this is called
dark action having dark result.
Monks, what is white action having white result? Here, monks, some
carry out physical action with dis-anger, verbal action with dis-
anger, and mental action with dis-anger. Having carried out physical
action with dis-anger, having carried out verbal action with dis-
anger, and having carried out mental action with dis-anger, he is
reborn in the gentle world. Being reborn in the gentle world, gentle
contacts touch him. Being touched by gentle contacts, he experiences
the really pleasant gentle feelings like Subhakinha Brahma gods do.
Monks, this is called white action having white result.
Monks, what is dark and white action having dark and white result?
Here, monks, some carry out physical action with anger as well as
with dis-anger, verbal action with anger as well as with dis-anger,
and mental action with anger as well as with dis-anger. Having
carried out physical action with anger as well as with dis-anger,
having carried out verbal action with anger as well as with dis-
anger, and having carried out mental action with anger as well as
with dis-anger, he is reborn in the harsh and gentle world. Being
reborn in the harsh and gentle world, harsh as well as gentle
contacts touch him. Being touched by harsh as well as gentle
contacts, he experiences the mixed feelings of pleasure and misery
like human beings, some sensuous gods and some mansion-owning halfway
beings do. Monks, this is called dark and white action having dark
and white result.
Monks, what is un-dark and un-white action having un-dark and un-
white result, which takes place for depletion of actions? Here,
monks, such activation as to eradicate dark action having dark
result, such activation as to eradicate white action having white
result, and such activation as to eradicate dark and white action
having dark and white result, this activation is called un-dark and
un-white action having un-dark and un-white result, which takes place
for depletion of actions. Monks, these four actions have been
declared by me by having personally realized them with extraordinary
wisdom.
NOTES ON KEY TERMS
The phrase "with anger" is a translation of the Pali
compound "sabyaapajjam" which was defined as "sadosam" in the Pali
commentary. Sadosam = sa + dosam.
Doso is defined as anger in Pali Text Society's Pali English
Dictionary, see page 332.
The phrase "with dis-anger" is a translation of the Pali
word "abyaapajjam". The opposite of the Pali term "doso" is "adoso".
Dis-anger is the literal translation of "adoso". Abyaapajjo is
described as a synonym of adoso in Section 33, Dhammasanganii. Hence,
I translated abyaapajjam as with dis-anger in order to contrast it
with anger in Paragraph Two of the Vitthaara Suttam.
In Section 397, Siilakkhandha Pali, Diighanikaayo, we find "bhikkhu
averam abyaapajjam mettacittam bhaaveti. Without enmity, and with dis-
anger, the monk develops the loving mind".
Thus, dis-anger is a technical term to convey love or loving kindness
as one of its meanings. It does not refer to the mere absence of
anger as when our minds are with greed.
Un-dark is a translation of the word "akanha, not dark". Here, un-
darkness does not refer to other colors such as whiteness. It means
counteracting the very color of darkness. Un-dark means anti-dark.
Thus, un-dark action would counteract the dark actions and their dark
results.
Un-white is a translation of the word "asukka, not white". Here, too,
un-whiteness does not refer to darkness or other colors. It means
counteracting the very color of whiteness. Un-white means anti-white.
Thus, un-white action would counteract the white actions and their
white results.
.
To read the original Suttam in Pali, please follow the following link.
http://www.tipitaka.org/tipitaka/s0402m3/s0402m3-frm.html
And, please also visit the following link to download and install the
Pali font on your computer so that the Pali letters appear on your
screen correctly.
http://www.tipitaka.org/general/pali.html
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NEW MODERN COMMENTARY ON VITTHAARA SUTTAM BY SUAN LU ZAW COMING SOON.
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With regards,
Suan Lu Zaw
http://www.bodhiology.org