Dear Dhamma friends

How are you?

The following is my reply to the facinating thread regarding
Stephen's post "Is Buddhadhamma pessimistic?".

Coincidently, I have recently translated Section 49, Catunipaata
Paali, Anguttarakikaayo.

The statements of the Buddha in that Section 49 seem to be describing
what Buddhadhamma really is in the Buddha's own words.

When I read these statements of the Buddha, they support the
understanding of Brian and Jack while they seem to contradict the
views of Stephen, James, Beth and Joyce (due to her Maya quote). But,
no big deal! Appreciation of the Buddha's teachings is a slow,
gradual and (often painful) process. Now, I also sound pessimistic as
I wrote "(often painful) process".

As there are Pali scholars and students on this list, I also included
the original Pali passages so that they can perform "Syntax Walk-
through" on my translations and trace Pali terms and their
counterparts in English.

Please view the following literal translation.


--------------------------------------------

VIPALLAASA SUTTAM


"Cattaarome, bhikkhave, saññaavipallaasaa cittavipallaasaa
di.t.thivipallaasaa. katame cattaaro? anicce, bhikkhave, niccanti
saññaavipallaaso cittavipallaaso di.t.thivipallaaso; dukkhe,
bhikkhave, sukhanti saññaavipallaaso cittavipallaaso
di.t.thivipallaaso; anattani, bhikkhave, attaati
saññaavipallaaso cittavipallaaso di.t.thivipallaaso; asubhe,
bhikkhave, subhanti saññaavipallaaso cittavipallaaso
di.t.thivipallaaso. ime kho, bhikkhave, cattaaro
saññaavipallaasaa cittavipallaasaa di.t.thivipallaasaa.

"Cattaarome, bhikkhave, nasaññaavipallaasaa
nacittavipallaasaa nadi.t.thivipallaasaa. katame cattaaro?
anicce, bhikkhave, aniccanti nasaññaavipallaaso
nacittavipallaaso nadi.t.thivipallaaso; dukkhe, bhikkhave,
dukkhanti nasaññaavipallaaso nacittavipallaaso
nadi.t.thivipallaaso; anattani, bhikkhave, anattaati
nasaññaavipallaaso nacittavipallaaso nadi.t.thivipallaaso; asubhe,
bhikkhave, asubhanti nasaññaavipallaaso nacittavipallaaso
nadi.t.thivipallaaso. ime kho, bhikkhave, cattaaro
nasaññaavipallaasaa nacittavipallaasaa nadi.t.thivipallaasaa"ti.


ABERRATIONS

Monks, these four are aberrations of memory, aberrations of
consciousness and aberrations of view. What are the four? Monks,
taking permanence in impermanence is aberration of memory, aberration
of consciousness and aberration of view. Monks, taking pleasure in
misery is aberration of memory, aberration of consciousness and
aberration of view. Monks, taking self in selflessness is aberration
of memory, aberration of consciousness and aberration of view. Monks,
taking beauty in ugliness is aberration of memory, aberration of
consciousness and aberration of view. Monks, these four are
aberrations of memory, aberrations of consciousness and aberrations
of view.

Monks, these four are sanities of memory, sanities of consciousness
and sanities of view. What are the four? Monks, taking impermanence
in impermanence is sanity of memory, sanity of consciousness and
sanity of view. Monks, taking misery in misery is sanity of memory,
sanity of consciousness and sanity of view. Monks, taking
selflessness in selflessness is sanity of memory, sanity of
consciousness and sanity of view. Monks, taking ugliness in ugliness
is sanity of memory, sanity of consciousness and sanity of view.
Monks, these four are sanities of memory, sanities of consciousness
and sanities of view.

The above Suttam is Section 49, Catunipaata Pali, Anguttaranikaayo.


According to the VIPALLAASA SUTTAM, the Buddha did not mince his
words. He called any views aberrant that deviate from four
characteristics of body and mind (misery, impermanence, selflessness,
and ugliness).

If you regard the Buddha's description of real phenomena as misery,
impermanence, selflessness, and ugliness - as pessimism, then you may
perhaps need a lot of Buddhist psychotherapy to rid yourselves of
aberrations (VIPALLAASAA).


With kind regards,

Suan Lu Zaw

http://www.bodhiology.org