Dear Frank, Stephen and friends,

Stephen, I actually used disillusion in the first posting (msg#9738).
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/message/9738

Frank, your quote from B.Bodhi is wonderful. That was how I perceived
the sequence as I earlier proposed. Can you give us the sutta's name
(and location of the text if it's a long sutta)? Thanks.

I am afraid all the words which are conventionally in use have
already been covered. To obtain a better word, we may have to resort
to unconventional methods, such as resurrecting old words (Ven.
Dhammanando made two recommendations), creating new words, or
introducing Pali terminology into the English vocabulary. This will
be quite a tedious work, and is beyond the scope of this weekly
discussion thread.

My preference is to use disenchantment (or disillusion), and leave
the explanation to the Pali and sutta lecturers until there is a
better alternative.

However, I still have some thoughts on the word nibbidaa to share
with everyone, and invite your comments on them.

I agree with Dmytro (on the eSangha forum) and John (in msg#9763)
that the word nibbidaa should not carry any negative connotation. In
addition, I also think that nibbidaa is not meant to be a /strong/
word. It only becomes /strong/ with the adjective ekanta, hence
ekantanibbidaa in this sutta.

I think nibbidaa and viraaga form what we know as "letting go".
Nibbidaa should not be thought of as a dramatised psychological
effect on a person. People cling on to false views because they are
not aware of tilakkha.na and pa.ticcasamuppaada. When they do,
nibbidaa and viraaga occurs.

This is a very short and sweet sutta. It is condensed enough, yet not
overly-abbreviated, to know exactly what the Buddha said:

"It takes constant practice of any of the anussatis to achieve
ekantanibbidaa, viraaga, ... nibbaana."

It is not a miracle that happens overnight. In addition to frequent
practice, there is a condition: bhaavita.

So, nibbidaa is an experience anyone can have from time to time,
growing out of passion, or as Dmytro puts it: 'to be satiated', 'to
have enough of'. And, ekantanibbidaa would require further practices
and deeper understanding. One such practice is that of the anussatis,
the theme of this sutta.


metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Frank wrote:

[b.bodhi's translation]
"Seeing thus, bhikkus, a well taught noble disciple becomes
disenchanted with the eye..forms...eye-consciousness... disenchanted
with the mind... being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate.
Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated,
there comes the knowledge: 'It is liberated.' He understands: 'Birth
is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has
been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.'"

...

I'm looking for a good english word to describe this key turning
point, breaking the spell, freedom from deception, abandoning wrong
view & beliefs. Someone help me out here.