Dear Nina,

thanks. "The lasting of a fingersnap", is in Chinese "tan2 zhi3 zhi1
jian1".

see: http://notify.usts.edu.cn/chengyu/MKangShow.php?id=9784&type=20

Interestingly, the Chinese translation is (literally) "between a
finger-snap", i.e. not even the entire duration of the snap! With
today's concept of time, even in between a finger-snap is not short
enough. However, the point is well-made with the expression, and is
comprehensible to most people without the need to introduce scientific
concepts of time. So, yes, I have no problem with "the duration of a
fingersnap", but I hope to introduce some variations at times.

Thanks for the advice of the sentence structure.

arittajjhaana: literally "not free of jhana", I would think "no lack
of jhana" in the sense of keeping and practising jhana. How about
"occupied with (the practise) of jhana"?

ovaadapatikara: I am thinking "deliberating, thinking over, the
advice", i.e. not taking things at face value.

amogha.m ra.t.thapi.n.da.m bhu~njati: a clearer expression is "he eats
the people's almsfood not (given) in vain". What do you think?

Putting it together again:

"Accharaasa`nghaatamattampi ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pa.thama.m jhaana.m
bhaaveti, aya.m vuccati, bhikkhave -- 'bhikkhu arittajjhaano viharati,
satthusaasanakaro ovaadapatikaro, amogha.m ra.t.thapi.n.da.m bhu~njati'.

"Even for the duration of a finger-snap, O monks, if a monk developed
the first jhana, monks, this is called -- 'a bhikkhu, occupied with
the practise of jhana (he) lives, complying with the Buddha's
teachings and thinking over the exhortations, (he) eats the people's
almsfood not given in vain'.

cetovimutti: between 'mind' and 'heart', I would prefer 'mind'.
Bhikkhu Bodhi also has it as "liberation of mind". In today's context,
the heart, more often than not, refers to the biological organ.

What do you think?

metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, nina van gorkom wrote:

I like the expression; even for the lasting of a fingersnap,
Accharaasa`nghaatamattam. Would you not like to keep it?

> 1. "Accharaasa`nghaatamattampi ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pa.thama.m
> jhaana.m bhaaveti, aya.m vuccati, bhikkhave --
> "Even for only one moment, O monks, if a monk developed the first
> jhana, monks, this is said --

N: After bhikkhave there should be: bhikkhu ( put at the next
sentence, but should be placed forward). This belongs together: aya.m
vuccati,, bhikkhave -- 'bhikkhu'. The last word, bhikkhu belongs to
aya.m vuccati. He (aya.m) is called a bhikkhu. This is essential: he
is a true bhikkhu if he develops the first jhaana, etc. An exhortation.

N: arittajjhaano: this could mean: his jhaana is not in vain. (PTS
has: not empty of result).
ovaadapatikaro: taking his advice,
amogha.m ra.t.thapi.n.da.m bhu~njati': he eats the people's alsmfood
not in vain.

> 2-8. "Accharaasa`nghaatamattampi ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dutiya.m
> jhaana.m bhaaveti ...pe... tatiya.m jhaana.m bhaaveti ...pe...
> catuttha.m jhaana.m bhaaveti ...pe... metta.m cetovimutti.m bhaaveti
> ...pe... karu.na.m cetovimutti.m bhaaveti ...pe... mudita.m
> cetovimutti.m bhaaveti ...pe... upekkha.m cetovimutti.m bhaaveti
...pe....

N: cetovimutti:liberation of heart