Thanks very much, Nina. I value the opinions of both sides: whether those who are faith- and text-based, and those who rely on meditation and personal experience, not that they are exclusive.
I have also just signed up for the Abhidhamma Vipassana Forum to get a balanced learning process. We have so much to learn from both the Vipassana tradition and the Forest tradition.
In todays Straits Times, a member of a local Presbyterian church is up in arms against his church because he thinks that the King James Bible is not a good translation. Things went to a ahed that he was suspended from attending church, and not he is suing the church elders for defamation, etc.
I mention his because we should be reminded that open forum and discussion is a great learning process, and we have to continuosly appreciate the Buddha's great wisdom and compassion is giving us teachings without unresolvable conflicts. Above all we are allowed to think for ourselves.
Sukhi
Piya Tan
--- Nina van Gorkom <
vangorko@...> wrote:
> Dear Piya,
> I appreciate your question.
> I quoted from the Co. to the Metta sutta, but the same is also used
>
> in the Udana Co. re Bahiyasutta.
>
> I quote now from Robert's forum who incorporated a letter from Sarah
>
> (moderator of dhammastudygroup):
>
> <Peter Masefields translation of the Udana (Ud) and Udana
> commentary
> (Ud-a)
> http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khudd...ana/ud1-10.html
> Ud-a continues:
>
> QUOTE
> It is, moreover, wrong on the part of those who seek reference to
> an
> intermediate becoming (antaraabhava.m) by seizing upon the phrase
> ubhayamantarena [in both]. For the existence of an intermediate
> becoming is altogether rejected in the Abhidhamma. ....Furthermore,
>
> those who still say that there is an intermediate becoming by
> seizing
> unmethodically upon the meaning of such sutta-passages as An
> antaraaparinibbaayin (eg Aiv70ff) and Those who are become or
> those
> seeking becoming(Khp8) are to be rebuffed with there is no (such
>
> thing), since the meaning of the former sutta passage is that he is
>
> an antaraaparinibbaayin since he attains parinibbaana
> (parinibbaayati) by way of remainderles defilement-parinibbana
> through attaining the topmost path midway (antaraa)[in
> lifespan]....,
> whilst the meaning of the latter (sutta-passage) is that those who,
>
> in the former word, are spoken of as those who are
> become (bhuutaa), are those in whom the asavas have been destroyed,
>
> being those who are merely become, (but) who will not become (again,
>
> (whereas the latter,) being the antithesis thereof, (and spoken of
>
> as) those seeking becoming (sambhavesino) since it is becoming
> (sambhava.m) that they seek (esenti), are sekhas and puthujjanas on
>
> account of the fetters giving rise to becoming not having been
> abandoned....
> For when there is a straightforward meaning that follows the
> (canonical) Pali, what business is there in postulating an
> intermediate becoming of unspecified capacity?>
> End quote.
> ---------
> So, the point is, that we at this moment cannot give up clinging to
>
> life, we still want to be reborn. The arahat is not so, he has
> become
> but is not seeking to be born again. Thus in the quoted passage the
>
> difference between the non-arahat and arahat is shown.
> Just in this context the term bhuuta is used in this way.
> Nina.
>
> Op 24-aug-2006, om 11:53 heeft Piya Tan het volgende geschreven:
>
> > That "bhuuta" refers to arhats is most interesting: do you
> > references for this?
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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Piya Tan
Email:
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