1. "Amata.m te, bhikkhave, na paribhu~njanti ye kaayagataasati.m na
paribhu~njanti.
deathlessness / they / monks / not / appreciate / who / mindfulness
of body / not / appreciate
Y.P."O monks, those who do not appreciate mindfulness of the body do not
appreciate deathlessness.
This passage is one of those that can defy proper translation into English,
and is best understood when one is a serious practitioner. In fact, one
might say, this is where one goes beyond grammar and theoretical Pali, and
give it a rendition by way of "insight" (to quote Norman, but in a positive
sense).
paribhu~njati has a sense of consuming or relishing something; hence "enjoy"
is a good dictionary meaning. In this context, it may be taken as literally
to mean en.joy, to find joy in, or to experience spiritual joy from. Hence,
it could be rendered as
"Bhikshus, they who do not enjoy the deathless, do not enjoy the mindfulness
of the body."
Purists, theorists and academics may not find this rendition acceptable: and
that is just my point. One should always remember that the Buddha Word is
not always "Pali", but has to go beyond it.
May we seek the tree of knowledge despite the forest of Pali.
Piya
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