Dear Keren,

It is not at all clear whether guhaa denotes the body in this verse. The old
commentary thinks so, but I am sceptical about whether or not this is true.
In fact, there is no passage in the canon that would support the view that
the body is like a cave. In addition, many of the verses of the Suttanipata
are peculiar and have no parallels in the canon as such. The
interpretatition is therefore dubious.

The one who is confined to a cave does not see the light i.e. the dhamma.
This in my view explains the metaphor, because it is, evidently a metaphor.

Regards
Ole Holten Pind





_____

Fra: Pali@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Pali@yahoogroups.com] På vegne af
keren_arbel
Sendt: 6. februar 2007 14:47
Til: Pali@yahoogroups.com
Emne: Re: SV: [Pali] Guhat.t.haka from the Mahaaniddesa



Dear Ole Holten Pind,

Can you make sense of this metaphor, of the cave as the body (as
Norman add in his translation)? Why is the body a cave?
In the rest of the verse it is said that this same man is "covered
with many [defilements]" and not that inside the cave there are
defilements. I just don't get this simile...

Thanks for any explanaation,
Mettacittena,
Keren.






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