Re: Dhs 981

Dear Mike (and Tadao)

>> katame dhammaa kusalaa? tii.ni kusalamuulaani --
>> alobho, adoso, amoho;
>> ta.msampayutto vedanaakkhandho, sa~n~naakkhandho,
>> sa"nkhaarakkhandho,
>> vi~n~naa.nakkhandho; ta.msamu.t.thaana.m
>> kaayakamma.m, vaciikamma.m,
>> manokamma.m -- ime dhammaa kusalaa.

Mike translates:
>Which things are wholesome? These three wholesome
>roots -- disinterestedness, non-anger, wisdom; these
>associated with the aggregate of sensation, the
>aggregate of perception, the aggregate of mental
>coefficients and the aggregate of consciousness; that
>cause bodily action, verbal action, mental action --
>These things are wholesome.

In spite of Tadao's comments, I think your translation isn't literal enough!
His reference to the compound "kusalamuulaani" as a tappurisa (Skt.
tatpuru.sa) took me by surprise as I was reading it as "wholesome roots"
just like you. The Atthasaalinii (As), which is the commentary on
Dhammasangani, gives two interpretations of this compound on p.344:
kusalaani ca taani muulaaani ca (these wholesome things, the roots) which is
a type of kammadhaaraya and the second one as: kusalaana.m dhammaana.m
muulaani (the roots of wholesome things) which is a sixth case tappurisa.
The interpretation "wholesome roots" is another type of kammadhaaraya
called a visesanapubbapada (acc. to Saddaniti, p.751) in which the preceding
word is the attribute or qualifier/specifier as in an adj. + noun
combination. The type given in the com. is a different one called a
visesanuttarapada in which the last word is the attribute like in
Sariputtatthera (Saariputta, the thera). The Sadd. gives nine types of
kammadhaaraya-s.

I wonder if "wisdom" is a good choice for "amoho" as wisdom is most often
used for  pa~n~naa.

"these associated with the aggregate of . . ." is a reversal of "associated
with them <is> the aggregate of . . ." The com. interprets "ta.msampayutto"
as "tehi alobhaadiihi sampayutto" (associated with these beginning with
alobha).

As for your non-literal "that cause" for "ta.msamu.t.thaana.m", the com.
interprets this as "tehi alobhaadiihi samu.t.thita.m" (originated by these
beginning with alobha). I'm not sure of the case of "tehi" here. Is it the
instrumental or ablative pl. or can it be either? An ablative would give the
interpretation "originated from . . .".

Best wishes,
Jim


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