Re: Sutta Nipāta 714

Dear Bryan,

The first sentence should be translated slightly different, I think.

> “(This) is the construction of the verse 'uccāvaca'. (A monk) even though he  is  successful in the practice of going about for alms  in that way, if he does not meet with pleasure by just this much (i.e. by bhikkhaacaarasampatti), might obstruct his progress."
>
Best,
Petra

Am 12.06.2012 um 04:29 schrieb Bryan Levman:

>
> Dear Friends,
>
> I am trying to understand verse 714 of this sutta which reads
>
> uccāvacā hi paṭipadā, samaṇena pakāsitā.
> na pāraṃ diguṇaṃ yanti, nayidaṃ ekaguṇaṃ mutaṃ.
>
> Norman translates
>
> “For high and low are
> the paths proclaimed by the ascetic. They do not go to the far shore twice;
> this is not experienced once.”
>
> Buddhaghosa seems to explain the verse in terms of the four modes of progress (PED s.v. paṭipadā: "painful practice resulting in
> knowledge slowly acquired & quickly acquired, pleasant
> practice resulting in the same way"), presumably meaning that one does not go to the far shore twice, because at each stage of the path (which Norman idenitifes with sotāpanna, sakidāgāmin, anāgamin and arahat) one has a unique nibbāna experience.
>
> Buddhaghoṣa's commentary and my attempt to translate follow. It is not that clear, so if anyone has any suggestions for improving the translation, I would be grateful,
>
> Metta, Bryan
>
>
>
> For the essence of religious practice is the teaching. And this is the meaning of uccāvacā…pe…mutaṃ:  this mode of progress on the path, because of
>
> its division into the highest and the low, has been declared by the recluse as
> high and low (uccāvacā buddhasamaṇena pakāsitā). For pleasant practice, and
> the quick (acquisition of ) supernormal power is high; painful practice, and  the slow (acquisition of) supernormal power is
> low. The second two are high by one consideration, low by another
> (consideration); or just the first is high and the other three are low. With
> this exertion, with this high or low mode of progress, they do not go to the
> far shore of two kinds (na pāraṃ diguṇaṃ yanti,  or  alt.
> “they do not go to the far shore twice”). The reading “twice” (duguṇaṃ) has the meaning “They do not go
> to nibbāna twice by a single path.” Why
> is that? The afflictions which were abandoned by means of this path, they do
> not have to abandon again; by this, he is explaining the absence of phenomena
> which have waned. This is not thought of as one quality (or alt. “this is not
> experienced once”) (nayidaṃ ekaguṇaṃ mutaṃ). This far shore is not worth attaining
> only once. Why? Because of the absence of the abandoning of all the afflictions
> by means of the one path; therefore he explains the non-existence of the state
> of an arahant by means of just the one path.”[1]
>
> ________________________________
>
> [1] PJ
> 2, 497-98: uccāvacāti imissā gāthāya
> sambandho — evaṃ bhikkhācāravattasampanno hutvāpi tāvatakeneva tuṭṭhiṃ
> anāpajjitvā paṭipadaṃ ārodheyya. paṭipattisārañhi sāsanaṃ. sā cāyaṃ uccāvacā … pe … mutanti. tassattho — sā
> cāyaṃ maggapaṭipadā uttamanihīnabhedato uccāvacā buddhasamaṇena pakāsitā.
> sukhāpaṭipadā hi khippābhiññā uccā, dukkhāpaṭipadā dandhābhiññā avacā. itarā
> dve ekenaṅgena uccā, ekena avacā. paṭhamā eva vā uccā, itarā tissopi avacā.
> tāya cetāya uccāya avacāya vā paṭipadāya na
> pāraṃ diguṇaṃ yanti. “duguṇan”ti vā pāṭho, ekamaggena dvikkhattuṃ nibbānaṃ
> na yantīti attho. kasmā? yena maggena ye kilesā pahīnā, tesaṃ puna
> appahātabbato. etena parihānadhammābhāvaṃ dīpeti. nayidaṃ ekaguṇaṃ mutanti tañca idaṃ pāraṃ ekakkhattuṃyeva
> phusanārahampi na hoti. kasmā? ekena maggena sabbakilesappahānābhāvato. etena
> ekamaggeneva arahattābhāvaṃ dīpeti.
>
> ________________________________
>
> [1] Norman, Group of Discourses, 88.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>



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