vibhūta in AN 11.10

Dear Palistudy Friends,



I am struck with the disagreeing accounts on translation and interpretation
of *vibhūta* in Sandha-sutta (AN11.10) and need your suggestion. It is
sutta 10 of the ekādasaka-nipāta of the AN in PTS, but sutta 9 in Siamese,
Sinhalese and Burmese editions.



The paragraph containing the word in question (PTS: AN V 325-6) writes:

*Idha Sandha bhadrassa purisājānīyassa paṭhaviyā paṭhavīsaññā vibhūtā hoti,
āpasmiṃ āposaññā vibhūtā hoti, tejasmiṃ tejosaññā vibhūtā hoti, vāyasmiṃ
vāyosaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā
vibhūtāhoti, viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā
… ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā … nevasaññānāsaññāyatane
nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā … idhaloke idhalokasaññā … paraloke
paralokasaññā … yam p' idaṃ diṭṭhaṃ sutaṃ mutaṃ viññātaṃ pattaṃ pariyesitaṃ
anuvicaritaṃ manasā, tatrāpi saññā vibhūtā hoti. Evaṃ jhāyī kho Sandha
bhadro purisājānīyo neva paṭhaviṃ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṃ nissāya
jhāyati,...**tam pi nissāya na jhāyati, jhāyati ca pana.***



Scholars interpreted the word *vibhūtā* in this passage in two opposite
ways, i.e.,

1) clear, evident

2) destroyed, disappeared, non-existent



PTSD and PTS English translation of AN5 represent the former
interpretation, while modern translations by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Ven.
Thanissaro and the translation on the Buddhajayanti website follow the
latter.



PTSD, following the Pali commentary of AN.V, gives the meaning 'clear,
distinct' for *vibhūta* in this instance:

“*vibhūta*  (adj.) [pp. of vibhavati, or vi+bhūta]

1. [cp. bhūta 1, & vibhava 2] destroyed, annihilated, being without Th 1,
715; Sn 871 sq., 1113 (=vibhāvita atikkanta vītivatta Nd2 584).

2. [cp. bhūta 3] false Sn 664.

3. [cp. vibhāveti 2] clear, distinct A V.325; Miln 311; Abdhs 16 (a°
unclear); Vism 112 (& a°). -°ṃ karoti to explain Miln 308.”



Accordingly, Hare (PTS English translation AN5, p.207) translates the
paragraph: “Herein, Sandha, for the goodly thoroughbred man in earth the
consciousness of earth is made clear, in water the consciousness of water
is made clear; in fire… air and the rest… in this world… in the world
beyond… in whatsoever is seen…therein consciousness is made clear. Musing
thus the goodly thoroughbred man muses not dependent on earth and the
rest…and yet he does muse.

(Here, he notes: “*vibhūtā = pākatā*, *Comy*.)



Hare’s interpretation follows the commentary which writes: “*Pathaviyaṃ
pathavisaññā vibhūtā hotī*ti pathavārammaṇe uppannā
catukkapañcakajjhānasaññā vibhūtā pākaṭā hoti. ‘‘Vibhūtā, bhante, rūpasaññā
avibhūtā aṭṭhikasaññā’’ti imasmiñhi sutte samatikkamassa atthitāya
vibhūtatā vuttā, idha pana vipassanāvasena aniccadukkhānattato diṭṭhattā
vibhūtā nāma jātā.” (CST4)



The opposite interpretation is represented in the following modern
translations:



“Here, Sandha, for the good thoroughbred of a man, the perception of earth
has disappeared with regard to earth, the perception of water disappeared
with regard to water,…fire…air…(and the rest)… this world… the other world…
the perception of whatever is seen, heard, sensed and cognized has
disappeared there. Meditating in such a way, Sandha, the good thoroughbred
of a man does not meditate in dependence on earth or in dependence on
anything else, and yet he meditates.”

(Bodhi, and Nyanaponika. *Numerical Discourses of the Buddha : A**ṅ**guttara
Nik**ā**ya : An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nik**ā**ya*, Sacred
Literature Series. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1999, p.272-3)



“There is the case, Sandha, where for an excellent thoroughbred of a man the
perception[2]<http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.010.than.html#fn-2>of
earth with regard to earth has ceased to exist;
the perception of liquid with regard to liquid... fire... wind... (and the
rest)... the next world with regard to the next world... and whatever is
seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, or pondered by the
intellect: the perception of that has ceased to exist. Absorbed in this
way, the excellent thoroughbred of a man is absorbed dependent neither on
earth, liquid, fire, wind, the sphere of the infinitude of space, the
sphere of the infinitude of consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, the
sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, this world, the next
world, nor on whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought
after, or pondered by the intellect — and yet he is absorbed.”

[2] i.e., mental note or label

(Ven. Thanissaro:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.010.than.html)



“Here, Saddha, to the thoroughbred man, in earth the perception of earth is
destroyed, in water the perception of water is destroyed, in fire the
perception of fire is destroyed and in air the perception of air is
destroyed. In the sphere of space the perception of the sphere of space is
destroyed. In the sphere of consciousness the perception of the sphere of
consciousness is destroyed. In the sphere of nothingness the sphere of
nothingness is destroyed. In the sphere of neither perception nor
non-perception, the sphere of neither perception nor non perception is
destroyed. The perception of this world and the the perception of the other
world is destroyed. The perceptions of whatever seen, heard, experienced,
cognized and sought with the mind are destroyed. Yet, he concentrates.”

(Sister Upalavanna:
http://metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara6/11-ekadasakanipata/001-nissayavaggo-e.html
)



My problem is that I could make sense of both interpretations, although I
am more inclined to go with the former. In my understanding, both of them
could represent different meditative stages of the same person.



May I ask, from linguistic perspective, which interpretation is more likely
to you, and why?



Any ideas, comments or suggestions regarding translation and interpretation
will be greatly appreciated.



Many thanks in advance & mettāya,



Chanida


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