RE: vibhuta in AN 11.10

Dear Chanida,



Since I am one of the translators who translated vibhūta in the sense of “disappeared, vanished, ceased to exist,” etc., I should explain the reason for my choice. The reason is quite simple.

In the Aṅguttara anthology “Numerical Discourses of the Buddha,” which I originally prepared for publication in 1997, I must have relied on dictionaries to guide me to occurrences of the word vibhūta (with its variants and compounded forms) in the canonical texts. However, when I made my translation of the complete Aṅguttara Nikāya, which was just published a couple of weeks ago, I could take advantage of the computer. I was thus able to use the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka’s search facility to seek out every instance of the word vibhūta soley in the mūla texts of the Suttapiṭaka. My search through the root texts did not turn up a single instance of the word being used in the sense of “clarified, made clear, illuminated,” etc., apart from the questionable occurrence at AN 11.10. All other uses in the root texts (which are not many) unambiguously suggest the meaning “disappeared, ceased to exist.” It thus seems to me that the meaning “clarified” that is ascribed to vibhūta is of later origin and is not discernible in the Nikāyas. 



Further, the meaning “disappeared, ceased,” etc., is supported by the Mahāniddesa and Cūlaniddesa when explaining vibhūta (and variants) in the Suttanipāta. Thus the Mahāniddesa (at VRI ed. 203 = Ee 2.278), commenting on rūpe vibhūte na phusanti phassa (Sn 872), says: Rūpe vibhūte vibhāvite atikkante samatikkante vītivatte pañca phassā na phusanti – cakkhusamphasso, sotasamphasso, ghānasamphasso, jivhāsamphasso, kāyasamphassoti – rūpe vibhūte na phusanti phassā. I would translate: “When form has disappeared, been eliminated, been overcome, been surmounted, been transcended, the five contacts do not contact—(namely) eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact—when form has disappeared, contacts do not contact.”



In the next verse, Sn 873, the question is posed: kathaṃ sametassa vibhoti rūpaṃ. Mahāniddesa (VRI ed. 203 = Ee 2.278-79) here glosses vibhoti with: vibhāvīyati atikkamīyati samatikkamīyati vītivattīyati = “is eliminated, overcome, surmounted, transcended.” Again, this supports the second of the two ways of understanding vibhūta at AN 11.10 that you present.



Sn 1113 reads: Vibhūtarūpasaññissa sabbakāyapahāyino. The Cūḷaniddesa (VRI  ed.150) explains vibhūtarūpasaññissa thus: arūpasamāpattiyo paṭiladdhassa rūpasaññā vibhūtā honti vigatā atikkantā samatikkantā vītivattāti – vibhūtarūpasaññissa. I would translate: “For one who has obtained the formless meditative attainments perceptions of form have disappeared, vanished, been overcome, been surmounted, been transcended.” This further supports the second understanding of vibhūta in your dichotomy of meanings.



But we need not rely on the Suttanipāta and the Niddesas to support this conclusion. The conclusion should follow from other suttas of the same type that occur in the Aṅguttara Nikāya in the Tens and Elevens. To take but one example (they are all similar), at AN 11.7 (V 318), the Buddha says: “Siyā, ānanda, bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṃ pathavisaññī assa ...”  = “There can be, Ānanda, such an attainment of samādhi by a monk such that he is not percipient of earth in relation to earth...” and so forth. The idea suggested here squares more readily with the idea that “the perception of earth has disappeared in regard to earth,” etc., than it does with the idea of the perception of earth being clarified in regard to earth, etc.



I hope that establishes my case. If anyone has found the word vibhūta being used unambiguously in the Nikāyas in the sense of “clarified,” please cite the source.



Sincerely,

Bhikkhu Bodhi





From: palistudy@yahoogroups.com [mailto:palistudy@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Chanida
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 4:49 PM
To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [palistudy] vibhūta in AN 11.10



  

I sent this message earlier, but it seems that the diacridics were not displayed correctly. So I am trying again. Hope things are alright.

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 vibhūtā hoti, 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 AN.V 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, gives the meaning 'clear, distinct' for vibhūta in this instance (see no.3):
"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.)

Pali commentary on the sutta writes: "Pathaviyaṃ pathavisaññā vibhūtā hotīti 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 : Aṅguttara Nikāya : An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nikāya, 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] 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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