Re: Question on Sumaṅgalavilāsinī

From: Bryan Levman
Message: 4225
Date: 2015-03-11

Dear Lance,

Thanks very much for the translation of the ṭīkā. It is certainly very difficult to keep track of the different pronouns and what they refer to (mindfulness, craving, or the attabhāva), but it must be as you have rendered it, for it is now comprehensible.

The second sentence is quite odd as it equates mindfulness (sa sati) with the generator of mindfulness (tassā pi samuṭṭhāpikā eva nāma hoti). If I am reading it correctly I think it is craving which gives rise to the attabhāva, not mindfulness:

"But that mindfulness re: the individual which craving produces is also called the producer of mindfulness, because of the absence (of the individual) in the absence of it (craving); so he said 'former craving producing mindfulness'".

The satipaṭṭhāna of the "prior stage" (pubbabhāgasatipaṭṭhāna) - is this the same as the pubbabhāgamaggo referred to at Sv 3, 74331-7441
contrasted with the aparabhagamaggo?

Pubbabhāge nānā-mukha-bhāvanā-naya-ppavatto pi aparabhāge ekaṃ nibbānam eva gacchatī ti vuttaṃ hoti.

“‘In the former part it is starting out, leading to meditation on various entrances (to the path); in the latter it goes directly to the one nibbānaṃ’, it is said”.

As far as I can ascertain the "former part" refers to four applications of mindfulness; the "latter part" to the transcendental path, whatever that is.

Thanks again for your help,

Best wishes,

Bryan


From: "'L.S. Cousins' selwyn@... [palistudy]" <palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: [palistudy] Question on Sumaṅgalavilāsinī

 
I would render Sv III 766 = Ps I 250:

In this the mindfulness that comprehends inbreaths and outbreaths is the
truth of suffering, the former craving that gave rise to this is the
truth of arising.

And the ṭīkā:
pubbabhāgasatipaṭṭhānassa idha adhippetattā vuttaṃ *sati dukkhasaccan*
ti. *sā pana sati*: yasmiṃ attabhāve, tassa samuṭṭhāpikā taṇhā; tassā pi
samuṭṭhāpikā eva nāma hoti tadabhāve abhāvato ti āha “tassā samuṭṭhāpikā
purimataṇhā” ti, yathā “saṅkhārapaccayā” ti.
taṃviññāṇabījataṃsantatisambhūto sabbo pi lokiyo viññāṇappabandho
“saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṃ” tveva vuccati suttantanayena.

*Mindfulness is the truth of suffering* is said because what is referred
to here is satipaṭṭhāna in the prior stage. *But that mindfulness*: i.e.
the mindfulness that gives rise to the mind and body (attabhāva) in
which one is; it is called what generates that <mindfulness> because if
that <craving> does not exist then that <mind and body> does not exist,
therefore he said *the former craving which gives rise to this*, just as
<in the case of> conditioned by constructing. The whole ordinary
sequence of discrimination which is produced in that series from the
seed of that discrimination is referred to as "discrimination
conditioned by constructing" by the suttanta method.

I am not entirely sure, but I think this is referring to the abhidhamma
notion that the first active (javana) mind of a given life is always a
greed citta which attaches to the five aggregates. So then he gives the
Suttanta equivalent.

Lance Cousins

On 10/03/2015 15:02, Bryan Levman bryan.levman@... [palistudy] wrote:
> Dear Pāli friends,
> In the /Sumaṅgalavilāsinī/ there is a section where mindfulness
> practice is likened to the four truths (Sv 3, 766^11-17 ). Here the
> mindfulness practice which masters in and out breathing is equated
> with the truth of suffering, and “former craving producing
> mindfulness” (/tattha assāsapassāsapariggāhikā sati dukkhasaccaṃ,
> tassā samuṭṭhāpikā purimataṇhā samudayasaccaṃ/) is equated with the
> truth of origination.
>
> I am not clear on what that phrase /tassā samuṭṭhāpikā purimataṇhā
> samudayasaccaṃ/ (“former craving becoming visible by it, i.e.
> mindfulness”?) means, and wonder if anyone has any ideas?
>
> The verb is Sanskrit /samutthā/ /(sam + ud + sthā/) in caus. form, “to
> rise up together, come forth, appear, become visible”. /samuṭṭhāpikā/
> in Pāli means “occasioning, causing” per the PED.
>
> The /ṭīkā/ (Sv-pṭ) is not clear to me either. It appears in vol. 2,
> page 383^12-19 :
>
> /‘‘sati dukkhasaccan’ti. Sā pana sati yasmiṃ attabhāve, tassa
> samuṭṭhāpikā taṇhā, tassāpi samuṭṭhāpikā eva nāma hoti tadabhāve
> abhāvatoti āha ‘‘tassā samuṭṭhāpikā purimataṇhā’ti, yathā
> ‘‘saṅkhārapaccayā’ti (ma. ni. 3.126; udā. 1; vibha. 484).
> Taṃviññāṇabījataṃsantatisambhūto sabbopi lokiyo viññāṇappabandho
> ‘‘saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṃ’’ tveva vuccati suttantanayena./
> /
> /
> It seems to be saying that as consciousness is conditioned by
> /saṅkhāra/, so craving is conditioned by mindfulness, in the sense
> that the latter makes it visible.
> Tentative translation: “Mindfulness is the truth of suffering”. But
> that mindfulness in an individual where craving is made visible,
> although in truth it is produced by mindfulness, because of the
> disappearance in the absence of it, he said “Former craving made
> visible by it” (i. e. mindfulness). Just as it is said “Conditioned by
> intentions…. (consciousness)” all worldly consciousness continuity
> arises from that continuity of the seed of that consciousness, – that
> is just what is said according to the /suttantas./
> /
> /
> Any suggestions would be appreciated,
> Best wishes,
> Bryan



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