Re: Brahmavihārī

brahma in most of the Pāli compounds is explained by seṭṭha, „best“. This would correspond to the second explanation given in the Abhidh-av-pṭ passage quoted by you (brahmabhūto vihāro).By the way there is also an article in print by Pontillo and Neri on the meaning of the word brahmabhūto in Pāli and Vedic texts, which I could send you once it appeared.

Petra

Am 06.04.2016 um 23:35 schrieb sicala2010@... [palistudy] <palistudy@yahoogroups.com>:

Thanks, Bryan,
The Pali text is from Abhidhammāvatāra-purāṇaṭīkā (Myanmar page 2.22, VRI 2.166)

The full text is:
819. Tikajjhānavahāti catukkanayena tikajjhānavahā, pañcakanayena pana catukkajjhānavahā, mettākaruṇāmuditā hi mettādīnaṃ somanassasahagatānameva ārammaṇattā pañcamajjhānikā na honti. Appanappattā hi mettādayo somanassena vinā nappavattanti. Catutthopi brahmavihāroti sambandho. Brahmānaṃ uttamānaṃ vihāro, brahmabhūto vā vihāroti brahmavihāro, so upekkhābhāvanāvasena catutthajjhāniko. Tatthāpi mettādivasena paṭiladdhajjhānacatukkassevetaṃ appeti, netarassa. Kasmā? Mettādīnaṃ nissandattā. Yathā hi kasiṇānaṃ nissandā āruppā, yathā ca samathavipassanānissandā nirodhasamāpatti, evaṃ mettādinissandā upekkhā. Āruppā catutthajjhānikāti aṅgasamatāvasena āruppāpi catutthajjhānasseva pabhedāti katvā vuttaṃ.