From: Dmytro Ivakhnenko
Message: 4810
Date: 2016-10-01
The term has a wide range of meaning, and even in the particular context of meditation, its precise denotation and connotations are not easy to determine. A concise but very useful discussion of its usage in the SrBh and related texts is found in Schmithausen 1982a, p. 63, n. 15a (also containing referrences to relevant modern studies). In its basic usage, nimitta refers to the characteristic(s)/mark(s)/sign(s) (as directly perceived but more often as defined a priori by the Buddhist doctrine) which is/are grasped and internalised through meditation or reflection.This 'characteristic' means, to use Schmithausen's terminology (ibid.), sometimes the actual form in which the meditation object appears to the yogi (Erscheinungsform des Ubungsobjektes) and sometimes the mental image grasped from the representation of this appearance (das in die Vorstellung aufgenommene Bild dieser Erscheinungsform). This mental image can pass through various stages of refinement. The locus classicus explaining them and how they are produced is the Vism (see especially, p.101, §27 - p.104, § 41).
XX. The Chapter on the Mundane Path (Laukikamarga) in the Sravakabhumi: A Trilingual Edition (Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese), Annotated Translation, and Introductory Study. Volume II, p. 120
https://icabs.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=344
The "refined breath" mentioned by Acharn Lee Dhammadharo seems to have at least a partial parallel in Patisambhidamagga:
Iti kira ‘‘passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī’’ti sikkhati, ‘‘passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī’’ti sikkhati. Evaṃ sante vātūpaladdhiyā ca pabhāvanā hoti, assāsapassāsānañca pabhāvanā hoti, ānāpānassatiyā ca pabhāvanā hoti. Ānāpānassatisamādhissa ca pabhāvanā hoti; tañca naṃ samāpattiṃ paṇḍitā samāpajjantipi vuṭṭhahantipi.
So then he trains thus 'I shall breathe in calming the body fabrication;' he trains thus 'I shall breathe out calming the body fabrication:' that being so, there is production of the experience of wind, and there is production of out-breaths and in-breaths, and there is production of mindfulness of breathing, and there is production of concentration by mindfulness of breathing, and consequently the wise enter into and emerge from that attainment.
Yathā kathaṃ viya? Seyyathāpi kaṃse ākoṭite paṭhamaṃ oḷārikā saddā pavattanti. Oḷārikānaṃ saddānaṃ nimittaṃ suggahitattā sumanasikatattā sūpadhāritattā niruddhepi oḷārike sadde, atha pacchā sukhumakā saddā pavattanti. Sukhumakānaṃ saddānaṃ nimittaṃ suggahitattā sumanasikatattā sūpadhāritattā niruddhepi sukhumake sadde, atha pacchā sukhumasaddanimittārammaṇatāpi cittaṃ pavattati.
Like what? Just as when a gong is struck. At first gross sounds occur and [mind occurs] because the sign of the gross sounds is well apprehended, well attended to, well observed; and when the gross sounds have ceased, then afterwards faint sounds occur and [mind occurs] because the sign of the faint sounds is well apprehended, well attended to, well observed; and when the faint sounds have ceased, then afterwards mind occurs because it has the sign of the faint sounds as its object --
Evamevaṃ paṭhamaṃ oḷārikā assāsapassāsā pavattanti; oḷārikānaṃ assāsapassāsānaṃ nimittaṃ suggahitattā sumanasikatattā sūpadhāritattā niruddhepi oḷārike assāsapassāse, atha pacchā sukhumakā assāsapassāsā pavattanti. Sukhumakānaṃ assāsapassāsānaṃ nimittaṃ suggahitattā sumanasikatattā sūpadhāritattā niruddhepi sukhumake assāsapassāse, atha pacchā sukhumakaassāsapassāsānaṃ nimittārammaṇatāpi cittaṃ na vikkhepaṃ gacchati.
so too, at first gross in-breaths and out-breaths occur and [mind does not become distracted] because the sign of the gross inbreaths and out-breaths is well apprehended, well attended to, well observed; and when the gross in-breaths and out-breaths have ceased, then afterwards faint in-breaths and out-breaths occur and [mind does not become distracted] because the sign of the faint in-breaths and out-breaths is well apprehended, well attended to, well observed; and when the faint in-breaths and out-breaths [are so faint that perception of them] has ceased, then afterwards mind does not become distracted because it has the sign of the faint in-breaths and out-breaths as its object.
Thanks Jim,I think that indeed is a possible dreivation, but certainly not the only one, as it doesn't explain all the different meanings associated with the word. For your info, Whitney derives mitra from the -tra suffix (§ 1185), but "of questionable etymology", which means he doesn't know the root,Best wishes,Bryan
From: "'Jim Anderson' jimanderson.on@... [palistudy]" <palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
To: Pali Study Group <palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2016 5:20 AM
Subject: Re: [palistudy] Nimitta
Dear Bryan,
I asked Sayadaw A. Thitzana for help with the derivation of "nimitta" and
the folloing is the answer I got in his email response:
<< Here is answer regarding the word "nimitta"
Structural pattern of the word:
ni+mā+ta
"ni" is an upasagga(prefix). The root is"mā" which means to measure. "ta" is
a kita suffix which signifies past perfect tense. the vowel "ā" of the root
"mā" is changed into "i" while the suffix "ta" is augmented with consonant
"t".
The prefix "ni" has no specific meaning of modification which can affect the
meaning of the root. >>
J: All that's needed now is to find the rule about adding the augment t to
the
ta suffix to form -tta.
Best wishes,
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan Levman bryan.levman@... [palistudy]"
<palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
To: <palistudy@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: September 29, 2016 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: [palistudy] Nimitta
Thanks Jim,
Yes we are not going to solve it and lexicographers have been guessing for
years (centuries?); to which we've added a few more guesses. So yes the
meanings are rūḷhiyaṃ, "by popular meaning", not according to the meaning of
the root, as no one knows what that is,
Best wishes, Bryan