Re: MN 26

 

Dear All,

Today I came across this famous part of Ariyapariyesana sutta:

atha kho ahaṃ, bhikkhave, brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṃ viditvā sattesu ca kāruññataṃ paṭicca buddhacakkhunā lokaṃ volokesiṃ. addasaṃ kho ahaṃ, bhikkhave, buddhacakkhunā lokaṃ volokento satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe, tikkhindriye mudindriye, svākāre dvākāre, suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante.

which is translated by Ven. Nanamoli/Bodhi thus:

"Then I listened to the Brahma's pleading, and out of compassion for beings I surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha.I saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach, and some who dwelt seeing fear in blame and in the other world."

and by Ven. Anandajoti thus:

Then, monks, having understood Brahmā’s request, out of kindness I looked at beings around the world with my Buddha-eye. While looking around the world, monks, with my Buddha-eye, I saw beings having little dust on the eyes, having great dust on the eyes, having sharp faculties, having undeveloped faculties, having good conditions, having poor conditions, easy to instruct, hard to instruct, and only some who dwelt seeing danger in what is blameworthy and in the next world.

Apart from differences in translation in the bolded part, I was wondering what "the next world" would mean here. As far as I know, usually the next world would mean the next life, but somehow I don't see logic in connecting "seeing fear in blame" and "the next world".

Many thanks for your thoughts

Branko