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Namo arahato
Friends pls help me bring out the meaning of the following verse from Theragatha 1.18 Singalapita. My attempt is not based on extensive study and synthesis of Sutta and tradition, for the simple reason that I do not possess the same. I am depending upon my out look and faith. I am not even a dhammanusari. But this is the best. So sirs:…
(Line followed by my submissions).
- Ahu Bhuddhassa Dayado , Bhikkhu Besakalavane
In the evening, men go to their homes and family for dinner. Some go to clubs for drink and food. Some men go to other places. Some men trying to have both , drink and go to home. We are easily bothered by little things, our seats must be properly cushioned, soaps must smell good, food must compulsorily be tasty or its like the end of the world!!
If food doesn’t taste good, we feel as though someone has thrust a dragger into our heart!!!
But this Thera being the inheritor of all the sampatthi(property) of Buddha, goes into a jungle and trains. That is why he is the real inheritor of all that Sugata has. Like a son is to his father/mother, like a younger brother to his elder one……
- Kevalam AthhiSannaya aphari pathavim imam
Isnt it amazing that Mind , which goes about so pompously reading suttas and giving interpretations, and which takes so much pride in being called the best employee or officer, best dad and as someone with the highest morals etc etc …., ultimately at the end of the day serves the Body?
Like a highly successful woman who runs a empire, and yet at the end of the day comes home to a drunkard husband, cooks, gets beaten , presses his feet and puts him to bed,……like that……Mind serves the body.24* 7.
It keeps it standing, sleeping, feeding, bathing, helping it reproduce, giving it sensual pleasures…. Body is the Boss.
Like a daily abused wife in love with the husband, who refuses to believe that Husband is a bad person, Mind thinks it’s the master. It also thinks the Husband is actually a good man. Far from actuality She has an image of him inside her Mind.
Similarly mind has no clue on the actual body. It has built up an “image-body” in its “inner space” and that through this Image-Body , it is itself/ himself /herself which is “enjoying”.
This image- body for it seems to be sweet and an object of pleasure. But fact remains whether “bimbakam” or actual body, Mind actually is caught up in it. It serves it, as its salve , but calls itself its master!!!!
The actual body however has a bone inside. This is the stark reality. When I recall myself, Gopinadh – clean shaven with lots of hair and spectacles, this is the mind made body, where as, all I need to do – is touch my cheek”bones” and bang I am into reality, like the matrix movie.
Whether in parts (we call asthika ) or as a whole the Asthipanjira(Skeleton), Its actually “bone” with which we are in “contact” with.By contact what I mean is my Life revolves around this “bone”.
All the touches , sensations, sukha which Mind thinks it is getting from a ”body”, in actually its getting from the Bone inside. All phassa, Vedana, sankhara and vinnana belongs to this bone.
While each of these can obivously be much more , like in an sotapanna or an arahant, with us that is about it. We have , owing to a wrong value system, set up this Life where the Bone Lives.
While that we need to re orient seems obivous , its not such a easy task!!!!! Any way….come back to our Lifes,
Desire , iccha, likings and longings, Sir, do not belong to the mind, nor the body , nor the flesh but to this Bone. The Bone is serviced with great care and attached to.
This Sirs is the Life which we have brought forth ourselves. A life which is determined by pleasure, whose value system is off the mark.
But life can be more than the Bone living this life. If not why “Dhamma”? Starting with the right view, (which begins with recognizing the disorder in our lives ) the Lord as well as Elders who followed have gven us the Steps. the Magga. This particular gatha does exactly that. The Elder SingalaPita , we are told practised AtthiSanna as one of the steps. By such steady application, Jhana, Pactise and dedication, teh following line happened in the elders Life.
- Manneham Kamaragam So, Khippameva pahissati
Freed from Kamaraga, set on the path. The Actual Life begins. A Life which every man woman can aspire to. Rich in freedom and truthfulness and innate joy and ease.
I think we covered a gap between the images we have in our minds and actuality, the concept of papancha and proliferation, or papancha sankha and how our Elders (whether in india, srilanka , asia , australlia or Africa) must have bought them into practise with sustained consideration.
This reminds me of an Aboriginal song , which says Man has a hole which never gets filled. Isnt He/She who wrote this a Buddha?. He might not be using the words “Dukkha” etc , however in his heart which is truthful, don’t we see the Lord?
That’s it sirs. Pls correct
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OK. Thank you!
Here is the reference: “Siṅgālapituttheragāthā.”
- I will take a look later. Others, please feel free to comment.
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It is a short sutta, a “Thera Gāthā” uttered by an Arahant “Siṅgālapituttheragāthā”:
“Ahu buddhassa dāyādo, bhikkhu bhesakaḷāvane;
Kevalaṁ aṭṭhisaññāya, apharī pathaviṁ imaṁ;
Maññehaṁ kāmarāgaṁ so, khippameva pahissatī”ti.
Translation:
“There was an heir of the Buddha, a bhikkhu in Bhesakaḷā forest,
who suffused the entire earth with the perception of “anicca saññā” (meaning he would not generate kama raga for anything on Earth)
I think he will quickly eliminate sensual desire (kāma rāga.)”
The critical point is to realize the following:
- There, aṭṭhi saññā means to realize the futility of craving things that induce kāma rāga, i.e., to cultivate “anicca saññā” for “sensual objects.”
- The “Aṭṭhikamahapphala Sutta (SN 46.57)” states that one who cultivates aṭṭhika saññā can become an Arahant or at least an Anagami: “Aṭṭhikasaññāya, bhikkhave, bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati vā upādisese anāgāmitā.” Here, “aññā” is an Arahant.
- The English translations of aṭṭhi saññā as “perception of bones” in the first sutta and “perception of a skeleton” in the second sutta in the above links are wrong. One cannot become an Arahant by contemplating “bones” or “skeletons.”
The meaning becomes evident in the “Girimānanda Sutta (AN 10.60)“: “Idhānanda, bhikkhu sabbasaṅkhāresu aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati.” I have explained this verse in #10 of “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – According to Some Key Suttā“
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Sir the translation given by you is like majestic. Then would it be that in the following verse ( reference below)
Dhamma pada 149 yani imani verse
When Lord was saying about bones being strewn about , it is meant, that by looking at the bones, to grasp the futility of likings and cravings? And not devolop a sense of bones or skeleton, as such, as a counter sign to lust etc,which is a wrong interpretation?
Regards.
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Another translation that is a bit more informative is here: “Dhammapada Verse 149“
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Sir thank you. Then is my following revision of what constitutes Atthi Sanna is now in line( as follows):
Aniccha is the truth that
(1) all ” iccha” s ( likings) are futile in the end. expressed in the sign of bones as in Dhammapada verse 149 referred to above. which is atthiyati in one of its aspects
(2) jiguchhati: blinding us for we are even prepared to do wrong for what we like and we are carried away by the flood.
(3) They have no real value. Here too the mataphor of bone can be used.
Sir, then atthi sanna is anicca sanna, which consists of being sure that all likings and getting stuck in them are futile, lead to blindness, and have no real value, just like bones.
So, seeing these bones( anicca), how can one still hold on to strong desires and likings? Is that it, sir? Please correct and also further elucidate harayati in the context of anicca. Regards, sir.
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“Harayati” means “no substance,” as I explained in “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – According to Some Key Suttā“
Please write comments while at home. There is no need to respond immediately. I also had to correct many spelling errors and grammar in other comments. I don’t mind that in short comments, but it is added work for me. A good comment may not make sense if not written correctly.
- Especially with long comments, please use software like Google Docs or Word to ensure the comment is grammatically correct.
- I may delete a comment and ask to be resubmitted in the future.
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Yes Sir. I will be more careful next time. Will first edit in MS word and post here. It will also help me articulate things better.
More importantly, I would like to thank you sir, for correcting my misunderstandings and a completely wrong take of the gatha.
I think it only shows lack of sincerity and hard work on my part. I will try and be careful on this front as well.
Regards Sir. It was a terrific Sunday for me. Hope the same was with you all. I am really enjoying learning here.
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Thank you! It will be a good practice.
- You have a better understanding than many. I have not been able to convey these ideas to some of my friends. Some have Ph. D.s but don’t “get it.” Their minds are occupied with making “scientific discoveries” or simply not interested! It motivates me to see my efforts make a difference in at least some!
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