Meaning of Sanatana

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  • This topic has 7 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 months ago by Lal.
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    • #45758
      Aniduan
      Participant

      I am just curious to know meaning of the word Sanatana. I know what San means from reading this site but not sure about Atana. Thank you.

    • #45759
      Lal
      Keymaster

      I have not seen a Pali word “santana.” Is it in a sutta? Where does it appear?

    • #45760
      Aniduan
      Participant

      I came across it on YouTube. Upon google search the word Sanatana Dharma comes up as eternal truth in Hinduism. But seeing the San prefix piqued my interest. I thought the word probably has Pali roots and was appropriated by Hindu religion. I just searched for the word on sutta central and nothing comes up.

       

    • #45771
      Lal
      Keymaster

      Yes. There are similar-sounding words common to Buddhism and Hinduism. 

    • #45772
      cubibobi
      Participant

      sanantana” appears in Verse 5 of Yamaka Vagga of the Dhammapada:

      Na hi verena verāni
      sammantī’dha kudācanam
      Averena ca sammanti
      esa dhammo sanantano

    • #45773
      Lal
      Keymaster

      sanantano” in the above verse differs from “santana,” which is not a Pali word.

      santanano” can be interpreted as “leading to the end of “san” (i.e., “san” + “anta” where “anta” means “end”). Here “sanantano” means  “end of ‘san’ is accomplished with

      Thus, the verse can be translated as follows:

      “Hatred is never appeased by hatred 

      It is appeased only by loving-kindness

      Non-hatred leads to the end of “san” (“san” + anti” rhymes as “sammanti“)

      That Dhamma (Buddha Dhamma with non-hatred or loving-kindness) accomplishes the end of ‘san’

      To attain the ability to generate genuine and automatic “non-hatred,” one must understand and follow the “anicca nature” of this world. Mere adherence to “non-violence” as a “sila” cannot achieve genuine and permanent “non-hatred.” In other words, only the “Ariyakānta sila” of a Sotapanna Anugami or above can have the basis of that mindset.

    • #45775
      cubibobi
      Participant

      Thank you, Lal! Your response shed much light and made me think of a few things.

      First, Aniduan wrote: “Upon Google search the word Sanatana Dharma comes up as eternal truth in Hinduism”

      I thought that he had a typo and left out the “n”, and thus I thought of the above Dhammapada verse. This is because I have seen only this kind of translation for the verse;

      It is not by hatred that hatred
      subsides here anytime.
      but by non-hatred they subside.
      this is an eternal law.

      The last line is always translated as:

      this is the timeless Truth
      this is the eternal law
      etc.

      I suppose this is another example of conventional meaning vs deeper meaning. I have not seen sanantano explained this way — as the end of “san” — although it makes a lot of sense, based on what we have been learning here.

      Another question about the Pali breakdown: it seems like “anti” (in sammanti) and “anta” (in sanantano) are the same meaning components (the end) in different forms?

      Related to the above, I was reading the latest post: Uncovering the Suffering-Free (Pabhassara) Mind

      Under number 12, we have the phrase “sīti bhavissanti“, meaning “will be fully cooled down“. Does bhavissanti break down to “bhava” + “anti“?

    • #45778
      Lal
      Keymaster

      1. The Wikipedia article “Sanātana Dharma” says: “Sanātana Dharma refers to the “eternal” truth and teachings of Hinduism.

      2. Buddha Dhamma is also an eternal Dhamma: It describes the world’s true nature. In the above verse, one such truth is that “That Dhamma (Buddha Dhamma with non-hatred or loving-kindness) accomplishes the end of ‘san’“ as I explained above.

      3. Many of the teachings in the Vedas are mundane versions of the Buddha Dhamma taught by Buddha Kassapa, who appeared before Buddha Gotama. Of course, all Buddhas teach the same Paticca Samuppada Dhamma.

      • As I have mentioned previously, many “Buddhist concepts” existed (in watered-down, mundane form) when Buddha Gotama was born. His mother had taken the “eight precepts” on the day the Buddha (Bodhisatta) was born.

      Lang asked: “Under number 12, we have the phrase “sīti bhavissanti“, meaning “will be fully cooled down“. Does bhavissanti break down to “bhava” + “anti“?”

      • It is a bit different.
      • A related word is “bhavissati” meaning “bhava” + “assa” usually referring to “staying in a certain way” or “to live accordingly.” 
      •  “bhavissanti” is plural.
      • Of course, “sīti” means “cooled-down state,” another synonym for Nibbana.
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