[Anonymous]

Hi Lal,

Metta. You are right. your teacher’s discourse is not in English and without this site, can not be accessed

https://puredhamma.net/key-dhamma-concepts/anicca-dukkha-anatta-2/anicca-dukkha-anatta-according-to-some-key-suttas/

in this post, there was discussion on Girimananda Sutta, and a line translated as: “Ananda, all sankhāra are like meatless bones, without substance.” could you please confirm if name of sutta is correct or if another sutta has these lines, as i couldn’t find these lines in girimananda sutta on suttacentral and understanding this concept feels very important

Metta to you

[Lal]

Sbalhara said: “in this post, there was discussion on Girimananda Sutta, and a line translated as: “Ananda, all sankhāra are like meatless bones, without substance.” could you please confirm if name of sutta is correct or if another sutta has these lines, as i couldn’t find these lines in girimananda sutta on suttacentral..”

I have given the link to the sutta in the post and it is correct; just click on the link. The exact phrase in the sutta (as stated in the post): “Katamā cānanda, sabba­saṅ­khā­resu anicchāsaññā? Idhānanda, bhikkhu sabba­saṅ­khā­resu aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati. Ayaṃ vuccatānanda, sabba­saṅ­khā­resu anicchāsaññā.”

Attiyati means like a chewing on a meatless bone.
Harayati means without “core” or substance.
Jigujjhati means like urine and feces: not to be liked, let alone craved.

This basically says, even though we generate vaci sankhara and “day dream” about sense pleasures, at a deep level those sankhara lead to corresponding vinnana, bhava, etc , and births (Paticca Samuppada) filled with suffering. Of course it is not easy to easy to grasp this aspect of anicca nature. It is said that only an Arahant can fully comprehend this aspect.

What needs to be understood first is that “it is not fruitful” to cultivate such conscious thoughts, and not to do immoral things to get such pleasures. Actually, getting there, especially regarding not generating vaci sankhara on sense pleasures, is achieved only at the Anagami stage.

See: “Correct Meaning of Vacī Sankhāra“.

I emphasize on vaci sankhara because that is where we start (talking to oneself). Then it leads to speech (still vaci sankhara), and then to bodily actions (kaya sankhara).

[Author]

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