[gopinadh]

Namo Sugata

Translation with Notes for DhammaChakka Pavattana Sutta (started on 25-03-2024)

 

Sn	Lines in Pali	Translation with
1	Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṃ viharati  isipatane miga·dāye. Tatra kho bhagavā pañca·vaggiye  bhikkhū āmantesi:	Once Bhagava was staying in Varanasi at the Isipatana Deer Sanctuary.  During the stay,  Bhagava  directed/lead  the group of five Bhikkhus into deep contemplation with the following words (manta)   Notes: mantan(am) is sometimes used  in the sense of  “consultations”. Manta or Mantra is a word(s), phrases, verses which aid contemplation or sometimes bring about certain physical and mental states in the person chanting the same correctly.
2	Dve·me, bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā. Katama Dve?	Bhikhhus, There are two dualities (dve) in this world, each of which enslave Man into extreme (anta) servitude. (sevitabba) You should be careful so as to not become enslaved into servitude sevitabba) by either of  them . Which two?
3	Yo c·āyaṃ kāmesu kāma·sukh·allik·ānuyogo hīno  gammo pothujjaniko an·ariyo an·attha·saṃhito,	One is enslavement and servitude to continuous pursuit (anuyogo) of Pleasure.   Such enslavement is bought about by attachment (allika) to sensual pleasures and desires. Men so enslaved , end up becoming base, insensitive  and their lives will eventually end up being thrown away like the husk from the paddy crop – worthless. (after trashing paddy,  the grain is stored into gunny bags and sent to the mill for polish while the husk (potthu) is thrown away useless. At the most,  it is fed to cattle and pigs  after mixing in water which we call kuditi). Such enslavement,  is not fit for men who are destined for goodness and greatness in Life.(anarya). It is a blemish on their inner character. Further more, great harm (“anattha” taken as “anartham”), accompanies (samhito) such enslavement. Notes: One component of the Duality, one of the two extremes,  can be taken as one part of a Vicious Cycle  of Dukkha. The other component,  completes the remaining part of the Vicious Cycle. We read in economy how vicious cycles come into existence- Being Poor- one falls into sickness- forced to take loan for treatment and is further pushed into more acute poverty.
4	yo c·āyaṃ attakilamath·ānuyogo dukkho an·ariyo  an·attha·saṃhito.	The Other one is blind servitude to Pain,  leading to being yoked (anuyogo) to defilements.   Notes: “attakilamatha” – the actual subjugation to pain may not be  ascetism and depriving oneself of pleasures,  but rather surrendering oneself to pain whenever it arises,  and allowing oneself to be  carried away by it,  in its flood. The outputs(resultant defilements) range from irritation to anger, to blindly seeking other avenues of pleasure, or harming others and various other defilements   – SallaSutta SN 36.6)). The opposite of enslavement  to Pleasure cannot be an enslavement  to  pain where ascetism etc is implied!! If one feels light and expansive and floating in air due to “pleasures” which come up in ones life,  the opposite is not moving away from pleasure or abstaining from it but rather crumbling/folding back and falling into an  abyss when “pains” mental or physical arise in ones Life.    The understanding that extreme asceticism is subjugation to pain and thus an extreme to be shunned,  does not require,  as they say,  a Buddha to awaken us to. But to see clinically,  how  we allow Pain,  whenever it comes into our lives,  to boss us, to roll over us  and finally enslave us –   is something which only a Buddha can wake us up to. Such blind subjugation to pain whenever it arises,  completes the  vicious cycle of Suffering (Dukkha) along with its counter part subjugation to pursuit of Pleasures. This constitutes  the Great Harm which accompanies such servitude(anattha). A vicious Cycle is bought into existence through servitude to these two extremes, into which men get entrenched. This will also perhaps, help us understand the word “samudaya” in the context of a vicious cycle. Craving and suffering generate each other thus  forming and rolling the Circle under which beings get grinded..

 

Sirs I will post the remaining starting from the Lord pointing to the Majjima Patipada and onwards ,, here, as I am working on the same.

Pls correct/add/improve

[gopinadh]

Table 2:Further meditation on the Dhamma Chakka Pavattana

I apologize for certain spelling and grammatical mistakes in the first table. I will revise(keep revising) , which will more importantly  include your suggestions. The following is from the point where we left at table 1.

Table 2

Sn	Lines in Pali	Translation with Notes
5	Ete kho, bhikkhave, ubho ante an·upagamma majjhimā paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā cakkhu·karaṇī  ñāṇa·karaṇī upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya  nibbānāya saṃvattati.	Now bhikkhus , there is a path which steers clear (anupagama) from servitude to pleasure as well as servitude to pain. This path  discovered and traversed by Buddhas of the past , present and to come,  generates (for those who follow suit),  a light – on to oneself (abhinaya), understanding and eventually culminates in nibbana. As tathagatha I assure you, that every step taken in this path (prati pada) instils and deepens(samvattati)  ones vision ,  knowledge. Each Step on this path ,  powers up new found  freedom(upasamaya) in Life,  from which confidence, and morality and countless merits flow. Note: Tatagatha is the Lord who speaks as it actually is. Note 2: Here in these lines, the Wheel of Dhamma is perhaps introduced – counter positioning it against the Wheel of Suffering constituted by  the two extremes.  Each step in the Wheel of Dhamma – generates purities as much as each step in the cycle of suffering generates defilements. Could this be what Thera Anna Kondanna Saw? Just as there exists a cycle of suffering-  there exists the wheel of dhamma? As common men we are blind to existence of such a rich life.
6	Katamā ca sā, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā  tathāgatena abhisambuddhā  cakkhu·karaṇī ñāṇa·karaṇī upasamāya abhiññāya   sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati? Ayam·eva   ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṃ:  sammā·diṭṭhi   sammā·saṅkappo  sammā·vācā  sammā·kammanto  sammā·ājīvo  sammā·vāyāmo  sammā·sati  sammā·samādhi.  Ayaṃ kho sā, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā   cakkhu·karaṇī ñāṇa·karaṇī upasamāya  abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.	Now bhikkhus comes the practise. It is eightfold. 1.    Do not let your perspective be blinded by enslavement to   pleasure and pain. 2.    Do not let your intention and thoughts be subservient to pleasure and pain. 3.    Do not let  your speech be hijacked by passion and attachment to pleasure or pain 4.    Do not let your actions spring from servitude to pleasure and pain 5.    Ensure your living is not entrenched in constant pursuit of pleasure and hidden subjugation to pain 6.    Ensure your efforts are not wasted nor dissipated  in constant pursuit of pleasure or running away from pain 7.    Be mindful , alert and guard all of the above, in body and mind,  against being enslaved by Pleasure and pain. 8.    With the above 7 you fall in the “Zone”, sharpen and develop that “Zone”  by which all the 7 are  further developed and so on – the Cycle (Wheel of Dhamma) goes on until one reaches Nibbana.    This is the practise , this is the contemplation, this constitutes the meditation and practise. These 8 are the pistons which fire up and move (samvattati) the wheel of dhamma.

Please correct/add/improve

[gopinadh]

Sirs this will be the last but one post to continue my meditation on the sutta

 This small post will be followed by table 3 where the 4 Aryan truths will be submitted, thereby completing the “engine” of the sutta.

Why do we want to live a life that follows the Eightfold Way, sir? Why do we take up dhamma?

Sirs, one day, I saw a lady feeding leftover rice to some street dogs. Until then, it was all fine. Suddenly, she pulled out a phone and started taking selfies with the feeding dogs in the background. It would obviously end up on Facebook or some other tube. Is it vulgar? But that’s our value system now, sir.

Why do we take up Dhamma sirs?

Perhaps then,  I am “ more” than the average person. I feel “ good”?

Or may be I will become Sotapanna, next that, next something more…

Like, I will become a millionaire, next billionaire, next top ten.

One year back, a girl was stabbed in my country 16 times, sir. No one intervened. Why should I sir? What if I die? Who will feed my children?

Last week, however, in Delhi, two men intervened sir and helped a victim.

These two men are Aryans, sir.

Every grain we eat is cultivated by this society. Our eyes look into galaxies and distant stars, but not into what’s happening around us.

We have programmed ourselves to live with contradictions, suffering, and conflict. Somehow, if we can live this life, like this way and that way, and die peacefully….we feel we have done it. However, even pigs do the same. Sirs, haven’t we seen little piglets already practicing mating? That is us, sir.

Aryans (elders) are those who are able to see the disorder, conflict, and contradictions in our lives. What a meaningless rut they have become: filled with fears, desires, hurts, loss, suffering, and the same in the world out there.

And that’s why Aryans take up dhamma, sir. Aryans genuinely see it. Like the two men who helped the victim. It comes from the inside, from their bones.

For Aryans, it’s their duty, sir, to win back order and end the cycle of dukkha, not just for themselves but also for the society that has fed, clothed, and housed them.

The four truths section explains how Aryans see and act upon the four truths. It reveals how deep and serious our servitude to the 2 extremes(disorders) is, which we are amazingly unaware of and sometimes refuse to see. The section also elucidates further the mechanism of suffering. Eventually, it explains how serious the eightfold path is and why it is the Duty of the Aryans.

[Lal]

Thank you! I suggest using a word processor, though. I corrected many grammar errors. It makes a big difference in getting your ideas across. 

[gopinadh]

Thanks Ariyaratna Sir. Will do it.

Reagrds sir.  

[gopinadh]

Sir(s) I have revised my draft of Dhamma Chakka Pavatta (DCP) Sutta. (I will be revisiting it, for it is giving me great joy) . And once it is in good shape I will post it here,  if I continue to feel that it will have some  utility and of assistance to others.

More importantly, 

I studied Ariyaratna Sir’s concept of Ichha, Niccha and Aniccha. I had to !, because I got stuck in the sutta. Especially at the start of  the Four Noble Truths. I now understand , why some scholars mistakenly thought ,  it was not an original part of the sutta and was inserted later.

It was followed by  some serious homework, based on Ariyaratna Sir’s lesson on these 3 terms .

The following is to present the basic framework , within which I will try and revise DCP

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Icca/Iccha is Desire.

Nicca/Niccha is our belief that Iccha or Icchas in Life can be fulfilled.

This is the basic outlook on Life. We are sure (100%, nay a 1000%) that Life “is”, there  to  enjoy, and it is an avenue to fulfil our Desires. To us,  “Suffering”,  is an unfortunate event , which sometimes happen. But,  even with these sporadic events of Suffering (minor or major) our belief in Life , that it is meant for fulfilling our desires, remains unshaken. To us, Life( as we know and live it) is one Biiiiig Iccha!

From hence forth I will not attempt to try and explain in detail, for I am finding it difficult to articulate in logical terms,  the facts I experience, but as all of you are in advance stages when compared to me(already traversed these), it shouldn’t be a problem.

1. If Nicca/Niccha was a fact (in Life- as we know it & live it) then life should end as soon as an event is completed. For instance I am sleeping and in the middle of the night I turn that way to change the sleeping position. 
2. If Life ( as we know & live) was nicca/niccha , there should have been an ending (ending with a capital E)  as soon as the turn was completed. A full stop Sirs. Are you with me?
3. But it doesn’t , I continue to sleep , wake up and life ( as we know& live)goes on, because it is Anicca/Aniccha. It is not in its own hands. It can never stand fulfilled. (Dhammapada 186, 187- there is no satisfying desires….).
4. If this View of Anicca is applied to our own “sense of being” then amazing doorways open.
5. The whole structure(me, my sense of being, My being or Being, –  call it whatever),  while it stands with lots and lots of promise, in fact, it is Anicca, can never ever be fulfilled. Like Hunger, a wound, it is always open.
6. In contrast to these facts, my life( as I know and live it) involves investing a lot of Ichha in my own being and Life as a whole. In fact, to me, Life( as I live it) is One Biig Iccha, while in reality, along with not being in its own hands, its nature is Aniccha.

And that’s it sir,  – Tampichham na labati Dukkham.

Sirs, please correct/add/improve.

[Author]

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