tiivraM hy utpadyate duHkhaM iha taavan mumuuRshataaM /
kiM punaH patataaM svargaad ev' aante sukha-sevinaaM //11.51//
= = = = - = = = - - = = - = - =
= - = - - = = = = = = - - = - =
For intense already is the pain that arises
In those facing death in this world.
How much worse is it for pleasure-addicts
When they finally fall from heaven?
COMMENT:
The sukha-sevinaam of line 4 means being addicted or devoted to pleasure, which Ananda sees as a fault, as opposed, for example, to the virtue of being devoted to practice or work on the self.
But lest it be misunderstood as a killjoy ascetic view, this verse might be best understood in light of previous verses in which Ananda has spoken of such work on the self as inherently enjoyable, viz: Therefore if you want enjoyment, let your mind be directed within./ Tranquil and impeccable is enjoyment of the inner self and there is no enjoyment to equal it.//11.34// In it, you have no need of musical instruments, or women, or ornaments; / On your own, wherever you are, you can indulge in that enjoyment.//11.35//
Intense emotional pain, it seems to me, is generally associated with pulling my head back and down and thinking what might have been. And so an antidote to such emotional pain might be to direct the head forward and up, in such a way as the back keeps tending to lengthen and widen.
I wonder, then, if it is possible, even at the point of death, to keep looking forward, directing the head forward and -- if one is sitting or standing -- upward.
Dogen in his instructions for sitting-meditation for everyone, seems to point to such a possibility, relying on the power of working on the self.
EH Johnston:
For think how bitter is the suffering in this world of those at the point of death ; how much worse then is the suffering of the devotees of pleasure who fall at the last from Paradise?
Linda Covill:
People at death's door here in this world feel violent sorrow; how much more so the pleasure-addicts when they finally fall from heaven!
VOCABULARY:
tiivram (nom. sg. n.): mfn. strong , severe , violent , intense , hot , pervading , excessive , ardent , sharp , acute , pungent , horrible
hi: for
utpadyate = 3rd pers. sg. ut- √ pad: to arise , rise , originate , be born or produced ; to come forth , become visible , appear
duHkham (nom. sg.): n. suffering, sorrow
iha: ind. in this place , here, in this world, now
taavat: ind. at once , now , just ; indeed, truly; already (opposed to " how much more " or " how much less ")
mumuuRshataam = gen. pl. m. pres. part. desid. mR: to wish or be about to die , face death
kim punar: ind. how much more? how much less?
patataam = gen. pl. m. pres. part. pat: to fall
svargaat (abl. sg.): m. heaven
eva: (emphatic)
ante (loc. sg.): m. end , limit , boundary , term; end of life, death
sukha-sevinaam (gen. pl. m.): addicted to pleasure
sukha: n. pleasure, ease, comfort
sevin: mfn. (only ifc.) going or resorting to , frequenting , inhabiting; addicted to , fond of , enjoying , practising , employing
5 comments:
Andrew, does your Orinal Nature
have a name? The Known has names.
Infinite possiblity has no name.
Why do you choose to have a name?
If you die every day, do you still
need a name?
the point is not
"name"
or
"no
name"
but
personal
consistency
or
"do
one
thing
and
say
another
in
english !"
there
are
millions
like
you
unfortuantely
: o (
give
me
two
cents
for
every
twit
who
claims
to
know
something
about
this
on
these
boards/
blogs
and
i'd
be
rich
: o (
cliche
flingers
basically
: o (
i don't know who you are but there's a dimension you are not seeing, same with mike and just about every zen master i have come across!
what
can i say?
dogen mostly misses it to tho not entirely which accounts for his popularity in zen
in actual fact dogen got a much better bead on it towards the end of his life and became much more like basho
ashgavosha however sees it, that's really different and probably why we are all here !
more
feeding
of
the
sharks
i
guess !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeWGBX1UlFE
It seems to me, Andrew, that you are practising the very behaviour that you are criticizing. You are not the first person to do that. We all tend to do it. But you seem to be demonstrating this mirror principle in a conspicuously exaggerated way.
I hope you accept this observation in the spirit of 11.53 which, as I read it, relates to the principle of negative feedback.
you are dead right about 11.53 tho perhaps not in the way you think, but i am dying and will be so in 10to 30 years
this
is
what
i
notice
about
you
have
these
savant
streaks
which
are
preternatural
but
walk
over
the
obvious !
the
missing
dimension
is
basho
it's
that
simple
why
have
you
closed
it
off
to
yourself ?
did you
look
at
that
bukowski
video?
you
just
have
to
stretch
yourself
in
the
right
direction
which
is
not
sitting !
Post a Comment