him'-aatapa-vyaadhi-jaraa-kShud-aadibhir
yad"-aapy an-arthair upaniiyate jagat
jalaM shucau maasa iv' aarka-rashmibhiH
kShayaM vrajan kiM bala-dRpta manyase
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.8
Cold, heat, disease, old age, hunger:
While the living are being reduced by such adversities
Like water in the hot season by the sun's rays,
What are you thinking,
taker of pride in strength!
as you wander towards your end?
COMMENT:
Again, the striver chooses words that sound similar to words spoken by the Buddha, for example in Canto 15:
Here cold, there heat, here disease, there danger / Oppresses humanity in the extreme. The world, therefore, has no place of refuge // [15.45]
That "I am young," or "I am strong," should not occur to you / [15.54]
However, in light of the striver's accusation here that Nanda is unduly proud of his strength, it is instructive to re-read Canto 7.
On the evidence of Canto 7, Nanda if anything seems to regard himself as being too weak.
So whose conceit is really the issue? Nanda's? Or the ascetic striver's?
On the evidence of his own words who has got a problem with conceit? Nanda, the one who protests that he is weak (durbalaH aham; 7.46)? Or the ascetic striver, the one who says he knows (aham avabuddhaH; 9.5)?
As I sat this morning with the early morning spring sunshine outside stimulating various birds to tweet, including a pair of blue tits that flitted on the branches of the pear tree in the front garden, I found myself reflecting on the fact that, considering I sort of expected myself some years back to become "the most excellent Buddhist master in the world," I have made a right pig's ear of the whole thing. This kind of mind-wandering might be a very different state from the unitary awareness of the 2nd dhyana... but on some mornings I can't be bothered to make the right kind of effort.
In any case, what is more fundamental in the Buddha's teaching, as I understand it, is not to make the wrong kind of effort. And thanks to input from various sources, including the words of Ashvaghosha, I am grateful at least to be clear about one thing, which is that the practice of sitting on a round cushion as the Buddha taught it, is not any kind of ascetic striving. Ascetic striving is the wrong kind of effort, and not to make it is a really important point. If I have totally failed to clarify anything else, I would at least like to be clear about this point.
Ascetic striving is a kind of egoistic forcing of what needn't be forced, or what can't be forced. It is a misguided attempt to do an undoing, rooted in egotistical thinking. So it might be very natural that Ashvaghosha's striver has a problem with pride.
EH Johnston:
Seeing that the world is subject to attack from calamities such as cold, heat, disease, old age, hunger etc., like the water in the hot season from the rays of the sun, what are you thinking about, you who are so proud of your strength, as you pass to decay?
Linda Covill:
You, body-proud, what are you thinking as you travel towards ruin? The world is pulled in by misfortune -- cold, heat, sickness, old age and hunger -- just as water in the hot season is absorbed by the rays of the sun.
VOCABULARY:
him'-aatapa-vyaadhi-jaraa-kShud-aadibhiH (inst. pl.): cold, heat, sickness, aging, hunger, and so on
hima: m. cold, frost ; the cold season , winter
aatapa: m. heat (especially of the sun)
vyaadhi: sickness
jaraa: aging
kShudh: f. hunger
aadi: ifc. beginning with , et caetera , and so on
yadaa: ind. when, at which time
api: also, even (emphatic)
an-arthaiH (inst. pl.): n. disappointing occurrence , reverse , evil
upaniiyate = 3rd pers. sg. passive upa- √ nii: to lead or drive near , bring near , bring ; to lead or draw towards one's self ; to bring to any state, reduce to ; to bring about , produce , cause
jagat (nom. sg.): n. the world
jalam (nom. sg.): n. water
shucau (loc. sg.): m. fire; m. the sun; m. a partic. hot month (accord. to some = aaShaaDha or jyeShTha , accord. to others " the hot season in general ")
maase (loc. sg.): m. month
iva: like
arka-rashmibhiH (inst. pl.): by rays of the sun
arka: m. the sun
rashmi: m. string ; a ray of light , beam , splendour
kShayam (acc. sg.): m. loss , waste , wane , diminution , destruction , decay , wasting or wearing away ; end, termination (kShayaM √ gam , √yaa , √i , or upa √i , to become less , be diminished , go to destruction , come to an end , perish)
vrajan = nom. sg. n. pres. part. vraj: to go , walk , proceed , travel , wander , move
kim: ind. what?
bala-dRpta (voc.): O one who is proud of his strength!
bala: n. power , strength , might , vigour
dRpta: mfn. mad , wild , proud , arrogant
dRp: to be mad or foolish , to rave ; to be extravagant or wild , to be arrogant or proud , to be wildly delighted
manyase = 2nd pers. sg. man: to think
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 9.7: Cheap Views, Anyone?
yad" anna-paan'-aasana-yaana-karmaNaam
a-sevanaad apy ati-sevanaad api
shariiram aasanna-vipatti dRshyate
bale 'bhimaanas tava kena hetunaa
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.7
When, through failure to eat and drink,
or sit down, or move about,
And also through over-indulgence in those acts,
The body manifestly goes to ruin,
What reason is there for you
to have the conceit of physical strength?
COMMENT:
If the Buddha were speaking these words, I hope that I would have the humility to shut up and listen to their gist. But since the striver is speaking these words, something jars me to counter his cheap view on the fragility of a human body with some cheap views of my own.
Sometimes in my life I have been surprised by my own physical strength. When I was a teenager I used to practise weight training in between rugby training sessions, and I was surprised by how effective that training was in bulking up my inherently gaunt frame. Again, the first time I punched somebody in earnest in a karate tournament, I could hardly believe it when he went down, winded, like a ton of bricks. And in more recent history, as I set off to cycle last year from the port of Caen Ouistreham to my dojo in France, I had a lingering doubt whether I would be able to make it in a day or not, but in fact I managed to cycle 70 miles in about 8 hours without too much bother.
Again, most of us have had the experience, at the height of an illness, of thinking along the lines of "I've had a good life. I wouldn't mind slipping away right now and being free of this suffering." And yet, irrespective of such mental desire, the human body seems to have a resilience of its own -- a resilience, again, that is sometimes surprising. It doesn't take long perusing the news to come across some inspiring story of human survival against apparently insurmountable odds.
So even though the striver says in yesterday's verse that the physical body is as fragile as foam on water, and even though he suggests in today's verse that the strength of a physical body is invariably a conceit, I don't necessarily believe him.
Yes, in accordance with the 2nd law of thermodynamics, all material things are impermanent. Yes, "I am strong," is an illusion. To say "I feel indestructible" is to express a delusion. And yet there are times when, here and now, the strength and resilience of a human body -- even a flabby middle-aged one -- is a very remarkable fact.
Going further, when circumstances are right and the self is used well, without any trace or hint of ascetic striving, then there may be moments when a human body can be like a tiger before its mountain stronghold, or like a dragon that has found water.
One of the functions of Ashvaghosha's striver, as I see him, is to provide us with a mirror for that which is tainted by striving in our own effort in pursuit of the ultimate tranquillity and ultimate resilience symbolized by the tiger and the dragon.
Another function might be to encourage a sharpening of our critical faculties.
The implicit message I hear coming down through the centuries from Ashvaghosha is: Just because the striver bears the insignia, don't assume he knows what he is talking about.
Similarly, she might be a Member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, but when she says FM Alexander taught this and that, don't take her word for it. And I might have got a certificate signed by a teacher in a line of buddha-ancestors affirming that I have received the transmission of the lifeblood of the buddha-ancestors... but it might not necessarily be so.
The message then, in short, is don't trust the uniform. Examine critically -- in terms of his wisdom or lack of it, in terms of his integrity or lack of it, and in terms of the untaintedness or taintedness of his sitting practice -- the individual human being.
EH Johnston:
Why have you this conceit of your strength, when the body is seen to come to grief through too little or too much addiction to the actions of eating, drinking, sitting and walking ?
Linda Covill:
The body is obviously close to failing, either from neglecting the activities of eating, drinking, resting and exercising or from over-indulging in them. Why then are you so proud of your physical fitness?
VOCABULARY:
yadaa: ind. at which time
anna-paan'-aasana-yaana-karmaNaam (gen. pl. n.): the actions of eating, drinking, sitting and going
anna: n. food; eating
paana: n. drinking
aasana: n. sitting , sitting down
yaana: n. going , moving , marching etc.
karman: n. act, action
a-sevanaat (abl. sg.): because of not practising
a: (negative prefix)
sevana: n. devotion or addiction to , fondness for , indulgence in , practise or employment of (gen.)
api: also
ati-sevanaat (abl. sg.): because of over-indulgence in
ati-: ind. beyond, over, excessively
sevanaat: n. devotion or addiction to , fondness for , indulgence in , practise or employment of
api: also
shariiram (nom. sg.): n. the body ; one's body i.e. one's own person ; bodily strength
aasanna-vipattiH (nom. sg. n.): near to its demise ; close to death
aasanna: mfn. seated down , set down ; near , proximate ; reached
vi-patti: f. going wrongly , adversity , misfortune , failure , disaster ; ruin , destruction , death
dRshyate = 3rd pers. sg. passive dRsh: to be seen , become visible , appear
bale (loc. sg.): n. strength
abhimaanaH (nom. sg.): m. high opinion of one's self , self-conceit , pride , haughtiness ; conception (especially an erroneous one regarding one's self)
tava (gen. sg.): your
kena hetunaa (inst.): by what cause? why?
a-sevanaad apy ati-sevanaad api
shariiram aasanna-vipatti dRshyate
bale 'bhimaanas tava kena hetunaa
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.7
When, through failure to eat and drink,
or sit down, or move about,
And also through over-indulgence in those acts,
The body manifestly goes to ruin,
What reason is there for you
to have the conceit of physical strength?
COMMENT:
If the Buddha were speaking these words, I hope that I would have the humility to shut up and listen to their gist. But since the striver is speaking these words, something jars me to counter his cheap view on the fragility of a human body with some cheap views of my own.
Sometimes in my life I have been surprised by my own physical strength. When I was a teenager I used to practise weight training in between rugby training sessions, and I was surprised by how effective that training was in bulking up my inherently gaunt frame. Again, the first time I punched somebody in earnest in a karate tournament, I could hardly believe it when he went down, winded, like a ton of bricks. And in more recent history, as I set off to cycle last year from the port of Caen Ouistreham to my dojo in France, I had a lingering doubt whether I would be able to make it in a day or not, but in fact I managed to cycle 70 miles in about 8 hours without too much bother.
Again, most of us have had the experience, at the height of an illness, of thinking along the lines of "I've had a good life. I wouldn't mind slipping away right now and being free of this suffering." And yet, irrespective of such mental desire, the human body seems to have a resilience of its own -- a resilience, again, that is sometimes surprising. It doesn't take long perusing the news to come across some inspiring story of human survival against apparently insurmountable odds.
So even though the striver says in yesterday's verse that the physical body is as fragile as foam on water, and even though he suggests in today's verse that the strength of a physical body is invariably a conceit, I don't necessarily believe him.
Yes, in accordance with the 2nd law of thermodynamics, all material things are impermanent. Yes, "I am strong," is an illusion. To say "I feel indestructible" is to express a delusion. And yet there are times when, here and now, the strength and resilience of a human body -- even a flabby middle-aged one -- is a very remarkable fact.
Going further, when circumstances are right and the self is used well, without any trace or hint of ascetic striving, then there may be moments when a human body can be like a tiger before its mountain stronghold, or like a dragon that has found water.
One of the functions of Ashvaghosha's striver, as I see him, is to provide us with a mirror for that which is tainted by striving in our own effort in pursuit of the ultimate tranquillity and ultimate resilience symbolized by the tiger and the dragon.
Another function might be to encourage a sharpening of our critical faculties.
The implicit message I hear coming down through the centuries from Ashvaghosha is: Just because the striver bears the insignia, don't assume he knows what he is talking about.
Similarly, she might be a Member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, but when she says FM Alexander taught this and that, don't take her word for it. And I might have got a certificate signed by a teacher in a line of buddha-ancestors affirming that I have received the transmission of the lifeblood of the buddha-ancestors... but it might not necessarily be so.
The message then, in short, is don't trust the uniform. Examine critically -- in terms of his wisdom or lack of it, in terms of his integrity or lack of it, and in terms of the untaintedness or taintedness of his sitting practice -- the individual human being.
EH Johnston:
Why have you this conceit of your strength, when the body is seen to come to grief through too little or too much addiction to the actions of eating, drinking, sitting and walking ?
Linda Covill:
The body is obviously close to failing, either from neglecting the activities of eating, drinking, resting and exercising or from over-indulging in them. Why then are you so proud of your physical fitness?
VOCABULARY:
yadaa: ind. at which time
anna-paan'-aasana-yaana-karmaNaam (gen. pl. n.): the actions of eating, drinking, sitting and going
anna: n. food; eating
paana: n. drinking
aasana: n. sitting , sitting down
yaana: n. going , moving , marching etc.
karman: n. act, action
a-sevanaat (abl. sg.): because of not practising
a: (negative prefix)
sevana: n. devotion or addiction to , fondness for , indulgence in , practise or employment of (gen.)
api: also
ati-sevanaat (abl. sg.): because of over-indulgence in
ati-: ind. beyond, over, excessively
sevanaat: n. devotion or addiction to , fondness for , indulgence in , practise or employment of
api: also
shariiram (nom. sg.): n. the body ; one's body i.e. one's own person ; bodily strength
aasanna-vipattiH (nom. sg. n.): near to its demise ; close to death
aasanna: mfn. seated down , set down ; near , proximate ; reached
vi-patti: f. going wrongly , adversity , misfortune , failure , disaster ; ruin , destruction , death
dRshyate = 3rd pers. sg. passive dRsh: to be seen , become visible , appear
bale (loc. sg.): n. strength
abhimaanaH (nom. sg.): m. high opinion of one's self , self-conceit , pride , haughtiness ; conception (especially an erroneous one regarding one's self)
tava (gen. sg.): your
kena hetunaa (inst.): by what cause? why?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 9.6: Denouncing the Conceit of Personal Strength
idaM hi rog'-aayatanaM jar"-aavashaM
nadii-taT'-aanokahavac cal'-aa-calaM
na vetsi dehaM jala-phena-durbalaM
bala-stha-taam aatmani yena manyase
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.6
For this body which is a domicile for disease,
standing helpless before senility,
Teetering like a tree with its roots on a riverbank,
You do not know to be as fragile as froth on water,
Wherefore you feel there to be abiding strength in you.
COMMENT:
The three elements of strength (bala), good looks (ruupa) and youth (yauvana) which were mentioned in 9.4 and repeated in 9.5 will now be examined one by one. From this verse through to 9.23, the striver chastises Nanda for the tendency to think himself strong (bala). In 9.24 to 9.26 he chastises Nanda for thinking himself good-looking and recaps the argument against seeing any human body in terms of its beauty (ruupa). In 9.27 to 9.29 he targets the youthful presumption of enduring youth (yauvana). Then through to 9.34 the striver considers old age as the universal destroyer of strength, beauty and youth. From 9.35 to the end of his monologue in 9.49, the striver sounds somewhat like the Buddha, and at the same time somewhat like men of religion everywhere, in his denial of egoism with regard to ownership of one's own body, and in his denial of attachment to pleasures of the flesh. In the final two verses of the Canto, Ashvaghosha informs us that though the striver was so great in hearing what is heard, his chastising of Nanda had no salutary effect whatsoever: Nanda like an elephant in full rut remained blinded by lust.
To bear the insignia of shaved head, robe and bowl is the Buddha's teaching, as is investigation of impermanence. But as is evident from the striver's example, to wear a Buddhist uniform and parrot Buddhist cliches about impermanence is not it.
The Buddha's teaching, as is evident from what the Buddha personally transmits to his younger brother, is to devote oneself wholeheartedly and in solitude, when time and place are right, to the true practice of yoga.
On the basis of the first nine cantos of the eighteen cantos of Saundara-nanda, if we are fortunate enough to find ourselves again at that happy time and place, we can at least be very clear about one thing: the true practice of yoga, as the Buddha taught is, is not tainted by any trace or hint of ascetic striving.
EH Johnston:
You deem your strength to be permanent ; for you do not realise that the body is the abode of disease, subject to old age, frail as the foam on the river and insecure as a tree on the bank of a stream.
Linda Covill:
You think bodily strength will endure in you because you do not comprehend that the body is the living quarters of disease, helpless before old age, as loose as a tree on a riverbank, fragile as a water-bubble.
VOCABULARY:
idam (acc. sg. n.): this
hi: for
rog'-aayatanam (acc. sg. n.): the abode of disease
roga: m. ( √ruj) " breaking up of strength " , disease , infirmity , sickness
aayatana: n. resting-place , support , seat , place , home , house , abode
aa- √ yat: to arrive, enter ; abide ; rest on
jar"-aavasham (acc. sg. n.): powerless against aging
jaraa: f. the act of becoming old , old age
avasha: mfn. not having one's own free will , doing something against one's desire or unwillingly
nadii-taT'-aanokahavat (acc. sg. n.): like a tree on a river bank
nadii: f. river
taTa: m. a slope, shore
an-oka-ha: m. " not quitting his home or his place " , a tree
oka: m. house, refuge
vat: (affix indicating resemblance) like
cal'-aa-calam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. movable and immovable , locomotive and stationary ; ever-moving (the wheel of saMsaara) ; moving to and fro , movable , tremulous , unfixed , loose ; unsteady , changeable
na: not
vetsi = 2nd pers. sg. vid: to know , understand , perceive , learn , become or be acquainted with , be conscious of , have a correct notion of
deham (acc. sg. n.): mn. the body
jala-phena-durbalam (acc. sg. n.): fragile as froth on water
jala-phena: m. " water-froth " , os Sepiae
jala: water
phena: m. foam , froth , scum
durbala: mfn. of little strength , weak , feeble
bala-stha-taam (acc. sg. f.): staying strong ; abiding strength
bala-stha: mfn. " being in strength or power " , strong , powerful , vigorous
bala: n. strength, power
stha: mfn. (only ifc.) standing , staying , abiding , being situated in
-taa: (abstract noun suffix)
aatmani (loc. sg.): m. the individual soul , self , abstract individual (used as reflexive pronoun)
yena (inst. sg. n.): on account of which
manyase = 2nd pers. sg. man: to think , believe , imagine , suppose ; to perceive , observe , learn , know , understand , comprehend
nadii-taT'-aanokahavac cal'-aa-calaM
na vetsi dehaM jala-phena-durbalaM
bala-stha-taam aatmani yena manyase
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.6
For this body which is a domicile for disease,
standing helpless before senility,
Teetering like a tree with its roots on a riverbank,
You do not know to be as fragile as froth on water,
Wherefore you feel there to be abiding strength in you.
COMMENT:
The three elements of strength (bala), good looks (ruupa) and youth (yauvana) which were mentioned in 9.4 and repeated in 9.5 will now be examined one by one. From this verse through to 9.23, the striver chastises Nanda for the tendency to think himself strong (bala). In 9.24 to 9.26 he chastises Nanda for thinking himself good-looking and recaps the argument against seeing any human body in terms of its beauty (ruupa). In 9.27 to 9.29 he targets the youthful presumption of enduring youth (yauvana). Then through to 9.34 the striver considers old age as the universal destroyer of strength, beauty and youth. From 9.35 to the end of his monologue in 9.49, the striver sounds somewhat like the Buddha, and at the same time somewhat like men of religion everywhere, in his denial of egoism with regard to ownership of one's own body, and in his denial of attachment to pleasures of the flesh. In the final two verses of the Canto, Ashvaghosha informs us that though the striver was so great in hearing what is heard, his chastising of Nanda had no salutary effect whatsoever: Nanda like an elephant in full rut remained blinded by lust.
To bear the insignia of shaved head, robe and bowl is the Buddha's teaching, as is investigation of impermanence. But as is evident from the striver's example, to wear a Buddhist uniform and parrot Buddhist cliches about impermanence is not it.
The Buddha's teaching, as is evident from what the Buddha personally transmits to his younger brother, is to devote oneself wholeheartedly and in solitude, when time and place are right, to the true practice of yoga.
On the basis of the first nine cantos of the eighteen cantos of Saundara-nanda, if we are fortunate enough to find ourselves again at that happy time and place, we can at least be very clear about one thing: the true practice of yoga, as the Buddha taught is, is not tainted by any trace or hint of ascetic striving.
EH Johnston:
You deem your strength to be permanent ; for you do not realise that the body is the abode of disease, subject to old age, frail as the foam on the river and insecure as a tree on the bank of a stream.
Linda Covill:
You think bodily strength will endure in you because you do not comprehend that the body is the living quarters of disease, helpless before old age, as loose as a tree on a riverbank, fragile as a water-bubble.
VOCABULARY:
idam (acc. sg. n.): this
hi: for
rog'-aayatanam (acc. sg. n.): the abode of disease
roga: m. ( √ruj) " breaking up of strength " , disease , infirmity , sickness
aayatana: n. resting-place , support , seat , place , home , house , abode
aa- √ yat: to arrive, enter ; abide ; rest on
jar"-aavasham (acc. sg. n.): powerless against aging
jaraa: f. the act of becoming old , old age
avasha: mfn. not having one's own free will , doing something against one's desire or unwillingly
nadii-taT'-aanokahavat (acc. sg. n.): like a tree on a river bank
nadii: f. river
taTa: m. a slope, shore
an-oka-ha: m. " not quitting his home or his place " , a tree
oka: m. house, refuge
vat: (affix indicating resemblance) like
cal'-aa-calam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. movable and immovable , locomotive and stationary ; ever-moving (the wheel of saMsaara) ; moving to and fro , movable , tremulous , unfixed , loose ; unsteady , changeable
na: not
vetsi = 2nd pers. sg. vid: to know , understand , perceive , learn , become or be acquainted with , be conscious of , have a correct notion of
deham (acc. sg. n.): mn. the body
jala-phena-durbalam (acc. sg. n.): fragile as froth on water
jala-phena: m. " water-froth " , os Sepiae
jala: water
phena: m. foam , froth , scum
durbala: mfn. of little strength , weak , feeble
bala-stha-taam (acc. sg. f.): staying strong ; abiding strength
bala-stha: mfn. " being in strength or power " , strong , powerful , vigorous
bala: n. strength, power
stha: mfn. (only ifc.) standing , staying , abiding , being situated in
-taa: (abstract noun suffix)
aatmani (loc. sg.): m. the individual soul , self , abstract individual (used as reflexive pronoun)
yena (inst. sg. n.): on account of which
manyase = 2nd pers. sg. man: to think , believe , imagine , suppose ; to perceive , observe , learn , know , understand , comprehend
Monday, April 4, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 9.5: The Conceit of a Denouncer of Conceit
balaM ca ruupaM ca navaM ca yauvanaM
tath" aavagacchaami yath" aavagacchasi
ahaM tv idam te trayam avyavasthitaM
yath" aavabuddho na tath" aavabudhyase
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.5
"Your strength and looks and fresh youth
I recognize as you do;
But that these three are impermanent
You do not realise as I do.
COMMENT:
The essence of what the striver is saying here is either the ultimate truth or the ultimate delusion, depending on who it is that is saying "I am enlightened; I am the one who knows" (aham avabuddhaH).
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And in terms of having the desired effect on Nanda, the striver's pudding continues to be found wanting. So what the striver is expressing here, as I hear him, is not the truth but rather his own delusion, born of wishful thinking.
Yesterday I wrote that the striver's desire and the Buddha's desire were the same desire: the desire for peace, quietness, tranquillity: shaanti. But the view I expressed yesterday might not be true except on the most superficial level.
What the striver really wants, deep down, is what every Buddhist striver wants: he wants to be Buddha, desires to be Buddha, tries to be Buddha, strives to be Buddha.
The true practice of true yoga begins with the decision not to go directly for the gaining of a desired end. Without that decision, the desire to gain the desired end energizes a striver's habitual way of going about things -- the many tentacled monster of misuse -- in which case the only way that can be followed is the striver's old way, not a better way.
This decision not to go directly for the end in view -- whether the end in view be the moving of a leg, or the side of a swimming pool, or the attainment of buddhahood, or the act of rising from a chair -- is the essence of the third noble truth, nirodha-satya, the truth of cessation. There is nothing else, no sword or scalpel, that can cut out the root of trying, of striving, of wrong doing.
This principle I have understood from 30 years of the yoga of sitting in lotus and from 17 years in Alexander work.
Is there anybody else who realizes it as I do?
Mmmm....
Ashvagosha's striver is still, after all these years, a clear mirror in which a striver can see himself.
EH Johnston:
' I am aware, as you are aware, of your strength, beauty and young manhood, but you do not understand, as I understand, these three to be transitory.
Linda Covill:
"I am aware, just as you are aware, of your bodily strength, beauty and fresh youth; but I understand, as you do not, that these three are impermanent.
VOCABULARY:
balam (acc. sg.): n. strength
ca: and
ruupam (acc. sg.): n. good looks
ca: and
navam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. new , fresh , recent , young
ca: and
yauvanam (acc. sg.): n. (fr. yuvan) youth , youthfulness , adolescence , puberty , manhood
tathaa: ind. so
avagacchaami = 1st pers. sg. ava- √ gam: to understand, to recognize
yathaa: ind. as
avagacchasi = 2nd pers. sg. ava- √ gam: to understand
aham (nom. sg. m.): I
tu: but
idam (acc. sg. n.): this
te (gen. sg. m.): your
trayam (acc. sg.): n. threesome, triad, set of three
avyavasthitam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. unsettled, uncertain
vy-avasthita: mfn. mfn. placed in order ; settled , established , fixed ; constant , unchanging
avasthita: mfn. standing near ; placed ; having its place or abode
yathaa: ind. as
avabudhye = 1st pers. sg. ava- √ budh: to become sensible or aware of , perceive , know
na: not
tathaa: ind. so
avabuddhaH = nom. sg. m. past passive part. ava- √ budh: to become sensible or aware of , perceive , know
tath" aavagacchaami yath" aavagacchasi
ahaM tv idam te trayam avyavasthitaM
yath" aavabuddho na tath" aavabudhyase
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.5
"Your strength and looks and fresh youth
I recognize as you do;
But that these three are impermanent
You do not realise as I do.
COMMENT:
The essence of what the striver is saying here is either the ultimate truth or the ultimate delusion, depending on who it is that is saying "I am enlightened; I am the one who knows" (aham avabuddhaH).
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And in terms of having the desired effect on Nanda, the striver's pudding continues to be found wanting. So what the striver is expressing here, as I hear him, is not the truth but rather his own delusion, born of wishful thinking.
Yesterday I wrote that the striver's desire and the Buddha's desire were the same desire: the desire for peace, quietness, tranquillity: shaanti. But the view I expressed yesterday might not be true except on the most superficial level.
What the striver really wants, deep down, is what every Buddhist striver wants: he wants to be Buddha, desires to be Buddha, tries to be Buddha, strives to be Buddha.
The true practice of true yoga begins with the decision not to go directly for the gaining of a desired end. Without that decision, the desire to gain the desired end energizes a striver's habitual way of going about things -- the many tentacled monster of misuse -- in which case the only way that can be followed is the striver's old way, not a better way.
This decision not to go directly for the end in view -- whether the end in view be the moving of a leg, or the side of a swimming pool, or the attainment of buddhahood, or the act of rising from a chair -- is the essence of the third noble truth, nirodha-satya, the truth of cessation. There is nothing else, no sword or scalpel, that can cut out the root of trying, of striving, of wrong doing.
This principle I have understood from 30 years of the yoga of sitting in lotus and from 17 years in Alexander work.
Is there anybody else who realizes it as I do?
Mmmm....
Ashvagosha's striver is still, after all these years, a clear mirror in which a striver can see himself.
EH Johnston:
' I am aware, as you are aware, of your strength, beauty and young manhood, but you do not understand, as I understand, these three to be transitory.
Linda Covill:
"I am aware, just as you are aware, of your bodily strength, beauty and fresh youth; but I understand, as you do not, that these three are impermanent.
VOCABULARY:
balam (acc. sg.): n. strength
ca: and
ruupam (acc. sg.): n. good looks
ca: and
navam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. new , fresh , recent , young
ca: and
yauvanam (acc. sg.): n. (fr. yuvan) youth , youthfulness , adolescence , puberty , manhood
tathaa: ind. so
avagacchaami = 1st pers. sg. ava- √ gam: to understand, to recognize
yathaa: ind. as
avagacchasi = 2nd pers. sg. ava- √ gam: to understand
aham (nom. sg. m.): I
tu: but
idam (acc. sg. n.): this
te (gen. sg. m.): your
trayam (acc. sg.): n. threesome, triad, set of three
avyavasthitam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. unsettled, uncertain
vy-avasthita: mfn. mfn. placed in order ; settled , established , fixed ; constant , unchanging
avasthita: mfn. standing near ; placed ; having its place or abode
yathaa: ind. as
avabudhye = 1st pers. sg. ava- √ budh: to become sensible or aware of , perceive , know
na: not
tathaa: ind. so
avabuddhaH = nom. sg. m. past passive part. ava- √ budh: to become sensible or aware of , perceive , know
Sunday, April 3, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 9.4: In the Name of Tranquillity, the Striver Tries Again
tatas tath" aakShiptam avekShya taM tadaa
balena ruupeNa ca yauvanena ca
gRha-prayaaNaM prati ca vyavasthitaM
shashaasa nandaM shramaNaH sa shaantaye
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.4
And so seeing him caught up as he was
By strength and by looks and by youth,
Seeing him all set to go home,
The striver chastised Nanda,
in the name of tranquillity.
COMMENT:
The striver chastised Nanda, in the name of tranquillity.
"That human being is noisy, not at peace. Therefore, in the name of tranquillity, I shall shout at him, or better still I would like to whack him with a stick."
This kind of distorted thinking might be an instance of what Ashvaghosha was referring to in the previous verse as anta-gataM tamas, or thoroughly penetrating darkness -- not that I, for one, would claim to be immune to such darkness.
To be honest, doubtless due to congenital faults in the auditory-vestibular channel, I seem to be exceptionally prone to such dark end-gaining ignorance.
The three elements identified in the previous verse as desire (raaga), darkness (tamas) and wrongness (paapman) are all present in the behaviour of the striver as he tries again to influence Nanda.
In the Buddha's interaction with Nanda, the same desire is present -- which is a desire for tranquillity. But whereas the striver's approach goes wrong, it fails, in the Buddha's approach there is nothing wrong and it succeeds, so that Nanda is finally able to declare that, through the quieting influence of the teacher, "I have come to utmost quiet" (paraaM shaantim upaagato' ham; 17.70).
So the striver and the Buddha shared the same desire for tranquillity, but the outcome of their efforts was totally different in the two cases, there being something wrong in the striver's efforts but nothing wrong in the Buddha's efforts.
What is the difference between the striver and the Buddha?
The striver is in the dark, unenlightened, subconsciously controlled, aware of the end to be gained only as a concept and ignorant of a proper means whereby to gain the end. The Buddha is enlightened, conscious, truly aware of the tranquil end and a means whereby to gain the end.
The striver is a trier, an end-gainer. The Buddha encourages Nanda, and with Nanda us, to be confident in the existence of a better way.
EH Johnston:
Then seeing Nanda thus carried away by his strength, beauty and youth and determined to go home, the disciple reproved him to bring him to peace of mind :--
Linda Covill:
Then, observing him to be caught up with his own physical fitness, good looks and youthfulness, and preparing to go home, the ascetic rebuked Nanda in order to calm him down.
VOCABULARY:
tataH: ind. then
tathaa: ind. thus, in this manner
aakShiptam (acc. sg. m.): mfn. cast , thrown down ; caught , seized , overcome (as the mind ) by beauty , curiosity , &c , charmed , transported
aa- √ kShip: to throw down; convulse , cause to tremble
avekShya = abs. avekSh: to perceive , observe
tam (acc. sg. m.): him
tadaa: ind. at that time
balena (inst. sg.): strength
ruupeNa (inst. sg.): good looks
ca: and
yauvanena (inst. sg.): youth
ca: and
gRha-prayaaNam (acc. sg. m.): heading for home
gRha: home, house
prayaaNa: n. setting out , starting , advancing ; departure
pra- √ yaa : to go forth , set out
prati: towards
ca: and
vyavasthitam (acc. sg. m.): mfn. placed in order , drawn up (in battle) ; intent upon (loc.)
vy-ava- √ sthaa: to halt , stop , stay ; to prepare or make ready for (dat.) ; to be settled ; to fix on , direct towards
shashaasa = 3rd pers. sg. perfect shaas: to chastise , correct , censure , punish
nandam (acc. sg.): m. Nanda
shramaNaH (nom. sg.): m. the striver
sa (nom. sg. m.): he
shaantaye = dat. sg. shaanti: f. tranquillity , peace , quiet , peace or calmness of mind
balena ruupeNa ca yauvanena ca
gRha-prayaaNaM prati ca vyavasthitaM
shashaasa nandaM shramaNaH sa shaantaye
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.4
And so seeing him caught up as he was
By strength and by looks and by youth,
Seeing him all set to go home,
The striver chastised Nanda,
in the name of tranquillity.
COMMENT:
The striver chastised Nanda, in the name of tranquillity.
"That human being is noisy, not at peace. Therefore, in the name of tranquillity, I shall shout at him, or better still I would like to whack him with a stick."
This kind of distorted thinking might be an instance of what Ashvaghosha was referring to in the previous verse as anta-gataM tamas, or thoroughly penetrating darkness -- not that I, for one, would claim to be immune to such darkness.
To be honest, doubtless due to congenital faults in the auditory-vestibular channel, I seem to be exceptionally prone to such dark end-gaining ignorance.
The three elements identified in the previous verse as desire (raaga), darkness (tamas) and wrongness (paapman) are all present in the behaviour of the striver as he tries again to influence Nanda.
In the Buddha's interaction with Nanda, the same desire is present -- which is a desire for tranquillity. But whereas the striver's approach goes wrong, it fails, in the Buddha's approach there is nothing wrong and it succeeds, so that Nanda is finally able to declare that, through the quieting influence of the teacher, "I have come to utmost quiet" (paraaM shaantim upaagato' ham; 17.70).
So the striver and the Buddha shared the same desire for tranquillity, but the outcome of their efforts was totally different in the two cases, there being something wrong in the striver's efforts but nothing wrong in the Buddha's efforts.
What is the difference between the striver and the Buddha?
The striver is in the dark, unenlightened, subconsciously controlled, aware of the end to be gained only as a concept and ignorant of a proper means whereby to gain the end. The Buddha is enlightened, conscious, truly aware of the tranquil end and a means whereby to gain the end.
The striver is a trier, an end-gainer. The Buddha encourages Nanda, and with Nanda us, to be confident in the existence of a better way.
EH Johnston:
Then seeing Nanda thus carried away by his strength, beauty and youth and determined to go home, the disciple reproved him to bring him to peace of mind :--
Linda Covill:
Then, observing him to be caught up with his own physical fitness, good looks and youthfulness, and preparing to go home, the ascetic rebuked Nanda in order to calm him down.
VOCABULARY:
tataH: ind. then
tathaa: ind. thus, in this manner
aakShiptam (acc. sg. m.): mfn. cast , thrown down ; caught , seized , overcome (as the mind ) by beauty , curiosity , &c , charmed , transported
aa- √ kShip: to throw down; convulse , cause to tremble
avekShya = abs. avekSh: to perceive , observe
tam (acc. sg. m.): him
tadaa: ind. at that time
balena (inst. sg.): strength
ruupeNa (inst. sg.): good looks
ca: and
yauvanena (inst. sg.): youth
ca: and
gRha-prayaaNam (acc. sg. m.): heading for home
gRha: home, house
prayaaNa: n. setting out , starting , advancing ; departure
pra- √ yaa : to go forth , set out
prati: towards
ca: and
vyavasthitam (acc. sg. m.): mfn. placed in order , drawn up (in battle) ; intent upon (loc.)
vy-ava- √ sthaa: to halt , stop , stay ; to prepare or make ready for (dat.) ; to be settled ; to fix on , direct towards
shashaasa = 3rd pers. sg. perfect shaas: to chastise , correct , censure , punish
nandam (acc. sg.): m. Nanda
shramaNaH (nom. sg.): m. the striver
sa (nom. sg. m.): he
shaantaye = dat. sg. shaanti: f. tranquillity , peace , quiet , peace or calmness of mind
Saturday, April 2, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 9.3: Desire, Darkness, and Wrongness
na c' aatra citraM yadi raaga-paapmanaa
mano 'bhibhuuyeta tamo-vRt'-aatmanaH
narasya paapmaa hi tadaa nivartate
yadaa bhavaty anta-gataM tamas tanu
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
9.3
And it is no wonder, in such a case,
if wrongness born of a tainted desire
Overtakes a mind shrouded in darkness;
For a man's wrongness ceases
Only when darkness peaks and becomes smaller.
COMMENT:
This is one of those verses that makes sense to me only because of the discoveries and the teaching of a great modern-day yogi named FM Alexander, who knew a thing or two about tainted desire (raaga), who gave people an experience of the difference between light and darkness (tamas), and who taught his students to make a friend of wrongness (paapman).
With atra, "in such a case," Ashvaghosha as I hear him signals the expression of a general principle about how wrongness arises and vanishes, based on the case of the striver and Nanda which has just been likened to a doctor-patient interaction.
If we begin with that concrete case, then, is the wrongness in the patient (Nanda) or in the doctor (the striver) or in both of them?
Again, is the tainted desire in question Nanda's sexual desire for Sundari? Or is the tainted desire in question the do-gooding striver's desire to influence Nanda?
Darkness is tamas, which the dictionary gives also as mental darkness, ignorance. But this verse becomes more understandable to me if, on the basis of Alexander-based endeavour to inhibit unconscious patterns of reaction, I understand tamas as unconsciousness.
In one of my earlier attempts to draw the attention of fellow Zen practitioners to the discoveries of FM Alexander, I quoted FM from the preface of his last book, The Universal Constant in Living, 1946:
"The fact to be faced is that the human self was robbed of much of its inheritance when the separation implied by the conception of the organism as 'spirit,' 'mind' and 'body' was accepted as a working principle, for it left unbridged the gap between the 'subconscious' and the conscious. I venture to assert that if the gap is to be bridged, it will be by means of a knowledge, gained through practical experience, which will enable us to inhibit our instinctive, 'subconscious' reaction to a given stimulus, and to hold it inhibited while initiating a conscious direction, guidance, and control of the use of the self that was previously unfamiliar."
Darkness becoming smaller, then, as I understand the phrase, describes an action like sitting becoming less unconscious -- in which case a limit of unconsciousness has already been reached.
This being a general principle, if it is true, it should hold true when applied to the individual cases of Nanda and the striver, and also when applied to the individual case of each reader of Saundara-nanda, i.e. you and me.
In the case of Nanda, his infatuation with nymphs in heaven, as described in Canto 10, may be said to represent the height of his unconscious darkness. Nanda's darkness then becomes smaller when he recognizes the fault in his approach -- a recognition which is accompanied, as is often the case, by the negative emotion we call shame.
In the case of the striver, his unconscious darkness may be seen as reaching a peak in 9.5 when, with no little conceit, he tells Nanda "I know what you don't know." By the end of Canto 9, however, such conceit has diminished to the point where the striver realizes he needs to seek the intervention of the one who really knows, the Buddha.
When I seek to understand the above on the basis of my own experience, there is some sense in which my darkness peaked circa 1994, when I began to realize, under the influence of physical and mental symptoms such as a frozen shoulder and greatly increased irritability, that something must be fundamentally wrong in my manner of sitting. There again, there is some sense in which my darkness peaked circa June 1982, before I began the discipline of daily sitting practice. There again, there is some sense in which my darkness peaked circa September 1978 before I first walked into a karate dojo and bowed.
On reflection then, it seems to me that in practice there is not only one great peak after which it is all downhill for darkness and wrongness. In stories it may sound like that. But in reality the journey is more of a spiral. Because the journey is a spiral, others who are in the dark may observe one fluctuating between self-profession of greatness and shame-faced eating of humble pie and say, "You are just going round in circles!"
For oneself it is difficult to judge. But when I observe the progress of one or two other individuals who are on a similar path to myself, with AT and sitting, I think they are not going round in circles but going, in the direction of growth of consciousness, up in spirals.
EH Johnston:
No need is there for wonder if, when the self is wrapped in darkness, the mind is overcome by a sinful disposition to passion ; for man's disposition to sin only ceases to be active when his mental darkness becomes clear and is dissipated.
Linda Covill:
It is hardly surprising that the mind of one cloaked in dark ignorance should be overwhelmed by lustful inclinations, for man's perversity will come to a halt only when his ignorance is attenuated and comes to an end.
VOCABULARY:
na: not
ca: and
atra: ind. in this matter , in this respect , in this place , here at this time , there , then
citram (nom. sg. m.): mfn. strange , wonderful
yadi: if
raaga-paapmanaa (inst. sg.): by the evil that arises out of the redness of passion
raaga: m. the act of colouring or dyeing ; tint, dye ; redness ; any feeling or passion , (esp.) love
paapman: m. evil , unhappiness , misfortune , calamity , crime , sin , wickedness
manaH (nom. sg.): n. mind
abhibhuuyeta = 3rd pers. sg. passive optative abhi- √ bhuu: to overcome , overpower
tamo-vRt'-aatmanaH (gen. sg. m.): of one whose essence is enveloped in darkness
tamo-vRta: mfn. obscured ; overcome with any effect of the guNa tamas , as rage , fear , &c
tamas: n. darkness, ignorance (in saaMkhya phil. one of the 3 qualities or constituents of everything in creation [the cause of heaviness , ignorance , illusion , lust , anger , pride , sorrow , dulness , and stolidity ; sin ; sorrow]
vRta: mfn. concealed , screened , hidden , enveloped , surrounded by , covered with
aatman: m. essence , nature , character , peculiarity (often ifc.)
narasya (gen. sg.): m. a man , a male , a person
paapmaa (nom. sg.): m. evil , unhappiness , misfortune , calamity , crime , sin , wickedness
hi: for
tadaa: ind. (correlative of yadaa) at that time, then
nivartate = 3rd pers. sg. (middle voice) ni- √ vRt: to leave off , cease , end , disappear , vanish ; to be omitted , not to occur ; to be ineffective or useless ; to be wanting , not to exist
yadaa: ind. when, at which time
bhavati = 3rd pers. sg. bhuu: to be, become
anta-gatam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. gone to the end ; being at the end of ; thoroughly penetrating
anta: m. end , limit , boundary
tamas (nom. sg.): n. darkness; mental darkness, ignorance
tanu (nom. sg. n.): mfn. thin , slender , attenuated , emaciated , small , little , minute , delicate
mano 'bhibhuuyeta tamo-vRt'-aatmanaH
narasya paapmaa hi tadaa nivartate
yadaa bhavaty anta-gataM tamas tanu
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - -
9.3
And it is no wonder, in such a case,
if wrongness born of a tainted desire
Overtakes a mind shrouded in darkness;
For a man's wrongness ceases
Only when darkness peaks and becomes smaller.
COMMENT:
This is one of those verses that makes sense to me only because of the discoveries and the teaching of a great modern-day yogi named FM Alexander, who knew a thing or two about tainted desire (raaga), who gave people an experience of the difference between light and darkness (tamas), and who taught his students to make a friend of wrongness (paapman).
With atra, "in such a case," Ashvaghosha as I hear him signals the expression of a general principle about how wrongness arises and vanishes, based on the case of the striver and Nanda which has just been likened to a doctor-patient interaction.
If we begin with that concrete case, then, is the wrongness in the patient (Nanda) or in the doctor (the striver) or in both of them?
Again, is the tainted desire in question Nanda's sexual desire for Sundari? Or is the tainted desire in question the do-gooding striver's desire to influence Nanda?
Darkness is tamas, which the dictionary gives also as mental darkness, ignorance. But this verse becomes more understandable to me if, on the basis of Alexander-based endeavour to inhibit unconscious patterns of reaction, I understand tamas as unconsciousness.
In one of my earlier attempts to draw the attention of fellow Zen practitioners to the discoveries of FM Alexander, I quoted FM from the preface of his last book, The Universal Constant in Living, 1946:
"The fact to be faced is that the human self was robbed of much of its inheritance when the separation implied by the conception of the organism as 'spirit,' 'mind' and 'body' was accepted as a working principle, for it left unbridged the gap between the 'subconscious' and the conscious. I venture to assert that if the gap is to be bridged, it will be by means of a knowledge, gained through practical experience, which will enable us to inhibit our instinctive, 'subconscious' reaction to a given stimulus, and to hold it inhibited while initiating a conscious direction, guidance, and control of the use of the self that was previously unfamiliar."
Darkness becoming smaller, then, as I understand the phrase, describes an action like sitting becoming less unconscious -- in which case a limit of unconsciousness has already been reached.
This being a general principle, if it is true, it should hold true when applied to the individual cases of Nanda and the striver, and also when applied to the individual case of each reader of Saundara-nanda, i.e. you and me.
In the case of Nanda, his infatuation with nymphs in heaven, as described in Canto 10, may be said to represent the height of his unconscious darkness. Nanda's darkness then becomes smaller when he recognizes the fault in his approach -- a recognition which is accompanied, as is often the case, by the negative emotion we call shame.
In the case of the striver, his unconscious darkness may be seen as reaching a peak in 9.5 when, with no little conceit, he tells Nanda "I know what you don't know." By the end of Canto 9, however, such conceit has diminished to the point where the striver realizes he needs to seek the intervention of the one who really knows, the Buddha.
When I seek to understand the above on the basis of my own experience, there is some sense in which my darkness peaked circa 1994, when I began to realize, under the influence of physical and mental symptoms such as a frozen shoulder and greatly increased irritability, that something must be fundamentally wrong in my manner of sitting. There again, there is some sense in which my darkness peaked circa June 1982, before I began the discipline of daily sitting practice. There again, there is some sense in which my darkness peaked circa September 1978 before I first walked into a karate dojo and bowed.
On reflection then, it seems to me that in practice there is not only one great peak after which it is all downhill for darkness and wrongness. In stories it may sound like that. But in reality the journey is more of a spiral. Because the journey is a spiral, others who are in the dark may observe one fluctuating between self-profession of greatness and shame-faced eating of humble pie and say, "You are just going round in circles!"
For oneself it is difficult to judge. But when I observe the progress of one or two other individuals who are on a similar path to myself, with AT and sitting, I think they are not going round in circles but going, in the direction of growth of consciousness, up in spirals.
EH Johnston:
No need is there for wonder if, when the self is wrapped in darkness, the mind is overcome by a sinful disposition to passion ; for man's disposition to sin only ceases to be active when his mental darkness becomes clear and is dissipated.
Linda Covill:
It is hardly surprising that the mind of one cloaked in dark ignorance should be overwhelmed by lustful inclinations, for man's perversity will come to a halt only when his ignorance is attenuated and comes to an end.
VOCABULARY:
na: not
ca: and
atra: ind. in this matter , in this respect , in this place , here at this time , there , then
citram (nom. sg. m.): mfn. strange , wonderful
yadi: if
raaga-paapmanaa (inst. sg.): by the evil that arises out of the redness of passion
raaga: m. the act of colouring or dyeing ; tint, dye ; redness ; any feeling or passion , (esp.) love
paapman: m. evil , unhappiness , misfortune , calamity , crime , sin , wickedness
manaH (nom. sg.): n. mind
abhibhuuyeta = 3rd pers. sg. passive optative abhi- √ bhuu: to overcome , overpower
tamo-vRt'-aatmanaH (gen. sg. m.): of one whose essence is enveloped in darkness
tamo-vRta: mfn. obscured ; overcome with any effect of the guNa tamas , as rage , fear , &c
tamas: n. darkness, ignorance (in saaMkhya phil. one of the 3 qualities or constituents of everything in creation [the cause of heaviness , ignorance , illusion , lust , anger , pride , sorrow , dulness , and stolidity ; sin ; sorrow]
vRta: mfn. concealed , screened , hidden , enveloped , surrounded by , covered with
aatman: m. essence , nature , character , peculiarity (often ifc.)
narasya (gen. sg.): m. a man , a male , a person
paapmaa (nom. sg.): m. evil , unhappiness , misfortune , calamity , crime , sin , wickedness
hi: for
tadaa: ind. (correlative of yadaa) at that time, then
nivartate = 3rd pers. sg. (middle voice) ni- √ vRt: to leave off , cease , end , disappear , vanish ; to be omitted , not to occur ; to be ineffective or useless ; to be wanting , not to exist
yadaa: ind. when, at which time
bhavati = 3rd pers. sg. bhuu: to be, become
anta-gatam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. gone to the end ; being at the end of ; thoroughly penetrating
anta: m. end , limit , boundary
tamas (nom. sg.): n. darkness; mental darkness, ignorance
tanu (nom. sg. n.): mfn. thin , slender , attenuated , emaciated , small , little , minute , delicate
Friday, April 1, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 9.2: Striving Like a Do-Good Doctor
yathaa hi vaidyasya cikiirShataH shivaM
vaco na gRhNaati mumuurShur aaturaH
tath" aiva matto bala-ruupa-yauvanair
hitaM na jagraaha sa tasya tad vacaH
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.2
For just as a sick man who wants to die
Does not accept the kind advice
of a doctor who intends to do him good;
So Nanda, bubbling with strength, looks and youth,
Did not accept that salutary advice of the striver.
COMMENT:
To understand what Ashvaghosha intends with this metaphor might require a bit of digging.
The superficial understanding of the metaphor is that the striver is like a wise and good doctor whose advice could cure a sick patient at death's door (i.e. Nanda), if only the patient would take the good advice. In that case, the verse suggests affirmation of the attitude of the well-meaning doctor, and negation of the attitude of the patient who does not listen to good advice.
Actual experience in the hands of incompetent and unenlightened dentists and doctors, however, causes me to doubt this understanding, and to ask: when a sick man is ready to die, what kind of meddlesome medic intends to do him good?
In general, a truly wise and good doctor might be one who primarily practises preventive medicine, one whose first thought is not to make matters worse. Such a doctor is a cut above the kind of drug-prescribing doctor, or drill-and-fill dentist, who is ever eager to do something.
Thus, faced with a patient who is terminally ill and wishes to die, a truly wise and good doctor might be one who helps her patient to let go. Such a doctor is a cut above the kind of doctor who sticks to the rule book which says that her duty is to keep her patient alive by any means at any cost.
When a very old and sick man, for example, is truly ready to die, the well-meaning intervention of some young doctor who -- with drips and drugs and life-support machines -- wishes to do good, might be the very last thing the old man needs.
Understood like this, the verse suggests negation of the attitude of the well-meaning doctor, and acceptance of the bald fact that the patient does not wish to hear some well-meaning but unenlightened person trotting out glib advice.
Like the sick man who wants not to get better but rather to die, and whose agenda is therefore different from that of his do-good doctor, Nanda wants not to sit in stillness but rather to let Sundari in their marital bed be the willing recipient of his strength, looks and youth. Just as the sick man's agenda is different from the idealistic doctor's agenda, so too is Nanda's agenda different from the idealistic striver's agenda.
The striver, like a bad doctor, does not approach the problem from where the patient actually is, and that is why his plan of action does not work. The Buddha in contrast, like a wise and good doctor, understands what Nanda's agenda is, and he works with that agenda, not denying Nanda's agenda directly but rather leading Nanda indirectly, via his encounter with the gorgeous apsarases in heaven, to reassess his priorities.
EH Johnston:
For as the sick man at the point of death does not take in the words of the doctor who wishes to heal him, so in the intoxication of his strength, beauty and youth he did not take in his friendly advice.
Linda Covill:
Just as a sick and dying man takes no notice of the beneficient words of the doctor who wishes to treat him, so Nanda, intoxicated with his physical fitness, good looks and youthfulness, took no notice of his well-intentioned words.
VOCABULARY:
yathaa: ind. just as
hi: for
vaidyasya (gen. sg.): mfn. versed in science , learned ; m. an expert (versed in his own profession , esp. in medical science) , skilled in the art of healing , a physician (accounted a mixed caste)
cikiirShataH = gen. sg. m. pres. part. desiderative kR: to do, make ; to do anything for the advantage or injury of another
shivam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. auspicious , propitious , gracious , favourable , benign , kind , benevolent; ind. kindly , tenderly
vacas (acc. sg.): n. speech , voice , word ; advice
na: not
gRhNaati = 3rd pers. sg. grah: to take, accept, grasp ; to choose, select ; to receive hospitably (a guest); to perceive
mumuurSuH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. wishing or being about to die , moribund
aaturaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. suffering , sick (in body or mind)
tathaa: ind. so, likewise
mattaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. (from past. part. √ mad) excited with joy , overjoyed , delighted , drunk , intoxicated (lit. and fig.); excited by sexual passion or desire , in rut , ruttish (as an elephant); [Apte] 1.intoxicated (fig. also); 2.mad; 3.in rut (as an elephant); 4.proud;
√ mad: to rejoice , be glad , exult , delight or revel in ; be drunk with ; to boil , bubble (as water) ; to gladden , exhilarate , intoxicate , animate , inspire
bala-ruupa-yauvanaiH (inst. pl.): with strength, looks and youth
bala: n. power , strength , might
ruupa: n. good looks
yauvana: n. youth
hitam (acc. sg. n.): beneficial , advantageous , salutary , wholesome , suitable , agreeing with (often , said of diet , regimen , medicines &c )
na: not
jagraaha = 3rd pers. sg. perfect grah: to take in
sa (nom. sg. m.): he [Nanda]
tasya (gen. sg. m.): of him [the striver]
tad (acc. sg. n.): that
vacaH (acc. sg.): n. saying, speech, words ; advice
vaco na gRhNaati mumuurShur aaturaH
tath" aiva matto bala-ruupa-yauvanair
hitaM na jagraaha sa tasya tad vacaH
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
- = - = = - - = - = - =
9.2
For just as a sick man who wants to die
Does not accept the kind advice
of a doctor who intends to do him good;
So Nanda, bubbling with strength, looks and youth,
Did not accept that salutary advice of the striver.
COMMENT:
To understand what Ashvaghosha intends with this metaphor might require a bit of digging.
The superficial understanding of the metaphor is that the striver is like a wise and good doctor whose advice could cure a sick patient at death's door (i.e. Nanda), if only the patient would take the good advice. In that case, the verse suggests affirmation of the attitude of the well-meaning doctor, and negation of the attitude of the patient who does not listen to good advice.
Actual experience in the hands of incompetent and unenlightened dentists and doctors, however, causes me to doubt this understanding, and to ask: when a sick man is ready to die, what kind of meddlesome medic intends to do him good?
In general, a truly wise and good doctor might be one who primarily practises preventive medicine, one whose first thought is not to make matters worse. Such a doctor is a cut above the kind of drug-prescribing doctor, or drill-and-fill dentist, who is ever eager to do something.
Thus, faced with a patient who is terminally ill and wishes to die, a truly wise and good doctor might be one who helps her patient to let go. Such a doctor is a cut above the kind of doctor who sticks to the rule book which says that her duty is to keep her patient alive by any means at any cost.
When a very old and sick man, for example, is truly ready to die, the well-meaning intervention of some young doctor who -- with drips and drugs and life-support machines -- wishes to do good, might be the very last thing the old man needs.
Understood like this, the verse suggests negation of the attitude of the well-meaning doctor, and acceptance of the bald fact that the patient does not wish to hear some well-meaning but unenlightened person trotting out glib advice.
Like the sick man who wants not to get better but rather to die, and whose agenda is therefore different from that of his do-good doctor, Nanda wants not to sit in stillness but rather to let Sundari in their marital bed be the willing recipient of his strength, looks and youth. Just as the sick man's agenda is different from the idealistic doctor's agenda, so too is Nanda's agenda different from the idealistic striver's agenda.
The striver, like a bad doctor, does not approach the problem from where the patient actually is, and that is why his plan of action does not work. The Buddha in contrast, like a wise and good doctor, understands what Nanda's agenda is, and he works with that agenda, not denying Nanda's agenda directly but rather leading Nanda indirectly, via his encounter with the gorgeous apsarases in heaven, to reassess his priorities.
EH Johnston:
For as the sick man at the point of death does not take in the words of the doctor who wishes to heal him, so in the intoxication of his strength, beauty and youth he did not take in his friendly advice.
Linda Covill:
Just as a sick and dying man takes no notice of the beneficient words of the doctor who wishes to treat him, so Nanda, intoxicated with his physical fitness, good looks and youthfulness, took no notice of his well-intentioned words.
VOCABULARY:
yathaa: ind. just as
hi: for
vaidyasya (gen. sg.): mfn. versed in science , learned ; m. an expert (versed in his own profession , esp. in medical science) , skilled in the art of healing , a physician (accounted a mixed caste)
cikiirShataH = gen. sg. m. pres. part. desiderative kR: to do, make ; to do anything for the advantage or injury of another
shivam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. auspicious , propitious , gracious , favourable , benign , kind , benevolent; ind. kindly , tenderly
vacas (acc. sg.): n. speech , voice , word ; advice
na: not
gRhNaati = 3rd pers. sg. grah: to take, accept, grasp ; to choose, select ; to receive hospitably (a guest); to perceive
mumuurSuH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. wishing or being about to die , moribund
aaturaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. suffering , sick (in body or mind)
tathaa: ind. so, likewise
mattaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. (from past. part. √ mad) excited with joy , overjoyed , delighted , drunk , intoxicated (lit. and fig.); excited by sexual passion or desire , in rut , ruttish (as an elephant); [Apte] 1.intoxicated (fig. also); 2.mad; 3.in rut (as an elephant); 4.proud;
√ mad: to rejoice , be glad , exult , delight or revel in ; be drunk with ; to boil , bubble (as water) ; to gladden , exhilarate , intoxicate , animate , inspire
bala-ruupa-yauvanaiH (inst. pl.): with strength, looks and youth
bala: n. power , strength , might
ruupa: n. good looks
yauvana: n. youth
hitam (acc. sg. n.): beneficial , advantageous , salutary , wholesome , suitable , agreeing with (often , said of diet , regimen , medicines &c )
na: not
jagraaha = 3rd pers. sg. perfect grah: to take in
sa (nom. sg. m.): he [Nanda]
tasya (gen. sg. m.): of him [the striver]
tad (acc. sg. n.): that
vacaH (acc. sg.): n. saying, speech, words ; advice
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