⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−− Upajāti
(Ārdrā)
vayāṁsi
jīrṇāni vimarśavanti
dhīrāṇy-avasthāna-parāyaṇāni |
−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
alpena
yatnena śamātmakāni bhavanty-agatyaiva
ca lajjayā ca || 10.36
10.36
The old are
contemplative,
Steady, intent on
stability;
They become peaceful
with little bother –
Through sheer
helplessness, and humbleness.
COMMENT:
In today's verse on the
surface King Bimbisāra (aka Śreṇya) is again recommending the
bodhisattva-prince to enjoy sensual pleasures while young, leaving
spiritual stuff (religious dharma) for the weak old folks who
naturally tend towards those less physically demanding pursuits. On
the face of it, then, helplessness or powerlessness or impotence
(agati) and humbleness or shame (lajjā), like thin wrinkly skin and
missing teeth, are part of the undesirable scenery of getting old.
Below the surface, as
is frequently the case in Aśvaghoṣa's writing, the Buddha's truth
might be being spoken out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.
In that case, the old
(vayāṁsi
jīrṇāni) means those who are fully developed, those who have
grown out of adolescence, those no longer prey to immature acts –
those who Dogen praised as 古仏
(KOBUTSU), “old buddhas” as in the title of Shobogenzo
chap. 44, 古仏心 (KOBUSSHIN),
The Mind of Old Buddhas.
In
that chapter Dogen asserts that
although the old of “old buddhas” is exactly the same as the
“old” in “new and old,” [old buddhas] have completely
transcended past and present and belong directly in eternity.
Hence
in the Nishijima-Cross translation, the chapter title 古仏心
(KOBUSSHIN)
is rendered The
Mind of Eternal Buddhas.
As
a description of such fully rounded individuals, contemplative
(vimarśavanti)
suggests something much more quick and alive than ponderous pondering
about the past, and
intent on stability
(avasthāna-parāyaṇāni) suggests something much more adaptable
than the attitude of an old fossil who is set in his ways and afraid
of change.
And
in that case, again,
through sheer helplessness and humbleness
(agatyaiva ca lajjayā ca) suggests helplessness not as an
ignominious end
but rather as a skilful and modest means;
not a shame-inducing state of physical impotence or incontinence,
but rather a way of realization which is conscious without being
proudly self-conscious.
Going
back to vimarśavanti,
a translation that brought out the hidden meaning more explicity
might be full
of reflective awareness
– “reflective awareness” being a translation of the Pali
sati (Sanskrit smṛti) which, in the view of Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
(and I agree with him) is more indicative than mindfulness.
The following is taken from FN 7 in the Uddeso section of AB's
translation of Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttaṁ, The Long Discourse
about the Ways of Attending to Mindfulness:
The translation of sati as mindfulness is something of a compromise, as sati doesn’t really mean simply mindfulness, which in normal English is synonymic with carefulness; but nor is it simple awareness or bare attention... If it wasn’t so cumbersome reflective awareness might be more indicative than mindfulness.
I
like reflective awareness
as a translation of smṛti. Or maybe even directed
awareness.
In the latter case, given that the root √smṛ originally means to
remember, it might be appropriate to understand that the direction in
question is primarily backwards.
Going
back, on further reflection, to agatyaiva ca lajjayā ca,
I want to emphasize again the importance of understanding the irony
that runs through all Aśvaghoṣa's writing, and which I am afraid
is not generally appreciated among the academic community who tend to
regard “Buddhist studies” as being on a par with Jewish or Christian or Islaamic studies.
Thus each of the three
professors, in translations spanning the end of the 19th
to the beginning of the 21st century, read agatyaiva
ca lajjayā ca with only the negative
connotation that belongs to the surface meaning. Hence,
EBC: unavoidably,
and for very shame.
EHJ: partly from
incapacity for anything else, partly from shame.
PO: because of shame
and impotence.
All three professors
failed to spot the ironic hidden meaning. Why? Lack of intelligence
or understanding of Sanskrit, evidently, was not the reason. I
suppose the reason was that they each assumed Buddhism to be a kind
of religion like Judaism or Christianity or Islaam, and each
therefore assumed Buddha-carita to be more akin to a religious text
than an ancient book of jokes. So they were not on the look-out for
ironic hidden meaning and failed to notice it, even when it was staring them in the face.
Is there any merit in
thus pointing out the three professors' mistake? I think it is worth
it, in the direction of clarifying that the Buddha's teaching is not
necessarily religious at all. It might be the most irreligious thing
there is.
The Dalai Lama makes
the point very eloquently when in this film he speaks of the folly of trying to combat ignorance with prayer. The
real antidote to ignorance, as the Dalai Lama points out, is not
religious prayer but irreligious study, knowing, wisdom. Perhaps in
conclusion we can say that the antidote to ignorance is reflective
awareness. Or maybe better still, in my book, directed awareness.
The Alexander teacher
Marjory Barlow said that what Alexander called thinking has a
lot in common with what Buddhist practitioners call mindfulness. But,
Marjory added, in Alexander work there is this definite pattern that
we are pursuing (as described by the words “neck free, head forward
and up, back to lengthen and widen, knees forwards and away”); and
so in Alexander work, Marjory asserted, we are far ahead of something like mindfulness.
When I met
Marjory I dared to correct her on that point, telling her that the
pattern of which she spoke was inherent in the Buddha's teaching of sitting in full lotus, and
pursuit of that very pattern had brought me to her door.
So as a
translation of smṛti I like “reflective awareness” but more
indicative still might be “directed awareness.”
And of that direction,
I believe there to be four cornerstones, not a fifth. But that might be a view to be negated in full next year, in connection with
Nāgārjuna's writing.
VOCABULARY
vayāṁsi
(nom. pl.): n. vigorous age , youth , prime of life , any period of
life , age (sarvāṇi vayāṁsi , animals of any age)
jīrṇāni
(nom. pl. n.): mfn. old
vimarśayanti [EBC] =
3rd pers. pl. causative vi- √ mṛś: to ponder ,
reflect on , consider
vimarśa-vanti
[EHJ] (nom. pl. n.): mfn. reflecting , meditative , doubtful
dhīrāṇi
(nom. pl. n.): mfn. steady , constant , firm , resolute , brave ,
energetic , courageous , self-possessed , composed , calm , grave
avasthāna-parāyaṇāni
(nom. pl. n.): mfn. having abiding/stability as their chief object
avasthāna:
n. standing , taking up one's place ; residing , abiding , dwelling ;
stability
parāyaṇa:
(ifc.) making anything one's chief object , wholly devoted or
destined to , engaged in , intent upon , filled or occupied with ,
affected or possessed by
ava-
√ sthā: to abide in a state or condition (instr.) ; (with ind.p.)
to remain or continue (doing anything)
alpena
(inst. sg. m.): mfn. little, small
yatnena
(inst. sg.): m. effort , exertion , energy , zeal , trouble , pains
śamātmakāni
(nom. pl. n.): mfn. calm or tranquil by nature
bhavanti
= 3rd pers. pl. bhū: to become, be
agatyā:
ind. (inst.) unavoidably, indispensably
agati:
f. want of resort or resource , unsuccessfulness
eva:
(emphatic)
ca:
and
lajjayā
(inst. sg.): f. shame, modesty
ca:
and
耆年愧財欲 行法擧世宗
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