13.60
kaaSHTHaM hi mathnan labhate hut'aasham,
bhuumiM khanan vindati c'aapi toyam:
nirbandhinaH kiM cana n'asty'asaadhyam,
nyaayena yuktaM ca kRtaM ca sarvam.
For he obtains the sacrificial fire
who keeps on twirling the firestick,
And he gets to water
who keeps on digging down into the earth:
Constancy of effort makes nothing impossible,
And everything doable,
when linked to the means-whereby principle.
COMMENT:
The first line can be seen as having a spiritual or religious connotation, with the allusion to the sacrificial fire, as opposed to water. Master Dogen uses water as a symbol of that which -- whether or not it is regarded as holy -- is, in its materiality, vital to all real life. "Do the buddha-ancestors have water in their practice-places?", Master Dogen asks in The Sutra of Mountains and Water. Answer: Yes, they do, in one hundred cases out of one hundred.
For the meaning of the third and fourth lines, you could ask a US marine -- I am thinking in particular of one who shaves his head, is zealous about sitting in lotus, and has at least scratched the surface of FM Alexander's egg; he goes by the number USMC 0681.
VOCABULARY
kaaSHTHa: wood, log
hi: for
mathna: whirl round, rub a firestick
labhate = 3rd person singular of LABH: obtains, gains
huta: sacrifice
asha: enjoy, consume
hut'aasham: lit. 'consumer of the sacrifice' = fire
bhuumi: earth, ground
khana: dig up or into
vindati = 3rd person singular of VID: finds, gains.
ca: and
api: also
toya: water
nirbandha: persistence, perseverance
nirbandhin: with perserverance, being persistent
nirbandhinaH: ablative case, from being persistent; or genitive case, to one who has perseverance, for the man who is persistent
kiM cana: [with negative] by no means, in no way
na: not
asti: there is, it is
asaadhyam: not achieved
nyaayena = instrumental case of nyaaya: the [noble] principle, the [noble] plan, the proper manner of action, the proper method
yukta: [with a word in the instrumental case] yoked or harnessed to, being in conjunction with
ca...ca: and also, and besides, and indeed
kRta: done, made
sarva: all, everything
Johnston:
For by rubbing wood long enough a man obtains fire, and by digging the earth deep enough he obtains water; nothing is impossible of achievement to the man of perserverance. Everything that is undertaken by the proper method is thereby necessarily carried out with success.
Olivelle:
For one obtains fire by rubbing the wood,
and one finds water by digging the earth;
There is nothing that is impossible
for the man who is persistent;
Everything can be accomplished,
when it is done the proper way.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Breaking News
(1) This morning I received through the post from America, E.H. Johnston's old translation of Saundarananda. (Cost me a small fortune, as it is now out of print.) One of the first things I notice is that Johnston's translation of CITTA PARIGRAHAAYA supports my intuition that CITTA PARIGRAHAYAA means not "in order that thoughts may be circumscribed" as per Linda Covill's translation, but "in order that thinking may be mastered," as per my translation on this post.
Johnston's translation is "for the mastery of the mind." Yes! That is a real confidence booster.
(2) This afternoon I received an email from the stalwart Kenneth Tanaka of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai informing me that the Nishijima-Cross Shobogenzo translation is now available online,through the Numata Centre website.
Johnston's translation is "for the mastery of the mind." Yes! That is a real confidence booster.
(2) This afternoon I received an email from the stalwart Kenneth Tanaka of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai informing me that the Nishijima-Cross Shobogenzo translation is now available online,through the Numata Centre website.
The true kesa
Might be a warm old blanket
Encouraging release
Out of Mara's grip
The true guiding hand
Might not do anything
To encourage release
Out of Mara's grip
Might be a warm old blanket
Encouraging release
Out of Mara's grip
The true guiding hand
Might not do anything
To encourage release
Out of Mara's grip
Friday, December 5, 2008
BUDDHACARITA 13.30-33
13.30
mahiibhRto dharma-paraash ca naagaa
mahaa-muner vighnam a-mRSHyamaaNaaH
MaaraM prati krodha-vivRtta-netraa
niHshashvasush c' aiva jajRmbhire ca.
Earth-bearing nagas, seeing Dharma as a dragon's paragon,
Brooked no hindrance to the great sage;
They turned angry eyes towards Mara,
And hissed, and sprang up out of their coils.
13.31
shuddh'aadhivaasaa vibudha'-rSHayas
sad-dharma-siddhy-artham abhipravRttaah
Maare 'nukampaaM manasaa pracakrur
viraaga-bhaavaat tu na roSHam iiyuH.
Whereas celestial seers of spotless abodes,
Who were set on gaining true Dharma as an end,
Wheeled out, in their minds, compassion for Mara:
They were not touched by anger, being devoid of all colour.
13.32
tad bodhi-muulam samavekSHya kiirNaM
hiMs"aatmanaa Maara-balena tena
dharm'aatmabhir loka-vimokSHa-kaamair
babhuuva haahaa-kRtam antariikSHe
Beholding the foot of the bodhi-tree, beseiged
By that band of sadistic souls which was Mara's army,
Those whose own breath of life was Dharma, and who wanted to free the world,
Issued 'Ah's into inner space.
13.33
upaplavaM dharma-vidhes tu tasya
dRSHTvaa sthitaM Maara-balam maha"rSHiH
na cukSHubhe n'aapi yayau vikaaraM
madhye gavaaM siMha iv'opaviSHTaH.
Still, as a menace to the work of Dharma,
Mara's army remained, and the great seer saw it
Without wavering and without worrying,
Like a lion among moo-cows, Sitting.
COMMENT:
In these four verses describing the Gautama vs Mara showdown, the attitudes of three tiers of spectators, towards the Dharma and towards Mara, are contrasted by Ashvaghosha -- with more than a hint of humour. But the joke, as all the best jokes are, is rooted in too much truth.
Low-level lovers of the Dharma show how highly they value the highest good by their intolerance and hatred of the baddest baddie.
Way up above in heaven, meanwhile, hyper-compassionate vegan saints have set their sights on Dharma as a spiritual goal.
In the middle tier are those who are more truly mindful both of danger on the outside and of their own inner condition. Desiring the world's deliverance, they know the place where freedom begins -- maybe they are practising something along the lines of what FM Alexander called 'the whispered ah.'
Gautama, meanwhile, is looking the bugger straight in the eye. Seeing what he is up against, the great seer SITS.
With these four verses, then, Ashvaghosha is not emptily parrotting an old legend; he is describing how the world was burning then, how it is burning now, and how it will burn in future -- and also how the fire is to be put out. Ashvaghosha is describing religious zealots of all stripes with fire in their bellies. He is describing the bland and ineffectual idealism of innocents abroad during their gap year. He is describing real people who spend a lifetime practising practical practices, like Alexander work, or Gurdjieff work, or eastern martial arts, or kesa-sewing, or vipassana mindfulness of breathing. And he is describing Gautama, sitting, still.
VOCABULARY
13.30
mahiibhRta: earth-bearing
dharma-paraash: having dharma as the chief object
ca: and
naagaa: serpents, dragons, naga
mahaa-muni: the great sage
vighnam: obstacle, hindrance
amRSHyamaaNaa: not standing, not bearing, not brooking
Maara: Mara, the evil one
prati: towards
krodha-vivRtta-netraa: eyes turned in anger
niHshashvasush: hissing
ca: and
eva: [emphatic]
jRmbh: recoil, unstring a bow
13.31
shuddha: pure, spotless
adhivaasaa: abodes
vibudha: celestial, divine
rSHi: sage, bard, seer
sad-dharma: true Dharma
siddhi: achievement of success, gaining of an end
artham: aim, end, purpose
abhipravRttaah: occupied or engaged in
Maare: for Mara
anukampaa: compassion
manasaa = genitive plural manas: mind
pra: onward, forth,
cakra: wheel
viraaga: without colour, indifferent, detached
bhaavaat: from being
tu: but
na: not
roSHa: anger, rage
iiyuH: be touched by, give way to (?)
13.32
tad: that
bodhi-muula: root/foot of the bodhi tree
samavekSHya: look at, behold, observe
kiirNa: disshevelled, scattered
hiMsa: hurting, injuring, cruel
aatman: self, soul, breath, nature
Maara-bala: Mara's army, Mara's forces
tena = instrumental case of sa: by that [army]
dharma:
atmabhir = instrumental, plural of aatman: life-breath, soul
loka: world
vimokSHa: release, setting free, deliverance
kaamair = instrumental, plural of kaama: desiring
babhuuva = perfect of bhuu: come forth, be issued
haahaa: Ha! Ha!; Aah... aah...
kRtam: did, made
antariikSHe: intermediate space between heaven and earth; atmosphere, sky, the air.
13.33
upaplava: disaster, misfortune, menace
dharma-vidhi: dharma-work, dharma-method, conduct as dharma
tu: but
tasya = genitive case of sa: that, the
dRSHTvaa: beheld, saw
sthitaM: standing, standing firm, remaining
Maara-bala: Mara's army
mahaa: great
rSHiH: seer
na: neither
cukSHubhe: tremble, waver, quail
na: nor
api: also
yayau: [from relative pronoun ya?]
vikaaraM: alteration, change, change of the normal condition of body, face, mind; perturbation, agitation.
madhye: among, in the middle
gavaam = accusative, plural of gavi: cow
siMha: lion
iva: like
upaviSHTaH: seated, sitting
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Johnston:
13.30
And the earth-bearing Nagas, devoted to dharma, did not brook obstruction to the great sage and, turning their eyes wrathfully on Mara, they hissed and unwound their coils.
13.31
But the divine sages of the Pure Abodes, absorbed in the fulfillment of the good Law, developed compassion for Mara in their minds, but were untouched by anger, because they were freed from all passion.
13.32
When those who were given to dharma and desired the liberation of the world saw the root of the bodhi tree beset by Mara's cruel host, they raised cries of "Ha! Ha!" in the sky
13.33
But when the great seer beheld Mara's army standing as a menace to that method of dharma, like a lion seated amidst kine, he did not quail nor was he at all perturbed.
Olivelle:
13.30
The serpents given to dharma who bore the earth,
unable to bear that hindrance to the great sage,
hissed aloud, and at Mara they unfurled their hoods,
their eyes rolling with anger.
13.31
But the divine seers residing in the pure realm,
engaged in gaining success in the true dharma,
displayed compassion toward Mara in their minds,
and, because they were devoid of passion,
did not give way to anger.
13.32
Seeing the foot of the bo-tree besieged
by those murderous forces of Mara,
those beings who were devoted to dharma,
and who longed for the release of the world,
cried out "Ha! Ha!" in the sky.
13.33
But when the great seer saw Mara's forces
ready to upset the course of dharma,
he neither trembled nor was he perturbed,
like a lion seated among cows.
mahiibhRto dharma-paraash ca naagaa
mahaa-muner vighnam a-mRSHyamaaNaaH
MaaraM prati krodha-vivRtta-netraa
niHshashvasush c' aiva jajRmbhire ca.
Earth-bearing nagas, seeing Dharma as a dragon's paragon,
Brooked no hindrance to the great sage;
They turned angry eyes towards Mara,
And hissed, and sprang up out of their coils.
13.31
shuddh'aadhivaasaa vibudha'-rSHayas
sad-dharma-siddhy-artham abhipravRttaah
Maare 'nukampaaM manasaa pracakrur
viraaga-bhaavaat tu na roSHam iiyuH.
Whereas celestial seers of spotless abodes,
Who were set on gaining true Dharma as an end,
Wheeled out, in their minds, compassion for Mara:
They were not touched by anger, being devoid of all colour.
13.32
tad bodhi-muulam samavekSHya kiirNaM
hiMs"aatmanaa Maara-balena tena
dharm'aatmabhir loka-vimokSHa-kaamair
babhuuva haahaa-kRtam antariikSHe
Beholding the foot of the bodhi-tree, beseiged
By that band of sadistic souls which was Mara's army,
Those whose own breath of life was Dharma, and who wanted to free the world,
Issued 'Ah's into inner space.
13.33
upaplavaM dharma-vidhes tu tasya
dRSHTvaa sthitaM Maara-balam maha"rSHiH
na cukSHubhe n'aapi yayau vikaaraM
madhye gavaaM siMha iv'opaviSHTaH.
Still, as a menace to the work of Dharma,
Mara's army remained, and the great seer saw it
Without wavering and without worrying,
Like a lion among moo-cows, Sitting.
COMMENT:
In these four verses describing the Gautama vs Mara showdown, the attitudes of three tiers of spectators, towards the Dharma and towards Mara, are contrasted by Ashvaghosha -- with more than a hint of humour. But the joke, as all the best jokes are, is rooted in too much truth.
Low-level lovers of the Dharma show how highly they value the highest good by their intolerance and hatred of the baddest baddie.
Way up above in heaven, meanwhile, hyper-compassionate vegan saints have set their sights on Dharma as a spiritual goal.
In the middle tier are those who are more truly mindful both of danger on the outside and of their own inner condition. Desiring the world's deliverance, they know the place where freedom begins -- maybe they are practising something along the lines of what FM Alexander called 'the whispered ah.'
Gautama, meanwhile, is looking the bugger straight in the eye. Seeing what he is up against, the great seer SITS.
With these four verses, then, Ashvaghosha is not emptily parrotting an old legend; he is describing how the world was burning then, how it is burning now, and how it will burn in future -- and also how the fire is to be put out. Ashvaghosha is describing religious zealots of all stripes with fire in their bellies. He is describing the bland and ineffectual idealism of innocents abroad during their gap year. He is describing real people who spend a lifetime practising practical practices, like Alexander work, or Gurdjieff work, or eastern martial arts, or kesa-sewing, or vipassana mindfulness of breathing. And he is describing Gautama, sitting, still.
VOCABULARY
13.30
mahiibhRta: earth-bearing
dharma-paraash: having dharma as the chief object
ca: and
naagaa: serpents, dragons, naga
mahaa-muni: the great sage
vighnam: obstacle, hindrance
amRSHyamaaNaa: not standing, not bearing, not brooking
Maara: Mara, the evil one
prati: towards
krodha-vivRtta-netraa: eyes turned in anger
niHshashvasush: hissing
ca: and
eva: [emphatic]
jRmbh: recoil, unstring a bow
13.31
shuddha: pure, spotless
adhivaasaa: abodes
vibudha: celestial, divine
rSHi: sage, bard, seer
sad-dharma: true Dharma
siddhi: achievement of success, gaining of an end
artham: aim, end, purpose
abhipravRttaah: occupied or engaged in
Maare: for Mara
anukampaa: compassion
manasaa = genitive plural manas: mind
pra: onward, forth,
cakra: wheel
viraaga: without colour, indifferent, detached
bhaavaat: from being
tu: but
na: not
roSHa: anger, rage
iiyuH: be touched by, give way to (?)
13.32
tad: that
bodhi-muula: root/foot of the bodhi tree
samavekSHya: look at, behold, observe
kiirNa: disshevelled, scattered
hiMsa: hurting, injuring, cruel
aatman: self, soul, breath, nature
Maara-bala: Mara's army, Mara's forces
tena = instrumental case of sa: by that [army]
dharma:
atmabhir = instrumental, plural of aatman: life-breath, soul
loka: world
vimokSHa: release, setting free, deliverance
kaamair = instrumental, plural of kaama: desiring
babhuuva = perfect of bhuu: come forth, be issued
haahaa: Ha! Ha!; Aah... aah...
kRtam: did, made
antariikSHe: intermediate space between heaven and earth; atmosphere, sky, the air.
13.33
upaplava: disaster, misfortune, menace
dharma-vidhi: dharma-work, dharma-method, conduct as dharma
tu: but
tasya = genitive case of sa: that, the
dRSHTvaa: beheld, saw
sthitaM: standing, standing firm, remaining
Maara-bala: Mara's army
mahaa: great
rSHiH: seer
na: neither
cukSHubhe: tremble, waver, quail
na: nor
api: also
yayau: [from relative pronoun ya?]
vikaaraM: alteration, change, change of the normal condition of body, face, mind; perturbation, agitation.
madhye: among, in the middle
gavaam = accusative, plural of gavi: cow
siMha: lion
iva: like
upaviSHTaH: seated, sitting
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Johnston:
13.30
And the earth-bearing Nagas, devoted to dharma, did not brook obstruction to the great sage and, turning their eyes wrathfully on Mara, they hissed and unwound their coils.
13.31
But the divine sages of the Pure Abodes, absorbed in the fulfillment of the good Law, developed compassion for Mara in their minds, but were untouched by anger, because they were freed from all passion.
13.32
When those who were given to dharma and desired the liberation of the world saw the root of the bodhi tree beset by Mara's cruel host, they raised cries of "Ha! Ha!" in the sky
13.33
But when the great seer beheld Mara's army standing as a menace to that method of dharma, like a lion seated amidst kine, he did not quail nor was he at all perturbed.
Olivelle:
13.30
The serpents given to dharma who bore the earth,
unable to bear that hindrance to the great sage,
hissed aloud, and at Mara they unfurled their hoods,
their eyes rolling with anger.
13.31
But the divine seers residing in the pure realm,
engaged in gaining success in the true dharma,
displayed compassion toward Mara in their minds,
and, because they were devoid of passion,
did not give way to anger.
13.32
Seeing the foot of the bo-tree besieged
by those murderous forces of Mara,
those beings who were devoted to dharma,
and who longed for the release of the world,
cried out "Ha! Ha!" in the sky.
13.33
But when the great seer saw Mara's forces
ready to upset the course of dharma,
he neither trembled nor was he perturbed,
like a lion seated among cows.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
BUDDHACARITA 12.120
12.120
tataH sa paryaNkam a-kampyam uttamaM
babandha supt'oraga-bhoga-piNDitam
[[bhinadmi taavad bhuvi n'aitad aasanaM
na yaami yaavat kRta-kRtyataam]] iti.
Then in the supreme, imperturbable
cross-legged posture --
Sleeping-serpent spirals
enmeshed into a single mass -- he sat
As if to say, "I shall not break this position on the ground
Until I have done completely what is to be done."
COMMENT
In these four lines, full lotus sitting is praised as:
(1) Supreme in value
(2) A bodily mass
(3) A position on the ground
(4) Total realisation
VOCABULARY
tataH: then, thereupon
sa: he
paryaNka: sitting on the ground with legs crossed
a-kampyam: 'not to be shaken'; immoveable
uttamaM: highest, supreme
babandha = past participle of band: tie, fasten, put or gird on, assume (a posture), sit in (a sitting posture)
supta: sleeping
uraga: serpent, snake
bhoga: curve, coil (of a serpent); spiral
piNDita: rolled into a ball or lump; thick, massy, densified; collected, united
bhinadmi = 1st person singular of bhid: disunite, split; break; disentangle; disturb; be opened
taavad: [emphatic] now, now then
bhuvi = locative of bhuu: ground, land, earth
na: not
etad: this
aasana: sitting, [yoga] posture, sitting posture; [MW] sitting in peculiar posture according to the custom of devotees (see padmaasana...)
na: not
yaama: cessation, end, completion
yaavat: [+ accusative] until
kRta: done
kRtya: to be done
-taa: suffix to create abstract noun, e.g. as in buddhataa, 'buddha-ness', buddha-nature.
kRtyataa: 'to-be-done-ness', what remains to be done, what is to be done, task
iti: thus [he said/thought/decided]
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Johnston:
Then he took up the supreme, immoveable cross-legged posture with his limbs massed together like the coils of a sleeping serpent, saying: "I will not rise from this position on the ground till I achieve the completion of my task."
Olivelle:
Then, he took up the posture with folded legs,
supreme, unshakeable, drawn together
like the coils of a sleeping snake, thinking:
"I'll not break this posture on earth
until I have fulfilled my task."
tataH sa paryaNkam a-kampyam uttamaM
babandha supt'oraga-bhoga-piNDitam
[[bhinadmi taavad bhuvi n'aitad aasanaM
na yaami yaavat kRta-kRtyataam]] iti.
Then in the supreme, imperturbable
cross-legged posture --
Sleeping-serpent spirals
enmeshed into a single mass -- he sat
As if to say, "I shall not break this position on the ground
Until I have done completely what is to be done."
COMMENT
In these four lines, full lotus sitting is praised as:
(1) Supreme in value
(2) A bodily mass
(3) A position on the ground
(4) Total realisation
VOCABULARY
tataH: then, thereupon
sa: he
paryaNka: sitting on the ground with legs crossed
a-kampyam: 'not to be shaken'; immoveable
uttamaM: highest, supreme
babandha = past participle of band: tie, fasten, put or gird on, assume (a posture), sit in (a sitting posture)
supta: sleeping
uraga: serpent, snake
bhoga: curve, coil (of a serpent); spiral
piNDita: rolled into a ball or lump; thick, massy, densified; collected, united
bhinadmi = 1st person singular of bhid: disunite, split; break; disentangle; disturb; be opened
taavad: [emphatic] now, now then
bhuvi = locative of bhuu: ground, land, earth
na: not
etad: this
aasana: sitting, [yoga] posture, sitting posture; [MW] sitting in peculiar posture according to the custom of devotees (see padmaasana...)
na: not
yaama: cessation, end, completion
yaavat: [+ accusative] until
kRta: done
kRtya: to be done
-taa: suffix to create abstract noun, e.g. as in buddhataa, 'buddha-ness', buddha-nature.
kRtyataa: 'to-be-done-ness', what remains to be done, what is to be done, task
iti: thus [he said/thought/decided]
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Johnston:
Then he took up the supreme, immoveable cross-legged posture with his limbs massed together like the coils of a sleeping serpent, saying: "I will not rise from this position on the ground till I achieve the completion of my task."
Olivelle:
Then, he took up the posture with folded legs,
supreme, unshakeable, drawn together
like the coils of a sleeping snake, thinking:
"I'll not break this posture on earth
until I have fulfilled my task."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
NA: "NO," THOUGHT NANDA, "NOT THAT"
(NOT THAT OLD PATTERN OF NEURAL ACTIVITY)
From the 17th Canto of Saundarananda, trans. Linda Covill
Then he entered the first level of meditation, in which passion and the tainted constituents of reality are absent. It consists of an initial and a sustained application of the mind to its object, is born of discernment, and is imbued with happiness and bliss.... He realized that the initial and sustained application of the mind... are not conducive to peace but make undulations in the mind. He decided to break away from them....
Then he gradually entered the second level of meditation, which has no initial or sustained application of the mind to its object. Born of concentration (samaadhi-jam) and calm due to mental one-pointedness, it is joyfully blissful and endowed with inner delight. And in reaching that level of meditation in which the mind is silent, he experienced a profound joy that he had never experienced before. But in that joy too, he noticed a flaw, just as he had with regard to thoughts. For he who takes profound joy in anything will also find unsatisfactoriness in it.
He attained the third level of meditation... bliss greater than any other bliss.... But since he considered the highest to be peaceful and without fluctuation, he detected a flaw even in meditation at this level -- that his mind fluctuated continuously due to modulations in the working of bliss.
Then, because he had given up... he attained the fourth level of meditation.
With the support of the fourth level of meditation, he made up his mind to win the worthy state, as a king joins with a mighty and noble ally when he wishes to conquer unconquered territories.
From the 17th Canto of Saundarananda, trans. Linda Covill
Then he entered the first level of meditation, in which passion and the tainted constituents of reality are absent. It consists of an initial and a sustained application of the mind to its object, is born of discernment, and is imbued with happiness and bliss.... He realized that the initial and sustained application of the mind... are not conducive to peace but make undulations in the mind. He decided to break away from them....
Then he gradually entered the second level of meditation, which has no initial or sustained application of the mind to its object. Born of concentration (samaadhi-jam) and calm due to mental one-pointedness, it is joyfully blissful and endowed with inner delight. And in reaching that level of meditation in which the mind is silent, he experienced a profound joy that he had never experienced before. But in that joy too, he noticed a flaw, just as he had with regard to thoughts. For he who takes profound joy in anything will also find unsatisfactoriness in it.
He attained the third level of meditation... bliss greater than any other bliss.... But since he considered the highest to be peaceful and without fluctuation, he detected a flaw even in meditation at this level -- that his mind fluctuated continuously due to modulations in the working of bliss.
Then, because he had given up... he attained the fourth level of meditation.
With the support of the fourth level of meditation, he made up his mind to win the worthy state, as a king joins with a mighty and noble ally when he wishes to conquer unconquered territories.
Friday, November 28, 2008
NA: "NO," SAID GAUTAMA, "NOT THAT"
(NOT SENSORY DEPRIVATION)
From Buddhacarita Canto 12, The Meeting with Arada
12.100
atha kaSHTa-tapah-spaSHTa
vyartha-kliSHTa-tanur munih
bhava-bhiirur imaam cakre
buddhim buddhatva-kaankSHayaa,
Harsh ascetic practice, it was clear,
Was torturing his figure to no purpose, and so the sage,
Wary of this cycle of becoming,
Resolved, in his longing for buddhahood:
12.101
[[n' ayam dharmo viraagaaya,
na bodhaaya, na muktaye;
jambu-muule mayaa praapto
yas tadaa, sa vidhir dhruvah
"This is not a way to detachment,
Or to awakening, or to release;
The state I realized at the foot of the rose apple tree:
How I was then is surely the way to be.
12.102
na c'aasau dur-balen' aaptum
shakyam]] ity aagat'-aadarah
sharira-bala vRddhy artham
idam bhuuyo 'nvacintayat:
And that mode of being, for one who is weak,
Is unattainable." So, soberly,
With a view to increasing his bodily strength,
On this, more deeply still, he reflected:
12.103
[[kSHut-pipaashaa-shrama-klaantah
shramaad a-svastha-maanasah
praapnuyaan-manas"aavaapyam
phalam katham a-nirvRtah?
"Clapped-out by hunger, thirst, and fatigue,
A mind that, through fatigue, is not itself,
Is reaching for the fruit that is for a mind to enjoy:
But how, if the mind is uneasy, can it enjoy that fruit?
12.104
nirvRtih praapyate samyak
satat'-endriya-tarpaNaat
saMtarpit'-endriyatayaa
manah-svaasthyam avaapyate
The joy of effortless ease is properly gained
From constant appeasement of the senses;
From senses that are well integrated and content,
The mind recovers its health.
12.105
svastha-prasanna-manasah
samaadhir upapadyate,
samaadhi-yukta-cittasya
dhyaana-yogah pravartate
When the mind is well and serene,
Physical balance asserts itself;
And when balance is in the harness of intelligence,
Zen practice gets going.
12.106
dhyaana-pravartanaad dharmaah
praapyante yair avaapyate
dur-labham shaantam a-jaram
param tad a-mRtam padam]]
Teachings, through zen practice,
Are realised; and by those means is gained
The hard-won state of peace and agelessness --
That supreme, deathless state."
12.107
tasmaad aahaara-muulo 'yam
upaaya iti nishcayah
aahaara-karane dhiirah
kRtv' aa-mita-matir matim
Food, therefore, is the foundation of this process,
A means-whereby. Having decided so,
He was steadfast in his taking of food --
He of unbounded mind had made up his mind.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary
12.100
atha: [connective particle] then
kaSHTa: harsh
tapah: austerity, ascetic practice
spaSHTA: clear, distinct, evident
vyartha: useless, unprofitable, vain
kliSHTa: tormented, afflicted, damaged, worn out
tanur: body, person, form, one's self
munih: sage
bhava: becoming, being, existence
bhiiru: timid, fearful
imaam = accusative (f) of ayam: this
cakra: wheel
buddhim: one's mind, resolution, resolve
buddhatva: buddhahood
kaankSHayaa = instrumental case of kaankSHa: desire, long for, strive after
12.101
na: not
ayam: this
dharma: method, law, way of practising, etc.
viraagaaya = dative case of viraaga: loss of colour, indifference, absence of passion, DETACHMENT
na: not
bodhaaya = dative case of bodhi: awakening, enlightenment
na: not
muktaye = dative case of mukti: setting or becoming free, release, liberation
jambu: the rose apple tree [sitting under which the young Gautama had experienced samadhi spontaneously gripping him]
muule: locative case of muula: root, foot, base, low part
mayaa: instrumental case of aham: I
praapta: gotten, gained, attained
yat: [relative pronoun] that, what, that which
tadaa: then, at that time
sa: [pronoun] that, the
vidhi: method, manner or way of acting, mode of being, conduct or behaviour
dhruvah: firmly, constantly, certainly, surely
12.102
na: not
ca: and
asau: that, that state
dur-balena = instrumental case of dur-bala: one who is weak
aapta: reached, obtained
shakya: possible
iti: thus, so
aagata: entered into [a state of mind]
aadara: care, trouble, attention, sober consideration
sharira-bala: bodily strength
vrddhi: increase
artham: purpose, in order to
idam: this
bhuuyah: further
anvacintayat: pondered, reflected, considered
12.103
kSHut: hunger
pipaashaa: thirst
shrama:fatigue, exhaustion, weariness
klaantah: fatigued, exhausted, withered, emaciated, worn out
shramaad = ablative case of shrama: fatigue
a: not
svastha: self-abiding, being in oneself, being in one's natural state, contented, sound, well, healthy, at ease, confident, composed
maanasa: mental; mental faculty, mind
praap: to attain to, reach, arrive at, meet with, find
manasa: mind
avaap: to reach, attain, obtain, gain, get
avaapya: (1) having obtained; (2) to be obtained
phalam: fruit, result, reward
katham: how?
a: not
nirvRtah: satisfied, happy, tranquil, at ease
12.104
nirvRti: complete satisfaction or happiness, bliss
praapyate: reached, attained, got
samyak: properly, fully, out and out
satata: constantly
indriya: faculty of sense, sense, organ of sense
tarpaNaat = ablative case of tarpana: satiety, refreshment, satisfaction
saMtarpita: satiated, satisfied
indriyatayaa = ablative case (?) of indriya: sense
manah: mind
svaasthya: self-dependence, sound state, health, ease, comfort, contentment, satisfaction
avaapya: to be obtained, to be got
12.105
svastha: being in its natural state
prasanna: clear, bright, pure; distinct, true, plain; placid, tranquil, soothed; spirituous licquor made of rice.
manasah: mind
samaadhi: samadhi, physical stillness, physical balance, physiological balance encompassing the integrative fucntion of the vestibular system and balance of the autonomic nervous system.
upapadyate: go towards, approach; come forth, happen; spring into action
samaadhi: balance, stillness
yukta: [MW853] yoked or joined or fastened or attached or harnessed to;
(in compounds) joined, united, connected, combined; furnished or endowed or filled or supplied or provided with, accompanied by, possessed of.
Thus, Johnston translates samaadhi-yukta-cittasya as "when the mind is possessed of concentrated meditation" i.e. when citta is possessed of samadhi, i.e. when citta possesses samadhi, i.e. when samadhi is in the harness of citta.
cittasya = genitive case of citta: thinking, intelligence, reason.
citta [MAC94]: observation; thought, purpose, will; mind, heart, intellect, reason.
citta [MW395]: 'noticed'; attending, observing; thinking, reflecting, imagining, thought; intention, aim, wish; memory, intelligence, reason.
dhyaana-yoga:[MW520] profound meditation, or meditation and abstraction
dhyaana: meditation, thought, reflection; Zen meditation, meditative action
yoga: [MW856] the act of yoking, joining, harnessing; use, performance, practice; a means, expedient, way, manner, method; undertaking, business, work; any junction, union, combination; fitting together; exertion, endeavor.
pravartate: to roll or go onwards, be set in motion, proceed, commence
12.106
dhyaana: Zen
pravartanaad = ablative case of pravartana: being in motion, rolling forth; walking, roaming, wandering; activity, procedure, engaging in; going on.
dharmaah: dharmas, teachings
praapyante: get, obtain
yair = instrumental, plural of yah: [relative pronoun] those which
avaapyate: to be got, to be obtained
dur-labham: hard-won
shaanta: composed, calm, peaceful
a-jara: ageless
param: highest
tad: that
a-mRtam: deathless
padam: step; footing, place, abode; station, office; rank
12.107
tasmaad: accordingly, therefore
aahaara: food, sustenance
muula: root, foundation, basis
ayam: this
upaaya: method, means-whereby
iti: thus
nishcaya: decision; conclusion, resolve
aahaara-kri: take food
dhiirah: lasting, steady, firm; resolute, courageous; steadfast; firmly adhering to
kRtva = past participle of kri: make
a-mita: boundless, unbounded, immeasurable
mati: intention, purpose, determination; understanding, mind, wit, judgement
matim-kri: resolve upon, make up one's mind
___________________________________________________________________________________
Previous translations, for reference:
12.100
Thereon dreading existence the sage, whose body was clearly tormented to no purpose by pernicious austerities, thus resolved in his longing for Buddhahood:--
12.101
"This is not the way of life for passionlessness, for enlightenment, for liberation. That is the sure procedure which I won that time beneath the jambu tree.
12.102
Nor can that be obtained by one who is weak." So in all seriousness he pondered further on this point in order to increase his bodily strength.
12.103
How can the result to be attained by the mind be reached by a man, who is not calmly at ease and who is so worn out with the exhaustion of hunger and thirst that his mind is unbalanced with the exhaustion?
12.104
Inward tranquility is rightly gained by constant appeasement of the senses, and from full appeasement of the senses the mind becomes well-balanced.
12.105
The man whose mind is well-balanced and serene develops concentrated meditation; when the mind is possessed of concentrated meditation, the practice of trance begins.
12.106
By the practice of trance those dharmas are obtained, through which is won that highest, peaceful stage, so hard to reach, which is ageless and deathless."
12.107
Accordingly the steadfast seer of unbounded wisdom concluded that this method was based on the eating of food and made up his mind to take food.
-- E. H. Johnston, 1936
12.100
Then, the sage, his body clearly tortured
for no purpose by vile austerities,
and afraid of continued existence,
made this resolve, longing for Buddhahood:
12.101
"This dharma will not lead to detachment,
to Awakening or release;
The path I attained at that time
under the rose apple tree
was indeed the certain path.
12.102
But that path cannot be traversed
by a man who is weak."
Thus, with a sense of urgency
he reflected on this again
to increase his bodily strength:
12.103
"When a man is worn out
by hunger, thirst, and fatigue,
his mind unwell with fatigue,
How will he, who is not tranquil, attain
the fruit that the mind alone can attain?
12.104
Tranquility is properly attained
by always making the senses content;
when the senses are well content,
wellness of the mind is attained.
12.105
Mental concentration springs up
when one's mind is well and serene,
And practice of trance advances
when concentration grips one's mind.
12.106
And by the advancement of trance,
one attains the dharmas by which
Is attained that supreme state hard to obtain,
a state that is unaging, immortal, and calm."
12.107
Having concluded, therefore, that
this process was rooted in food,
steadfast, and with boundless wisdom,
he resolved to partake of food.
-- Patrick Olivelle, 2008
___________________________________________________________________________________
It seems to me that Johnston's translation is tremendously useful as an aid to understand the literal meaning of the original Sanskrit, whereas Olivelle's translation reads more easily, especially to a modern ear.
From Buddhacarita Canto 12, The Meeting with Arada
12.100
atha kaSHTa-tapah-spaSHTa
vyartha-kliSHTa-tanur munih
bhava-bhiirur imaam cakre
buddhim buddhatva-kaankSHayaa,
Harsh ascetic practice, it was clear,
Was torturing his figure to no purpose, and so the sage,
Wary of this cycle of becoming,
Resolved, in his longing for buddhahood:
12.101
[[n' ayam dharmo viraagaaya,
na bodhaaya, na muktaye;
jambu-muule mayaa praapto
yas tadaa, sa vidhir dhruvah
"This is not a way to detachment,
Or to awakening, or to release;
The state I realized at the foot of the rose apple tree:
How I was then is surely the way to be.
12.102
na c'aasau dur-balen' aaptum
shakyam]] ity aagat'-aadarah
sharira-bala vRddhy artham
idam bhuuyo 'nvacintayat:
And that mode of being, for one who is weak,
Is unattainable." So, soberly,
With a view to increasing his bodily strength,
On this, more deeply still, he reflected:
12.103
[[kSHut-pipaashaa-shrama-klaantah
shramaad a-svastha-maanasah
praapnuyaan-manas"aavaapyam
phalam katham a-nirvRtah?
"Clapped-out by hunger, thirst, and fatigue,
A mind that, through fatigue, is not itself,
Is reaching for the fruit that is for a mind to enjoy:
But how, if the mind is uneasy, can it enjoy that fruit?
12.104
nirvRtih praapyate samyak
satat'-endriya-tarpaNaat
saMtarpit'-endriyatayaa
manah-svaasthyam avaapyate
The joy of effortless ease is properly gained
From constant appeasement of the senses;
From senses that are well integrated and content,
The mind recovers its health.
12.105
svastha-prasanna-manasah
samaadhir upapadyate,
samaadhi-yukta-cittasya
dhyaana-yogah pravartate
When the mind is well and serene,
Physical balance asserts itself;
And when balance is in the harness of intelligence,
Zen practice gets going.
12.106
dhyaana-pravartanaad dharmaah
praapyante yair avaapyate
dur-labham shaantam a-jaram
param tad a-mRtam padam]]
Teachings, through zen practice,
Are realised; and by those means is gained
The hard-won state of peace and agelessness --
That supreme, deathless state."
12.107
tasmaad aahaara-muulo 'yam
upaaya iti nishcayah
aahaara-karane dhiirah
kRtv' aa-mita-matir matim
Food, therefore, is the foundation of this process,
A means-whereby. Having decided so,
He was steadfast in his taking of food --
He of unbounded mind had made up his mind.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary
12.100
atha: [connective particle] then
kaSHTa: harsh
tapah: austerity, ascetic practice
spaSHTA: clear, distinct, evident
vyartha: useless, unprofitable, vain
kliSHTa: tormented, afflicted, damaged, worn out
tanur: body, person, form, one's self
munih: sage
bhava: becoming, being, existence
bhiiru: timid, fearful
imaam = accusative (f) of ayam: this
cakra: wheel
buddhim: one's mind, resolution, resolve
buddhatva: buddhahood
kaankSHayaa = instrumental case of kaankSHa: desire, long for, strive after
12.101
na: not
ayam: this
dharma: method, law, way of practising, etc.
viraagaaya = dative case of viraaga: loss of colour, indifference, absence of passion, DETACHMENT
na: not
bodhaaya = dative case of bodhi: awakening, enlightenment
na: not
muktaye = dative case of mukti: setting or becoming free, release, liberation
jambu: the rose apple tree [sitting under which the young Gautama had experienced samadhi spontaneously gripping him]
muule: locative case of muula: root, foot, base, low part
mayaa: instrumental case of aham: I
praapta: gotten, gained, attained
yat: [relative pronoun] that, what, that which
tadaa: then, at that time
sa: [pronoun] that, the
vidhi: method, manner or way of acting, mode of being, conduct or behaviour
dhruvah: firmly, constantly, certainly, surely
12.102
na: not
ca: and
asau: that, that state
dur-balena = instrumental case of dur-bala: one who is weak
aapta: reached, obtained
shakya: possible
iti: thus, so
aagata: entered into [a state of mind]
aadara: care, trouble, attention, sober consideration
sharira-bala: bodily strength
vrddhi: increase
artham: purpose, in order to
idam: this
bhuuyah: further
anvacintayat: pondered, reflected, considered
12.103
kSHut: hunger
pipaashaa: thirst
shrama:fatigue, exhaustion, weariness
klaantah: fatigued, exhausted, withered, emaciated, worn out
shramaad = ablative case of shrama: fatigue
a: not
svastha: self-abiding, being in oneself, being in one's natural state, contented, sound, well, healthy, at ease, confident, composed
maanasa: mental; mental faculty, mind
praap: to attain to, reach, arrive at, meet with, find
manasa: mind
avaap: to reach, attain, obtain, gain, get
avaapya: (1) having obtained; (2) to be obtained
phalam: fruit, result, reward
katham: how?
a: not
nirvRtah: satisfied, happy, tranquil, at ease
12.104
nirvRti: complete satisfaction or happiness, bliss
praapyate: reached, attained, got
samyak: properly, fully, out and out
satata: constantly
indriya: faculty of sense, sense, organ of sense
tarpaNaat = ablative case of tarpana: satiety, refreshment, satisfaction
saMtarpita: satiated, satisfied
indriyatayaa = ablative case (?) of indriya: sense
manah: mind
svaasthya: self-dependence, sound state, health, ease, comfort, contentment, satisfaction
avaapya: to be obtained, to be got
12.105
svastha: being in its natural state
prasanna: clear, bright, pure; distinct, true, plain; placid, tranquil, soothed; spirituous licquor made of rice.
manasah: mind
samaadhi: samadhi, physical stillness, physical balance, physiological balance encompassing the integrative fucntion of the vestibular system and balance of the autonomic nervous system.
upapadyate: go towards, approach; come forth, happen; spring into action
samaadhi: balance, stillness
yukta: [MW853] yoked or joined or fastened or attached or harnessed to;
(in compounds) joined, united, connected, combined; furnished or endowed or filled or supplied or provided with, accompanied by, possessed of.
Thus, Johnston translates samaadhi-yukta-cittasya as "when the mind is possessed of concentrated meditation" i.e. when citta is possessed of samadhi, i.e. when citta possesses samadhi, i.e. when samadhi is in the harness of citta.
cittasya = genitive case of citta: thinking, intelligence, reason.
citta [MAC94]: observation; thought, purpose, will; mind, heart, intellect, reason.
citta [MW395]: 'noticed'; attending, observing; thinking, reflecting, imagining, thought; intention, aim, wish; memory, intelligence, reason.
dhyaana-yoga:[MW520] profound meditation, or meditation and abstraction
dhyaana: meditation, thought, reflection; Zen meditation, meditative action
yoga: [MW856] the act of yoking, joining, harnessing; use, performance, practice; a means, expedient, way, manner, method; undertaking, business, work; any junction, union, combination; fitting together; exertion, endeavor.
pravartate: to roll or go onwards, be set in motion, proceed, commence
12.106
dhyaana: Zen
pravartanaad = ablative case of pravartana: being in motion, rolling forth; walking, roaming, wandering; activity, procedure, engaging in; going on.
dharmaah: dharmas, teachings
praapyante: get, obtain
yair = instrumental, plural of yah: [relative pronoun] those which
avaapyate: to be got, to be obtained
dur-labham: hard-won
shaanta: composed, calm, peaceful
a-jara: ageless
param: highest
tad: that
a-mRtam: deathless
padam: step; footing, place, abode; station, office; rank
12.107
tasmaad: accordingly, therefore
aahaara: food, sustenance
muula: root, foundation, basis
ayam: this
upaaya: method, means-whereby
iti: thus
nishcaya: decision; conclusion, resolve
aahaara-kri: take food
dhiirah: lasting, steady, firm; resolute, courageous; steadfast; firmly adhering to
kRtva = past participle of kri: make
a-mita: boundless, unbounded, immeasurable
mati: intention, purpose, determination; understanding, mind, wit, judgement
matim-kri: resolve upon, make up one's mind
___________________________________________________________________________________
Previous translations, for reference:
12.100
Thereon dreading existence the sage, whose body was clearly tormented to no purpose by pernicious austerities, thus resolved in his longing for Buddhahood:--
12.101
"This is not the way of life for passionlessness, for enlightenment, for liberation. That is the sure procedure which I won that time beneath the jambu tree.
12.102
Nor can that be obtained by one who is weak." So in all seriousness he pondered further on this point in order to increase his bodily strength.
12.103
How can the result to be attained by the mind be reached by a man, who is not calmly at ease and who is so worn out with the exhaustion of hunger and thirst that his mind is unbalanced with the exhaustion?
12.104
Inward tranquility is rightly gained by constant appeasement of the senses, and from full appeasement of the senses the mind becomes well-balanced.
12.105
The man whose mind is well-balanced and serene develops concentrated meditation; when the mind is possessed of concentrated meditation, the practice of trance begins.
12.106
By the practice of trance those dharmas are obtained, through which is won that highest, peaceful stage, so hard to reach, which is ageless and deathless."
12.107
Accordingly the steadfast seer of unbounded wisdom concluded that this method was based on the eating of food and made up his mind to take food.
-- E. H. Johnston, 1936
12.100
Then, the sage, his body clearly tortured
for no purpose by vile austerities,
and afraid of continued existence,
made this resolve, longing for Buddhahood:
12.101
"This dharma will not lead to detachment,
to Awakening or release;
The path I attained at that time
under the rose apple tree
was indeed the certain path.
12.102
But that path cannot be traversed
by a man who is weak."
Thus, with a sense of urgency
he reflected on this again
to increase his bodily strength:
12.103
"When a man is worn out
by hunger, thirst, and fatigue,
his mind unwell with fatigue,
How will he, who is not tranquil, attain
the fruit that the mind alone can attain?
12.104
Tranquility is properly attained
by always making the senses content;
when the senses are well content,
wellness of the mind is attained.
12.105
Mental concentration springs up
when one's mind is well and serene,
And practice of trance advances
when concentration grips one's mind.
12.106
And by the advancement of trance,
one attains the dharmas by which
Is attained that supreme state hard to obtain,
a state that is unaging, immortal, and calm."
12.107
Having concluded, therefore, that
this process was rooted in food,
steadfast, and with boundless wisdom,
he resolved to partake of food.
-- Patrick Olivelle, 2008
___________________________________________________________________________________
It seems to me that Johnston's translation is tremendously useful as an aid to understand the literal meaning of the original Sanskrit, whereas Olivelle's translation reads more easily, especially to a modern ear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)