digha agama 28 (03)

[TC Nguyen]

da03

I. Is this sutta corrupted ?

The sutra can be divided in three topics :
1. The question & answer between Po.t.thapa-da to the Buddha.
2. the question about the self
3. the reason given by Gautama of why he did not answer categorically to
some
views.

I.1. The question & answer between Po.t.thapa-da to the Buddha.

I.1.1. Question put by Po.t.thapa-da to Buddha in Pali text :
I.1.1.1. Translated by Rhys Davids
How then Sirs, is the cessation of conciousness brought about ?
I.1.1.2. Translated by Maurice Walshe
the discussion among the ascetics and Brahmins of various schools,
sitting
together and meeting in the debating-hall, has concerned the higher
extinction of
consciousness, and how this takes place.
and
" What then, Lord, is this higher extinction of consciousness?'

I.1.2. Question put by Po.t.thapa-da to Buddha in Chinese
Agama text :
We are pondering, and ( I ) think that the venerable Gautama know
the
solution, that he knows thoughts and the samadhi of extinction ".

Comments

Davids 's translation is " How is the cessation of conciousness brought
about ? "
but the response of Gautama is on the cessation of ideas ( thoughts ).

Here is the answer of Gautama :
1. ' Well, as to that, Po.t.thapāda, those Samanas and Brahmans
who said
that ideas come to a man and pass away without a reason, and without a
cause,
are wrong from the very commencement. For it is precisely through a
reason, by
means of a cause, that ideas come and go. [181] By training some ideas
arise. By
training others pass away.
( Digha Nikaya, Rhys Davids tr.)

Maurice Walse 's translation is " What then, Lord, is this higher
extinction of
consciousness? "

And here is the answer of Gautama :
7. 'In this matter, Po.t.thapa-da, those ascetics and Brahmins who say
one's
perceptions arise and cease without cause or condition are totally
wrong. Why is
that? One's perceptions arise and cease [181] owing to a cause and
conditions.
Some perceptions arise through training, and some pass away through
training.'
( Maurice Walshe tr. ).

Perception : the act of perceiving; perceive : be aware of through the
senses. But
eye like camera cannot perceive, so perception must be from activity of
brain. To
perceive is to mentate and cognize.

We see this Pali sutta is corrupted here or is corrupted by the
translators. The
question and the answer do not match.

Now to the Chinese Agama sutta, the question is chinese style. Instead
of asking
clearly, simply, how to cease thoughts, it used the word
die^.t : eradicate, anihilate,
ddi.nh : samadhi.

The answer of Gautama give us the hint on the question :
Thoughts are they conditioned, can they be trained to appear and
disappear ?

Till now, I think this sutta in Chinese Agama is not corrupted as for
the question,
the Pali is.

1.1.2. Succession of the gradual extinction of thoughts

From the Pali : From Chinese
Agama
1.1.2.1. From ordinary to 1st jhana Same
1.1.2.2. 1st jhana to 2nd jhana Same
1.1.2.3. 2nd jhana to 3nd jhana Same
1.1.2.4. 3nd jhana to 4nd jhana Same
1.1.2.5. sphere of infinity of space sphere of emptiness
1.1.2.6. Sphere of Infinite Consciousness Same
1.1.2.7. Sphere of No-Thingness sphere of not doing
1.1.2.8. He attains cessation sphere of with and
without thoughts
1.1.2.9 None thought of
samadhi of knowing the

extincion *

* Original text :
tu+o+?ng : thought, idea
tri : know
die^.t : the extinction
ddi.nh : samadhi