The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
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cooran
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The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

Bhikkhu Nanananda, in his prologue to The Magic of the Mind ... an Exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta. (BPS 1985)

"..... Suppose, monks a magician or a magician's apprentice should hold a magic-show at the four cross-roads; and a keen-sighted man should see it, ponder over it and reflect on it radically. (1) Even as he sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically, he would find it empty; he would find it hollow; he would find it void of essence. What essence, monks, could there be in a magic show?

Even so, monks, whatever consciousness - be it past, future or present, in oneself or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near - a monk sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically. And even as he sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically, he would find it empty; he would find it hollow; he would find it void of essence. What essence monks, could there be in a consciousness? (2) ......"

Form is like a mass of foam
And feeling - but an airy bubble.
Perception is like a mirage
And formations a plantain tree.

Consciousness is a magic-show,
A juggler's trick entire,
All these similes were made known
By the 'Kinsman-of-the-Sun." (3) S.III.142.

The famous magician whose miraculous performances you have thoroughly enjoyed on many an occasion, is back again in your town. The news of his arrival has spread far and wide, and eager crowds are now making for the large hall where he is due to perform today. You too buy a ticket and manage to enter the hall. There is already a scramble for seats, but you are not keen on securing one, for today you have entered with a different purpose in mind. You have had a bright idea to outwit the magician - to play a trick on him yourself. So you cut your way through the thronging crowds and stealthily creep into some concealed corner of the stage.

The magician enters the stage through the dark curtains, clad in his pitchy black suit. Black boxes containing his secret stock-in-trade are also now on the stage. The performance starts and from your point of vantage you watch. And as you watch with sharp eyes every movement of the magician, you now begin to discover, one after the other, the secrets behind those 'breath-taking' miracles of your favourite magician. The hidden holes and false bottoms in his magic boxes, the counterfeits and secret pockets, the hidden strings and buttons that are pulled and pressed under the cover of the frantic waving of his magic-wand. Very soon you see through his bag of wily tricks so well, that you are able to discover his next 'surprises', they no longer surprise you. His 'tricks' no longer deceive you. His 'magic' has lost its magic for you. It no longer kindles your imagination as it used to do in the past. The magician's 'hocus-pocus' and 'abracadabra' and his magic-wand now suggest nothing to you - for you know them now for what they are, that is : 'meaningless'. The whole affair has now turned out to be an empty-show, one vast hoax - a treachery.

In utter disgust, you turn away from it to take a peep at the audience below. And what a sight! A sea of craned necks - eyes that gaze in blind admiration; mouths that gape in dumb appreciation; the 'Ah!'s and 'Oh!'s and whistles of speechless amazement.

Truly, a strange admixture of tragedy and comedy which you could have enjoyed instead of the magic-show, if not for the fact that you yourself were in that same sorry plight on many a previous occasion. Moved by compassion for this frenzied crowd, you almost frown on the magician as he chuckles with a sinister grin at every applause from his admirers. "how is it," you wonder, "that I have been deceived so long by this crook of a magician?" You are fed up with all this and swear to yourself - "Never will I waste my time and money on such empty shows, Nev-ver."

The show ends. Crowds are now making for the exit. You too slip out of your hiding place unseen, and mingle with them. Once outside, you spot a friend of yours whom you know as a keen admirer of this magician. Not wishing to embarrass him with the news of your unusual experience, you try to avoid him, but you are too late. Soon you find yourself listening to a vivid commentary on the magic performance. Your friend is now reliving those moments of the 'bliss-of-ignorance' which he had just been enjoying. But before long he discovers that you are mild and reserved today, and wonders how you could be so, after such a marvellous show.

"Why? You were in the same hall all this time, weren't you"

"Yes, I was."

"Then, were you sleeping?"

"Oh! No."

"You weren't watching closely, I suppose."

"No, no, I was watching it alright, may be I was watching too closely."

"You say you were watching, but you don't seem to have seen the show."

"No, I saw it. In fact I saw it so well that I missed the show!"

metta
Chris
Last edited by cooran on Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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retrofuturist
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Chris,

Indeed. Thanks for sharing.

I should get around to reading that work from Nanananda... it's somewhere in the "to read" pile. :D

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by BubbaBuddhist »

I've always loved this Sutta (for obvious reasons :lol: ) and yet:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2 ... 026872.900

J/ Bb
Author of Redneck Buddhism: or Will You Reincarnate as Your Own Cousin?
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cooran
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by cooran »

The Kalakarama Sutta

At one time the Exalted One was staying at Saketa in Kalaka's monastery. There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying: "Monks." "Revered Sir," replied those monks in assent. The Exalted One said:

"Monks, whatsoever in the world with its gods, Maras and Brahmas, among the progeny consisting of recluses and brahmins, gods and men - whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, {1} cognized, attained, sought after and pondered over by the mind - all that do I know. Monks, whatsoever in the world ........ of gods and men - whatsoever is seen........ by the mind, that have I fully understood: all that is known to the Tathagata, {2} but the Tathagata has not taken his stand upon it. {3}.

If I were to say: "Monks, whatsoever in the world ........ of ........ gods and men - whatsoever is seen ........ by the mind - all that I do not know' - it woud be a falsehood in me. {4} If I were to say: "I both know it and know it not' - that too would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say: 'I neither know it nor am ignorant of it' - it would be a fault in me. {5}.

Thus, monks, a Tathagata does not conceive {6} of a visible thing as apart from sight; {7} he does not conceive of an unseen;{8} he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-seeing';{9) he does not conceive about a seer. {10)

He does not conceive of an audible thing as apart from hearing; he does not conceive of an unheard; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-hearing'; he does not conceive about a hearer.

He does not conceive of a thing to be sensed as apart from sensation; he does not conceive of an unsensed; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-sensing'; he does not conceive about one who senses.

He does not conceive of a cognizable thing as apart from cognition; he does not conceive of an uncognized; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-cognizing'; he does not conceive about one who cognizes.

Thus, monks, the Tathagata being such-like in regard to all phenomena seen, heard, sensed, and cognized, is 'Such'. Moreover than he who is 'Such', there is none other greater or more excellent, I declare. {11}

Whatever is seen, heard, sensed or clung to,
is esteemed as truth by other folk,
Midst those who are entrenched in their own views, {12}
being 'Such' I hold none as true or false.
This barb I beheld, well in advance, {13}
whereon mankind is hooked, impaled.
'I know, I see 'tis verily so' {14} - no such clinging
for the Tathagatas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes to follow.

metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by tiltbillings »

Bhikkhu Nanananda, in his prologue to The Magic of the Mind ... an Exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta. (BPS 1985)
This is an excellent book, but I wonder if it fits our definition of Classical Theravada, given that Ven Nanananda tends not to rely on the commentaries.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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cooran
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

Found the .pdf version of

Bhikkhu K. Nanananda - The Magic of the Mind
An Exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta
http://www.nibbanam.com/MagicOfMind.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Chris,

Nice find.

I highly recommend this text!

:reading:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by gavesako »

Unfortunately the scan is sprinkled with typos, but it will do for a reference at least.
Bhikkhu Gavesako
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)

Access to Insight - Theravada texts
Ancient Buddhist Texts - Translations and history of Pali texts
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gavesako
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by gavesako »

Magic of the Mind - An Exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta by Bhikkhu Nanananda

http://www.scribd.com/doc/50505402/The- ... f-the-Mind" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(full text without errors, easy to read)

:reading:
Bhikkhu Gavesako
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)

Access to Insight - Theravada texts
Ancient Buddhist Texts - Translations and history of Pali texts
Dhammatalks.org - Sutta translations
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by retrofuturist »

Thanks bhante.

:thumbsup:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
SamKR
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by SamKR »

A great book. And, Kālakārāma Sutta and Kaccayanagotta Sutta are so cool. Eye-opening.
To download the pdf of this book: http://www.seeingthroughthenet.net/file ... e_mind.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Javi
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Re: The Magic Show (Kalakarama Sutta Prologue)

Post by Javi »

Vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā — All things decay and disappoint, it is through vigilance that you succeed — Mahāparinibbāna Sutta

Self-taught poverty is a help toward philosophy, for the things which philosophy attempts to teach by reasoning, poverty forces us to practice. — Diogenes of Sinope

I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind — Ecclesiastes 1.14
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