art and craft

[Jeffrey]

Art is a difficult idea to pin down, at least in the modern world. I wonder how it was considered in Pali. What kinds of activities or products might have been considered art? Was there a distinction between art and craft? What was the purpose of art?

Any Pali adepts out there who can offer some ideas, or point me to a potentially useful source?

[Dmytro]

Hi Jeffrey,

Mastering the mind is also an art, hence the terms like "kusala dhamma" - "skilful behavior".

Some areas of skilfulness are listed in Mahaniddesa:

Kusalāti ye te khandhakusalā dhātukusalā āyatanakusalā paṭiccasamuppādakusalā satipaṭṭhānakusalā sammappadhānakusalā iddhipādakusalā indriyakusalā balakusalā bojjhaṅgakusalā maggakusalā phalakusalā nibbānakusalā...

and Culaniddesa:

Kusalo sabbadhammānanti ‘‘sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā’’ti kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ, ‘‘sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā’’ti kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ, ‘‘sabbe dhammā anattā’’ti kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ, ‘‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’’ti kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ…pe… ‘‘yaṃ kiñci samudayadhammaṃ sabbaṃ taṃ nirodhadhamma’’nti kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ. Evampi kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ.

Atha vā, aniccato kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ, dukkhato…pe… rogato… gaṇḍato… sallato… aghato… ābādhato… parato… palokato… ītito… upaddavato… bhayato… upasaggato… calato… pabhaṅguto… addhuvato … atāṇato… aleṇato… asaraṇato… asaraṇībhūtato… rittato… tucchato… suññato… anattato… ādīnavato… vipariṇāmadhammato… asārakato… aghamūlato… vadhakato… vibhavato… sāsavato… saṅkhatato… mārāmisato… jātidhammato… jarādhammato… byādhidhammato… maraṇadhammato… sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammato … saṃkilesikadhammato… samudayato… atthaṅgamato… assādato… ādīnavato… nissaraṇato kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ. Evampi kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ.