What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

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elaine
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What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by elaine »

Hi all,

Does anyone know what is the English translation for papañca? What is the surefire way to get rid of papañca? Any suggestions, please? Also, is it possible for any non-enlightened beings to be totally free from papañca?

Thank you in advance. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.
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Tex
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by Tex »

papañca: (Sanskrit prapañca): In doctrinal usage, it signifies the expansion, differentiation, 'diffuseness' or 'manifoldness' of the world; and it may also refer to the 'phenomenal world' in general, and to the mental attitude of 'worldliness'. In A. IV, 173, it is said: "As far as the field of sixfold sense-impression extends, so far reaches the world of diffuseness (or the phenomenal world; papañcassa gati); as far as the world of diffuseness extends, so far extends the field of sixfold sense-impression. Through the complete fading away and cessation of the field of sixfold sense-impression, there comes about the cessation and the coming-to-rest of the world of diffuseness (papañca-nirodho papañca-vupasamo)." The opposite term nippapañca is a name for Nibbāna (S. LIII), in the sense of 'freedom from samsaric diffuseness'. - Dhp. 254: "Mankind delights in the diffuseness of the world, the Perfect Ones are free from such diffuseness" (papañcābhiratā pajā, nippapañca tathāgatā). - The 8th of the 'thoughts of a great man' (mahā-purisa-vitakka; A. VIII, 30) has: "This Dhamma is for one who delights in non-diffuseness (the unworldly, Nibbāna); it is not for him who delights in worldliness (papañca)." - For the psychological sense of 'differentiation', see M. 18 (Madhupiṇḍika Sutta): "Whatever man conceives (vitakketi) that he differentiates (papañceti); and what he differentiates, by reason thereof ideas and considerations of differentiation (Papañca-saññā-saṅkhā) arise in him." On this text and the term papañca, see Dr. Kurt Schmidt in German Buddhist Writers (WHEEL 74/75) p. 61ff. - See D. 21 (Sakka's Quest; WHEEL 10, p.

In the commentaries, we often find a threefold classification taṇhā-, diṭṭhi-, māna-papañca, which probably means the world's diffuseness created hy craving, false views and conceit. - See M. 123; A. IV, 173; A. VI, 14, Sn. 530, 874, 916.

Ñāṇananda Bhikkhu, in Concept and Reality: An Essay on Papañca and Papañca-saññā-saṅkhā (Kandy 1971, Buddhist Publication Society), suggests that the term refers to man's "tendency towards proliferation in the realm of concepts" and proposes a rendering by "conceptual proliferation," which appears convincing in psychological context, e.g. in two of the texts quoted above, A. IV, 173 and M. 18. - The threefold classification of papañca, by way of craving, false views and conceit, is explained by the author as three aspects, or instances, of the foremost of delusive conceptualisations, the ego-concept.
From: http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/bu ... dic3_p.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"To reach beyond fear and danger we must sharpen and widen our vision. We have to pierce through the deceptions that lull us into a comfortable complacency, to take a straight look down into the depths of our existence, without turning away uneasily or running after distractions." -- Bhikkhu Bodhi

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." -- Heraclitus
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mikenz66
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by mikenz66 »

Greetings Elaine,

The key Sutta on papañca is MN 18: Madhupindika Sutta (The Honey Ball).
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There is a useful introduction there.

Metta
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Elaine,

The text "Concept And Reality" mentioned above is very good.
Synopsis:
An original work of Buddhist philosophy that examines the mind's tendency to distort reality through its own conceptual activity.

This work focuses upon two important but controversial terms found in the Buddha's discourses - papanca and papancasanna sankha. Bhikkhu Nanananda sees these terms as referring to the mind's conceptual proliferation, its tendency to create a screen of concepts by which it misinterprets the basic data of experience. He shows the characteristic Buddhist teaching of no-self to have new dimensions of significance, not only in the context of Buddhism but also in relation to philosophy, psychology, and ethics. Copious quotations from the Buddhist texts provide increased knowledge and new interpretations of obscure passages. This book will serve as a stimulating source of insights into the deep meaning of the Dhamma.
Not available to read online, but can be ordered for a very reasonable price from the Buddhist Publication Society ( http://www.bps.lk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ).

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."
elaine
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by elaine »

Hi Tex, Mike,

Thanks for the links. I think Bhikkhu Bodhi translates papañca as "mental proliferation". I have read MN 18 sutta a few times but I don't understand it. Even in the sutta itself, the monks had to go to Maha Kaccana and asked him to explain with more details!!

What does this passage means?
"When there is no ear...

"When there is no nose...

"When there is no tongue...

"When there is no body...

"When there is no intellect, when there are no ideas, when there is no intellect-consciousness, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of contact. When there is no delineation of contact, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of feeling. When there is no delineation of feeling, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of perception. When there is no delineation of perception, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of thinking. When there is no delineation of thinking, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of being assailed by the perceptions & categories of complication.


Of course, when there is no ear, there is no hearing. But how do we practice "no hearing, no smelling, no seeing, no tasting, no feeling, no thinking" when we have all the sense organs intact?? Is a true Buddhist supposed to live in a forest alone all by himself/herself in order to get rid of papancas? Will it even work? How to minimize the papancasizing while living in a community?

I think everyone has papancas. For e.g. whenever we hear some remarks, we will interpret its meaning in our own way. If we like that person, we'll tend to take the remarks in a light-hearted way, and vice-versa. If I hear something coming out from someone I don't like, "my" papancas will go off like a runaway train, I will think that someone is out to get me, or to kill me!! (ok, I'm a bit paranoid sometimes). But what if my hunch is true?? Anyway, to reduce mental sufferings, I try to be "indifferent" to the remarks made by people whom I don't like. I'll ignore it like it's some kind of white noise. Sometimes it works but sometimes it still gets to me. Whenever it gets to me, it means that the enemy has won. sigh.

Anyway, how do you deal with the papancas?
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retrofuturist
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Elaine,
elaine wrote:Anyway, how do you deal with the papancas?
By following the instructions in...

MN 10 - Satipatthana Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... but especially section D on mental qualities.

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."
elaine
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by elaine »

Hi Retro,
retrofuturist wrote: The text "Concept And Reality" mentioned above is very good.
Thanks for the synopsis. I'm not very familiar with these philosophical Buddhist terms. Can you or anyone here kindly explain:

1. What is an ultimate reality?
Are our imaginations and thoughts realities? What categories do they belong to?

2. What is a conventional reality?

3. Why are there two types of realities?
Is it because we cannot see the REAL realities, that's why we have to call the "non-ultimate reality", the "conventional reality" instead?

4. What is NOT a reality?

5. What is a concept?
Is a concept considered "conventional reality"? Why so or why not?

6. How would we know what is real and what is not? Do we have to rely on another person's "philosophy" to make ourself believe or convinced?

All replies are appreciated. Thank you.
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retrofuturist
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Elaine,

Re: questions 1-3 see this post ( http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... t=20#p5963" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) by venerable Dhammanando.

Re: question 5 see venerable Dhammanando's next posting in that same thread

Re: questions 4 & 6, you could probably start each of these as threads in their own right. I do think the book mentioned above would help to answer these to your satisfaction.

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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cooran
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by cooran »

Hello Elaine,

These two articles may be of assistance:

Concept and Meaning
http://www.bps.lk/wheels_library/wh_250.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

metta
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Aloka
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by Aloka »

Hello,

Is it correct to assume that Vipassana meditation will help to reduce papanca?


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bodom
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by bodom »

"Then, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bahiya, there is no you in terms of that. When there is no you in terms of that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress."

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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bodom
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by bodom »

So you must try not to think too much. If you do think, then do so with awareness. But so far your thinking has been done with no awareness. First you must make your mind calm. Where there is knowing there is no need to think, awareness will arise in its place, and this will in turn become wisdom (panna). But the ordinary kind of mental proliferation is not wisdom, it is simply the aimless and unaware wandering and thinking of the mind, which inevitably results in agitation. This is not wisdom.

At this stage you don’t need to think. You’ve already done a great deal of thinking at home, haven’t you? It just stirs up the heart. You must establish some awareness. Obsessive thinking can even bring you to tears, just try it out. Getting lost in some train of thought won’t lead you to the truth, it’s not wisdom. The Buddha was a very wise person, he’d learned how to stop thinking. In the same way you are practising here in order to stop thinking and thereby arrive at peace. There must be calm first, if there is only thinking wisdom will not arise, there will be no awareness of the truth. All that will arise will be endless proliferation. If you are already calm it is not necessary to think, wisdom will arise in its place. As long as you are thinking wisdom will not arise.

Ajahn Chah

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Aloka
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by Aloka »

Clarity and awareness free from mental activity then? Would you also call this experiential understanding of emptiness?
I'm not sure if this kind of terminology is used in Theravada, so forgive me if I'm a little dim! :embarassed:

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bodom
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by bodom »

Dazzlebling wrote:Clarity and awareness free from mental activity then? Would you also call this experiential understanding of emptiness?
I'm not sure if this kind of terminology is used in Theravada, so forgive me if I'm a little dim! :embarassed:

.
You would call it mindfulness. Non Judgmental bare awareness of whatever arises free from thoughts of greed, hatred, delusion and "I" "me" and "mine' making.

Mindfulness In Plain English Chapter 13 ...(Mindfulness - Sati)
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe13.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Aloka
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Re: What is papañca? And how to get rid of it?

Post by Aloka »

bodom_bad_boy wrote:
Dazzlebling wrote:Clarity and awareness free from mental activity then? Would you also call this experiential understanding of emptiness?
I'm not sure if this kind of terminology is used in Theravada, so forgive me if I'm a little dim! :embarassed:

.
You would call it mindfulness. Non Judgmental bare awareness of whatever arises free from thoughts of greed, hatred, delusion and "I" "me" and "mine' making.

Mindfulness In Plain English Chapter 13 ...(Mindfulness - Sati)
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe13.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:namaste:

I see, ok, thank you for your help.

_/\_

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