Definition/meaning of Dhamma

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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DooDoot
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Re: Definition/meaning of Dhamma

Post by DooDoot »

piotr wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:19 am ....
Piotr can explain the following using cross-reference of other suttas. :bow:
All dhamma are rooted in zeal [chanda iddhipāda].

All dhamma come into play through [wise] attention.

All dhamma arise with contact.

All dhamma [practises] converge on [having mindfulness at] feelings.

All dhamma head towards [the development of] concentration.

All dhamm a are governed (supervised) by mindfulness.

All dhamma have wisdom as their highest (apex).

All dhamma have release as their heartwood.

All dhamma gain a footing in the deathless.

All dhamma culminate in Nibbana.

AN 10.58
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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frank k
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Re: Definition/meaning of Dhamma

Post by frank k »

Assaji wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:12 am ...
As a translator, I studied how readers perceive foreign words. It turned out that even common words of foreign origin are usually understood uniformly vaguely.
...

I agree, but at least by leaving Dhamma untranslated, it forces people to disambiguate on their own.

When you translate words of foreign origin into that new language, you still have the same problem of people only having vague understanding of that native word, on top of the big problems of not leaving 'dhamma' untranslated.

for example, "mindfulness".
You do your same study for that word, and I"ll bet people have just as vague or confused notion of what 'mindfulness' actually means as with their vague understanding of the foreign originated 'dharma'.
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Assaji
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Re: Definition/meaning of Dhamma

Post by Assaji »

frank k wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:58 pm I agree, but at least by leaving Dhamma untranslated, it forces people to disambiguate on their own.

When you translate words of foreign origin into that new language, you still have the same problem of people only having vague understanding of that native word, on top of the big problems of not leaving 'dhamma' untranslated.

for example, "mindfulness".
You do your same study for that word, and I"ll bet people have just as vague or confused notion of what 'mindfulness' actually means as with their vague understanding of the foreign originated 'dharma'.
Oh, doesn't it simply mean having a mind full of something?)

Fortunately, "teaching" and "conduct" are much more straightforward.
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frank k
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Re: Definition/meaning of Dhamma

Post by frank k »

Assaji wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 2:49 pm ...
Fortunately, "teaching" and "conduct" are much more straightforward.
yes, but how will they know which pali word you mean by 'teaching'?

'dhamma' is a like a smart bomb, it often straddles many meanings simultaneously.
most people translate the dhamme dhamma anupassana of samma sati as 'contemplate phenomena among many kinds of phenomena.'

That misses the most important point. Dhamma is a nirvana compass. The primary purpose of dhamma anupassana is to take 4th jhana samadhi and moment by moment apply Dhamma that leads to nirvana, also verifying that one is seeing a genuine Dhamma (4th satipatthana overlaps with Dhamma vicaya), not the distorted or unclear version of an unawakened being.

Dhamma anupassana prime purpose is to realize nirvana, not investigate arbitrary phenomena.
Investigating phenomena is what scientists do, what Abhidharma gets side tracked into mapping out irrelevant aspects of samsara.

So leaving 'dhamma' untranslated it preserves this important meaning, at least for those unpolluted by Theravada wrong views on dhamma anupassana.
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