Pali Term: Yoniso

[Assaji]

Hello Pali friends,

It's noteworthy that the adjective 'yoniso' applies as well to padhāna (striving, endeavour):

“mayhaṃ kho, bhikkhave, yoniso manasikārā yoniso sammappadhānā anuttarā vimutti anuppattā, anuttarā vimutti sacchikatā. tumhepi, bhikkhave, yoniso manasikārā yoniso sammappadhānā anuttaraṃ vimuttiṃ anupāpuṇātha, anuttaraṃ vimuttiṃ sacchikarothā”ti.

“Bhikkhus, by careful attention, by careful right striving, I have arrived at unsurpassed liberation, I have realized unsurpassed liberation. You too, bhikkhus, by careful attention, by careful right striving, must arrive at unsurpassed liberation, must realize unsurpassed liberation.”

https://suttacentral.net/en/sn4.4

“dvīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu diṭṭheva dhamme sukhasomanassabahulo viharati, yoni cassa āraddhā hoti āsavānaṃ khayāya. katamehi dvīhi? saṃvejanīyesu ṭhānesu saṃvejanena, saṃviggassa ca yoniso padhānena. imehi kho, bhikkhave, dvīhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu diṭṭheva dhamme sukhasomanassabahulo viharati, yoni cassa āraddhā hoti āsavānaṃ khayāyā”ti.

“Bhikkhus, possessing two things a bhikkhu lives here and now with much pleasure and happiness and is properly motivated for the destruction of the taints. What are the two things? Being moved by a sense of urgency on occasions for urgency, and, being moved, making a proper endeavour. These, bhikkhus, are the two things…”

https://suttacentral.net/en/iti37


This adjective is also applied to making the fire and searching for another world:

araṇisahitaṃ dvidhā phālesiṃ, tidhā phālesiṃ, catudhā phālesiṃ, pañcadhā phālesiṃ, dasadhā phālesiṃ, satadhā phālesiṃ, sakalikaṃ sakalikaṃ akāsiṃ, sakalikaṃ sakalikaṃ karitvā udukkhale koṭṭesiṃ, udukkhale koṭṭetvā mahāvāte opuniṃ — “appeva nāma aggiṃ adhigaccheyyan”ti. nevāhaṃ aggiṃ adhigacchi’n”ti. atha kho tassa aggikassa jaṭilassa etadahosi — ‘yāva bālo ayaṃ dārako abyatto, kathañhi nāma ayoniso aggiṃ gavesissatī’ti. tassa pekkhamānassa araṇisahitaṃ gahetvā aggiṃ nibbattetvā taṃ dārakaṃ etadavoca — ‘evaṃ kho, tāta, aggi nibbattetabbo. na tveva yathā tvaṃ bālo abyatto ayoniso aggiṃ gavesī’ti. evameva kho tvaṃ, rājañña, bālo abyatto ayoniso paralokaṃ gavesissasi.

And I went on till I had smashed the fire drill into atoms, pounded it in a mortar and winnowed it in the wind, but I never got any fire!” Then the Jaṭila thought—“How silly, how unintelligent is the lad! Why will he be seeking fire in this senseless manner? “And while the boy looked on, he took a fire drill, and making fire said to him— “This is how to make fire, my lad. One doesn’t try to get it as you, so silly and unintelligent, were trying.” Even so, Prince, have you, silly and unintelligent, sought after another world.

https://suttacentral.net/en/dn23

Metta, Dmytro

[ToVincent]

It's noteworthy that the adjective 'yoniso' applies as well to padhāna (striving, endeavour)

Interestingly enough, the PTS gives the following details: Padhāna，（nt．） [fr．pa+dhā]

The root √dhā in the Pali is the same than in Sanskrit: धा √dhā]

In the Monnier Williams, धा √ dhā has the following meaning. I'll stick to the shakhas (recensions) that are the closest to Buddha's region of influence.
- First, in the early RV. AV. & Br., it means to "conceive (womb)".
- Closer to Buddha's time, we have the meaning of: to "establish" in the RV. & ŚBr.
- Also, across the pre & close-post Buddhist time, the meaning: to "produce", to "generate" in the RV. TBr. & ŚvetUp. - Note that this meaning is pretty similar to karoti (kṛ), that we find in another underlying meaning of manasikaroti (viz. produce/generate with the mind).

Therefore yoniso padhāna could have the underlying meaning of "conception from the beginning (origin)" - or "establishment from the beginning" - or "production/generation (coming into being), from the beginning.
Like in making a (pleasant) feeling out of breath - etc.
Obviously, this kind of mental endeavour is a nisus, and ask for a lot of striving.
The ānāpānasati process is a good example of such a striving. Establishing, conceiving and having dhammas come into being, from the beginning (yoniso), is no picnic.

[Assaji]

Aṅguttara Nikāya 3
1. Bālavagga
5. Ayonisosutta

5. Carelessly

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bālo veditabbo. Katamehi tīhi? Ayoniso pañhaṃ kattā hoti, ayoniso pañhaṃ vissajjetā hoti, parassa kho pana yoniso pañhaṃ vissajjitaṃ parimaṇḍalehi padabyañjanehi siliṭṭhehi upagatehi nābbhanumoditā hoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato bālo veditabbo.

“Bhikkhus, one who possesses three qualities should be known as a fool. What three? (1) He formulates a question carelessly; (2) he replies to a question carelessly; (3) when another person replies to a question carefully, with well-rounded and coherent words and phrases, he does not approve of it. One who possesses these three qualities should be known as a fool.

Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato paṇḍito veditabbo. Katamehi tīhi? Yoniso pañhaṃ kattā hoti, yoniso pañhaṃ vissajjetā hoti, parassa kho pana yoniso pañhaṃ vissajjitaṃ parimaṇḍalehi padabyañjanehi siliṭṭhehi upagatehi abbhanumoditā hoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato paṇḍito veditabbo. Tasmātiha … pe ….

“One who possesses three qualities should be known as a wise person. What three? (1) He formulates a question carefully; (2) he replies to a question carefully; (3) when another person replies to a question carefully, with well-rounded and coherent words and phrases, he approves of it. One who possesses these three qualities should be known as a wise person.

“Therefore … It is in this way that you should train yourselves.”

(translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi)