431 LESSON 09 11 2011 Godatta Sutta To Godatta
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430
Practice a Sutta a Day Keeps Dukkha Away
SN 41.7
PTS: S iv 295
CDB ii 1325
Godatta Sutta: To Godatta
(On Awareness-release)
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
On one occasion Ven.
Godatta was living near Macchikasanda in the Wild
Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder went to him and, on
arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there,
Ven. Godatta said to him, “Householder, the immeasurable
awareness-release, the nothingness awareness-release, the emptiness
awareness-release, the themeless awareness-release: Are these phenomena
different in meaning and different in name, or are they one in meaning and
different only in name?”
“Venerable sir,
there is a line of reasoning by which these phenomena are different in meaning
and different in name, and there is a line of reasoning by which they are one
in meaning and different only in name.
“And what is the
line of reasoning by which they are different in meaning and different in name?
There is the case where a monk keeps pervading the first direction [the east]
with an awareness imbued with good will, likewise the second, likewise the
third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, & all around, everywhere, in
its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness
imbued with good will β abundant, expansive, immeasurable, without hostility,
without ill will. He keeps pervading the first direction with an awareness
imbued with compassion … appreciation… equanimity, likewise the second,
likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, & all around,
everywhere, in its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-encompassing cosmos
with an awareness imbued with equanimity β abundant, expansive, immeasurable,
without hostility, without ill will. This is called the immeasurable
awareness-release.
“And what is the
nothingness awareness-release? There is the case where a monk, with the
complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness,
[perceiving,] ‘There is nothing,’ enters & remains in the dimension of
nothingness. This is called the nothingness awareness-release.
“And what is the
emptiness awareness-release? There is the case where a monk, having gone into
the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or into an empty dwelling, considers
this: ‘This is empty of self or of anything pertaining to self.’[1]
This is called the emptiness awareness-release.
“And what is the
themeless awareness-release? There is the case where a monk, not attending to
any theme[2]
enters & remains in the themeless concentration of awareness.[3]
This is called the themeless awareness-release.
“This, venerable
sir, is the line of reasoning by which these phenomena are different in meaning
and different in name.
“And what, venerable
sir, is the line of reasoning by which they are one in meaning and different
only in name? Passion, venerable sir, is a making of measurement, aversion a
making of measurement, delusion a making of measurement. For a
monk whose fermentations are ended these have been abandoned, their root
destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of
development, not destined for future arising. To the extent that there are
immeasurable awareness-releases, the unprovokable awareness-release is declared
supreme. And that unprovokable awareness-release is empty of passion, empty of
aversion, empty of delusion.
“Passion is a
something, aversion a something, delusion a something. For a monk whose
fermentations are ended these have been abandoned, their root destroyed, made
like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined
for future arising. To the extent that there are nothingness
awareness-releases, the unprovokable awareness-release is declared supreme. And
that unprovokable awareness-release is empty of passion, empty of aversion,
empty of delusion.
“Passion is a making
of themes, aversion a making of themes, delusion a making of themes. For a monk
whose fermentations are ended these have been abandoned, their root destroyed,
made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not
destined for future arising. To the extent that there are themeless
awareness-releases, the unprovokable awareness-release is declared supreme. And
that unprovokable awareness-release is empty of passion, empty of aversion,
empty of delusion.
“This, venerable
sir, is the line of reasoning by which these phenomena are one in meaning and
different only in name.”
“It’s a gain for
you, householder, a great gain: what your eye of discernment plumbs in the deep
word of the Buddha.”
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BUD 780 SΕ«tras of the Third
Turning & the Uttaratantra: The Lionβs Roar of
Irreversibility - 4 credits
Delivery Mode: Residential & Online
Course Description:
This course is an in-depth study of the Uttaratantra by Maitreya (ca. 4th
century) - the
influential work of the TathΔgatagarbha tradition - based on the
commentary by JamgΓΆn
KongtrΓΌl LodrΓΆ Thaye (1813-1899) and GΓΆ Lotsawa ShΓΆnnu Pal
(1392β1481). We will
first look at the selection of sΕ«tras of the third turning,
followed by the exposition of the
Uttaratantra’s seven vajra points: the three jewels, buddha nature,
enlightenment, its
qualities and enlightened activity.
Prerequisite: BUD 770