Here’s a 58-min recorded livestream video (227MB .mp4 - Tip: tap-and-hold to “Download link”, or right click to “Save Link As…“).

Topics:

  • Views, subjective vs. objective, resolving disagreement, harmony, coming out of strong views, assumptiveness, scholarship


Pāḷi References:

  • MN 59 - Ven. Udayin and the carpenter Pañcakanga argue over Dhamma, but both turn out to be right. It’s just that they had strong views, and couldn’t concede the other had a valid understanding of the Dhamma.

    “That is how the Dhamma has been shown by me in different presentations; and when the Dhamma has been shown by me in different presentations thus, it may be expected of those who will not concede, allow and accept what is well-stated, well-spoken, by each that they will abide quarelling, brawling and disputing, stabbing each other with verbal daggers. That is how the Dhamma has been shown by me in different presentations; and when the Dhamma has been shown by me in different presentations thus, it may be expected of those who concede, allow and accept what is well-stated, well-spoken, by each that they will abide in concord as friendly and undisputing as milk with water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.”

  • AN 9.43 (“Bodily Witness”) is an interesting example of a sutta containing a passage that can be variously translated, and lead to a lot of misunderstanding. This rare sutta is quite differently translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, and Bhikkhu Sujato. Reading all three translations, and cross-comparing them, is strongly recommended, as the sutta can have differing heavy implications, depending on how key words get translated. For example, “in whatever way [it is attained]”, vs. “in whatever way there is an opening there”, vs. “They meditate directly experiencing that dimension in every way.” This can raise controversy around the question, “is all bodily feeling gone in the first jhana, when properly and authentically practised”? The translations of Bhikkhu Bodhi and Thanissaro Bhikkhu would use their interpretations as a basis to answer “not necessarily”. But the translation by Sujato Bhikkhu would provide a basis for answering the question as “yes, and nothing less.”

Other References:

  • Bhante Kumāra’s book “What You Might Not Know About Jhāna & Samādhi” has similar exploration over controversial points in the suttas, patiently explaining both sides of the arguments, and tracing the sources. He then offers resolutions to these controversies.

  • XKCD: “How Standards Proliferate”

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