Clearing the Path - Writings of Nanavira Thera [2-Up A4 Print Version]

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clearing the path

Clearing The PathWritings of avra Thera

(19601965)

Path Press


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Clearing the Path:Writings of avra Thera (19601965)

Copyright Path Press 1988, 2003

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v

Contents

Editors Foreword vii

Abbreviations & Acknowledgements xi

Notes on Dhamma (19601965)

Preface 5

1. A Note on Paiccasamuppda 13

2. Paramattha Sacca 39

3. Shorter Notes

Atakkvacara 51

Att 52

Anicca 55

Kamma 57

Citta 60

Cetan 60Dhamma 65

Na Ca So 68

Nma 69

Nibbna 75

Paiccasamuppda 80

Phassa 84

Bala 88Mano 88

Mama 91

Rpa 92

Via 97

Sakkya 99

Sakhra 101

Sa 102


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acknowledgements

xiv

_______. Mysticism and Logic. Allen & Unwin. London: Pelican,(1918) 1953.

_______. Nightmares of Eminent Persons, and Other Stories. London:Bodley Head, 1954.

Sartre, Jean-Paul.Being and Nothingness, translated by Hazel E. Barnes.London: Methuen, 1957; New York: Philosophical Library,1957.

_______.Ltre et le Nant. Paris: Gallimard, 1943._______.Esquisse dune Thorie des motions. Paris: Hermann, 1939._______.LImagination. Paris: Alcan, 1936._______. Imagination: A Psychological Critique, translated by Forrest

Williams. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1962.

_______. Troubled Sleep, translated (fromLa Mort dans lAme) by GerardHopkins. New York: Bantam Books, 1961.

Schopenhauer, Arthur. The Wisdom of Life:Being the First Part of Aphoris-men Zur Lebensweisheit, translated by T. Bailey Saunders. London:Allen & Unwin, 1890.

Stcherbatsky, T. The Conception of Buddhist Nirva. Leningrad, 1927.Stebbing, L. Susan.A Modern Introduction to Logic. London: Methuen,

(1930) 5th edition, 1946.Tennent, Sir James Emerson. Christianity in Ceylon. London: JohnMurray, 1850.

Uexkll, Prof. Dr. Thure von. Fear and Hope in Our Time in TheMedical Mirror. A Journal for the Medical Profession, No. 6/1963. Darmstadt: E. Merck AG.

Warren, Henry Clarke.Buddhism in Translations. Cambridge: HarvardUniversity Press, 1896; New York, Athaneum, 1963.

Wettimuny, R. G. de S. Buddhism and Its Relation to Religion andScience. Colombo: Gunasena, 1962._______. The Buddha s TeachingIts Essential Meaning. Colombo:

Gunasena, 1969.

_______. The Buddha s Teaching and the Ambiguity of Existence.Colombo: Gunasena, 1978.

Wittgenstein, Ludwig. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, translated byD. F. Pears and B. F. McGuinness. London: Routledge &

Kegan Paul: 1961; New York: Humanities Press, 1961.Zaehner, R. C.Mysticism: Sacred and Profane. London: Oxford Univer-

sity Press, 1957.

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deliberately left blankNotes On Dhamma

(1960 1965)


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a note on paiccasamuppda a note on paiccasamuppda


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a note on paiccasamuppda

36

ence. It is possible, also, to take a second step back and reflect uponreflexion; but there is still avijj in this self-observation of self-observation, and we have a third layer of avijj protecting the firsttwo. And there is no reason in theory why we should stop here; buthowever far we go we shall not get beyond avijj. The hierarchy ofavijj can also be seen from the Suttas in the following way.

Katam panvuso avijj.

Ya kho vuso dukkhe aa,

dukkhasamudaye aa,

dukkhanirodhe aa,

dukkhanirodhagminpaipadya aa,aya vuccatvuso avijj.

(Majjhima i,9 )

Katama ca bhikkhave dukkha ariyasacca

Katama ca bhikkhave dukkhasamudaya ariyasacca

Katama ca bhikkhave dukkhanirodha ariyasacca

Katama ca bhikkhave dukkhanirodhagminpaipad ariyasacca.

Ayam eva ariyo ahagiko maggo,

seyyathda sammdihi

Katam ca bhikkhave sammdihi

Ya khobhikkhavedukkhe a,

dukkhasamudaye a,

dukkhanirodhe a,

dukkhanirodhagminpaipadya a,

aya vuccati bhikkhave sammdihi.

(Dgha ii,9 )


37

But which, friends, is nescience?

That which isnon-knowledge of suffering,

non-knowledge of arising of suffering,

non-knowledge of ceasing of suffering,

non-knowledge of the way that leads to

ceasing of suffering,

this, friends, is called nescience.

And which, monks, is the noble truth of suffering

And which, monks, is the noble truth of arising of suffering

And which, monks, is the noble truth of ceasing of suffering

And which, monks, is the noble truth of the way that leads toceasing of suffering?

Just this noble eight-factored path,

that is to say: right view

And which, monks, is right view?

That which is knowledge of suffering,

knowledge of arising of suffering,

knowledge of ceasing of suffering,

knowledge of the way that leads to

ceasing of suffering,

this, monks, is called right view.



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38

Avijj is non-knowledge of the four noble truths. Sammdihi isknowledge of the four noble truths. Butsammdihi is part of the fournoble truths. Thus avijj is non-knowledge ofsammdihi; that is tosay, non-knowledge of knowledge of the four noble truths. But sincesammdihi, which is knowledge of the four noble truths, is part ofthe four noble truths, so avijj is non-knowledge of knowledgeof knowledge of the four noble truths. And so we can go on indefi-nitely. But the point to be noted is that each of these successive stagesrepresents an additional layer of (potentially) reflexive avijj. Non-knowledge of knowledge of the four noble truths is non-knowledge ofvijj, and non-knowledge ofvijj is failure to recognize avijj as avijj.Conversely, it is evident that when avijj is once recognized anywherein this structure it must vanisheverywhere; for knowledge of the four

noble truths entails knowledge of knowledge of the four noble truths,andvijj (science) replaces avijj (nescience) throughout.ad

ad. Compare also the following:

Not only is there craving, but there is craving for craving as a conditionfor craving: indifference to craving destroys it. (Tah, be it noted, is notthe coarse hankering after what we do not have [which is abhijjh or covet-ousness], but the subtle craving for more of what we have. In particular, Iam because I crave to be, and with cessation of craving-for-being [bha-

vatah, which is itself dependent on avijj and, like it, without first begin-ningAguttara X,vii,2 ], I am ceases. Bhavatah, in fact, isthe craving for more craving on which craving depends.)

Rp [Sadd Dhamm] loke piya-rpa starpa, etthes tahuppajjamn uppajjati ettha nivi-

samn nivisati Rpatah [Sad-datah Dhammatah] loke

piyarpa starpa, etthestah uppajjamn uppajjati etthanivisamn nivisati.

Visible forms [Sounds Images(Ideas)] are dear and agreeable inthe world; herein this craving arises,herein it adheresCraving-for-visible-forms [Craving-for-sounds Craving-for-images(-ideas)] is dear and agreeable in the

world; herein this craving arises,herein it adheres.

And the converse:

etthes tah pahyamn pahyatiettha nirujjhamn nirujjhati.

herein this craving is eliminated,herein it ceases.

Dgha ii,9

Paramattha Sacca2 .

paramattha sacca


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41

1. In Bhikkhun Sayutta 10 we find these verses.

Mro ppim:Kenya pakato satto, kuva sattassa krako, 1Kuva satto samuppanno, kuva satto nirujjhat ti. 2

Vajir bhikkhun:Kin nu Sattoti paccesi, Mra, dihigata nu te, 3Suddhasakhrapujoya, nayidha sattpalabbhati; 4Yath hi agasambhr hoti saddo Ratho iti, 5Eva khandhesu santesu hoti Satto ti sammuti. 6Dukkham eva hi sambhoti, dukkha tihati veti ca, 7Natra dukkh sambhoti, na dukkh nirujjhat ti. 8

Mra the Evil One:By whom is this creature formed? Who is the creatures maker? 1Who is the arisen creature? Who is the creature that ceases? 2

Vajir the nun:Why do you refer to the creature, Mra, are you involved in 3

(wrong) view?This is a pile of pure determinations; there is, here, no 4

creature to be found.

Just as for an assemblage of parts there is the term 5a chariot,So, when there are the aggregates, convention says 6

a creature.It is merely suffering that comes into being, suffering that 7

stands and disappears,Nothing apart from suffering comes into being, nothing other 8

than suffering ceases.

Let us consider them in some detail.

2. The speculative questions in the first two lines are of the same orderas those of the assutav puthujjana in the Sabbsavasutta (Majjhima i,2) ending with:

Etarahi v paccuppannam addhnaajjhatta kathakath hoti Ahan nu

khosmi, no nu khosmi, kin nu khosmi,kathan nu khosmi, ayan nu kho sattokuti gato, so kuhigm bhavissat ti.

Or he is a self-questioner aboutthe present period: Am I? Am I

not? What am I? How am I?This creature whence has itcome? Whither is it bound?


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paramattha sacca


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48

puthujjana identifies himself with the individual or the creature, which he proceeds to regard as self. He learns, however, that theBuddha has said that actually and in truth neither self nor whatbelongs to self are to be found (see the second Sutta passage in 4).Since he cannot conceive of the individual except in terms of self, hefinds that in order to abolish self he must abolish the individual; andhe does it by this device. But the device, as we have seen, abolishesnothing. It is noteworthy that the passage in the Milindapaha makesno mention at all of self: the identification of self with the individualis so much taken for granted that once it is established that in thehighest sense there is no individual no further discussion is thought tobe necessary. Not the least of the dangers of the facile and fallaciousnotion truth in the highest sense is its power to lull the unreflecting

mind into a false sense of security. The unwary thinker comes tobelieve that he understands what, in fact, he does not understand, andthereby effectively blocks his own progress.

3. Shorter Notes

atakkvacara


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51

Atakkvacara

Sometimes translated as unattainable by reasoning or not access-ible to doubt. But the Cartesian cogito ergo sum is also, in a sense,

inaccessible to doubt; for I cannot doubt my existence without tacitlyassuming it. This merely shows, however, that one cannot get beyondthe cogito by doubting it. And the Dhamma is beyond the cogito. Thecogito, then, can be reached by doubtone doubts and doubts untilone finds what one cannot doubt, what is inaccessible to doubt,namely the cogito. But the Dhamma cannot be reached in this way.Thus the Dhamma, though certainly inaccessible to doubt, is morethan that; it is altogether beyond the sphere of doubt. The rationalist,however, does not even reach the inadequate cogito, or if he doesreach ita he overshoots the mark (atidhvatiItivuttaka II,ii,12 ); for he starts from the axiom that everything can be doubted(including, of course, the cogito). Cf. also Majjhima xi,2 & i,2 . See Nibbna.

a. When he is being professional, the rationalist will not allow thatwhat is inaccessible to doubt is even intelligible, and he does not permithimself to consider the cogito; but in his unprofessional moments, when thepersonal problem becomes insistent, he exorcizes the cogito by supposing

that it is a rational proposition, which enables him to doubt it, and then todeny it. Les positivistes ne font quexorciser le spectre de lAbsolu, quireparatcependant toujours et vient les troubler dans leur repos. J. Grenier, op. cit.,p. 44. (The positivists do nothing but exorcize the spectre of the Absolute,

which however always reappears and comes to trouble them in their sleep.)For Grenier, the Absolute is not (as with Bradley) the totality of experiences,but is to be reached at the very heart of personality by a thought transcend-ing the relativity of all things, perceiving therein a void (pp. 100-1).Preciselyand what, ultimately, is this Absolute but avijj, self-dependentand without first beginning? And what, therefore, does the Buddha teach

but that this Absolute is not absolute, that it can be brought to an end? SeeA Note On Paiccasamuppda 24 & 25.


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5. Glossarywith

Additional Texts

Glossary

This Glossary contains all the Pali terms used in Notes onDhamma together with their English equivalents (sometimes onlyapproximate) Only the separate elements of some compound words


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approximate). Only the separate elements of some compound words

are given. Words occurring in quoted Pali passages and whose mean-ing may be discovered from the English renderings of such passagesare not always listed separately.

Aklika timeless, intemporal.akusala unskilful.acinteyya not to be speculated

about, unthinkable.ajjhatta inside, internal,

subjective. (Opp. bahiddh.)aa other, another. (Opp.sa.)ahapurisapuggal (the) eight

individual men.atakkvacara not in the sphere

of reason or logic.atidhvati (to) overrun, overshoot.attavda belief in self.

att self.atthi there is.adhivacana designation.anatt not-self.angm non-returner.anicca impermanent.aniccat impermanence.anidassana non-indication,

non-indicative.anupdisesa without residue.anuruddha-paiviruddha approving-

&-disapproving, accepting-&-rejecting, attracting-&-repelling.

anuloma with the grain, inconformity. (Opp.pailoma.)

anulomikya khantiy samann-

gato one endowed withacquiescence in conformity.

anvaya inference, inferability.aparapaccay not dependent on

others.apua demerit.abhijjh covetousness.

abhisakharoti (to) determine.abhisakhra =sakhra.abhisacetayati (to) intend, will.arahat one who is worthy.

(Usually untranslated.)arahatt state of the arahat.ariya noble. (Opp.puthujjana.)ariyasvaka noble disciple.

arpa immaterial.avijj nescience. (Opp.vijj.)asakhata non-determined.asmimna conceit (I) am.

(Conceit, mna, is to be under-stood as a cross between con-cept and pride almost theFrench orgueil suitably attenu-

ated.Asmi is I am without thepronoun, like the Latin sum;but plain am is too weak torender asmi, and aha asmi(ego sum) is too emphatic to beadequately rendered I am.)

asm ti chanda desire (I am).(See asmimna.)

asssapasss in-&-out-breaths.assutav uninstructed.


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additional texts

sciousness be hanging to consciousness. For thus, householder,should you train yourself.

17. Majjhima xiv,8

Katha cvuso anupd paritassan hoti. Idhvuso asutav puthujjanoi d i dh k id i dh i t


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ariyna adassv ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinto sap- purisna adassv sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhammeavinto rpa [vedana, saa, sakhre, via] attato saman-upassati rpavanta [viavanta] v attna attani v rpa[via] rpasmi [viasmi] v attna. Tassa ta r-pa [via] vipariamati aath hoti, tassa rpa [via]viparimaathbhv rpa [via] viparimnuparivatti vi-a hoti, tassa rpa [via] viparimnuparivattaj paritassan dhammasamuppd citta pariydya tihanti, cetaso pariy-

dn uttsav ca hoti vightav ca apekhav ca anupdya ca paritas-sati. Eva kho vuso anupd paritassan hoti.

And how, friends, is there anxiety at not holding? Here, friends, an un-instructed commoner, unseeing of the nobles, ignorant of the nobleTeaching, undisciplined in the noble Teaching, unseeing of the goodmen, ignorant of the good mens Teaching, undisciplined in the goodmens Teaching, regards matter [feeling, perception, determinations,consciousness] as self, or self as endowed with matter [conscious-

ness], or matter [consciousness] as belonging to self, or self as in mat-ter [consciousness]. That matter [consciousness] of his changesand becomes otherwise; as that matter [consciousness] changes andbecomes otherwise so his consciousness follows around (keeps trackof) that change of matter [consciousness]; anxious ideas that ariseborn of following around that change of matter [consciousness]seize upon his mind and become established; with that mental seiz-ure, he is perturbed and disquieted and concerned, and from not hold-

ing he is anxious. Thus, friends, is there anxiety at not holding.

Letters(19601965)

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(27.6.1959) [L. 1]

[L. 1]1

namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammsambuddhassa


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Eka samaya avro bhikkhu Bndalagme viharati ara-akuikya. Tena kho pana samayena avro bhikkhu rattiy pahama yma cakamena varayehi dhammehi citta pari-sodheti, yathsuta yathpariyatta dhamma cetas anuvitakketianuvicreti manasnupekkhati. Atha kho avrassa bhikkhuno evayathsuta yathpariyattam dhamma cetas anuvitakkayato anuvic-rayato manasnupekkhato viraja vtamala dhammacakkhu udapdi,Ya kici samudayadhamma sabba ta nirodhadhammanti.

So dhammnusr msa hutv dihipatto hoti.(27.6.1959)

Atthi Kassapa maggo atthi paipad yath paipanno sma yevaassati sma dakkhti, Samao va Gotamo klavd bhtavd attha-vd dhammavd vinayavdti.

Dihviskni uptivatto,Patto niyma pailaddhamaggo,Uppannao mhi anaaneyyoEko care khaggavisakappo

These books contain the Buddhas Teaching; they can be trusted abso-lutely from beginning to end:

(Vinayapiaka:) Suttavibhaga, Mahvagga, Cavagga; (Suttapiaka:)Dghanikya, Majjhimanikya, Sayuttanikya, Aguttaranikya, Sutta-nipta, Dhammapada, Udna, Itivuttaka, Therathergth.No other books whatsoever can be trusted. Leaving aside Vinaya seekthe meaning of these books in your own experience. Do not seek theirmeaning in any other books: if you do you will be misled.

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i. Letter to Mr. N. Q. Dias

[L. 2]27 March 1962

Dear Mr. Dias,


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The Pali for awareness (as you are no doubt aware) is sam-pajaa. In the Suttas it is frequently linked with mindfulness orsati,in the compoundsati-sampajaa, mindfulness-and-awareness. In theSatipahna Sutta awareness (of bodily actions) is included in thesection on mindfulness of the body, so we can perhaps conclude that,while it is not different from mindfulness, awareness is rather morespecialized in meaning. Mindfulness is general recollectedness, not be-ing scatterbrained; whereas awareness is more preciselykeeping oneself

under constant observation, not letting ones actions (or thoughts, or feel-ings, etc.) pass unnoticed.

Here, to begin with, are three Sutta passages to indicate the scopeof the practice of awareness in the Buddhas Teaching.

(a) And how, monks, is a monk aware? Here, monks, in walkingto and fro a monk practises awareness; in looking ahead andlooking aside he practises awareness; in bending and stretch-ing; in using robes and bowl; in eating, drinking, chewing,

and tasting; in excreting and urinating; in walking, standing,sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and being silent, he practisesawareness.

(b) And which, monks, is the development of concentration that,when developed and made much of, leads to mindfulness-and-awareness? Here, monks, feelings are known as they arise, feel-ings are known as they endure, feelings are known as they van-ish; perceptions are known as they arise, perceptions are known

as they endure, perceptions are known as they vanish; thoughtsare known as they arise, thoughts are known as they endure,thoughts are known as they vanish.

(c) Here, nanda, a monk is mindful as he walks to, he is mindfulas he walks fro, he is mindful as he stands, he is mindful as hesits, he is mindful as he lies down, he is mindful as he sets towork. This, nanda, is a mode of recollection that, when devel-oped and made much of in this way, leads to mindfulness-and-

awareness.


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iii. Letters to Mr. Wijerama

[L. 6]4 March 1964

Dear Mr. Wijerama,

M th k f d i bl d t il d l tt Th ttit d


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Many thanks for your admirably detailed letter. The attitude youspeak of, that of cursing the world and oneself, is, in a sense, the be-ginning of wisdom. Revolt is the first reaction of an intelligent manwhen he begins to understand the desperate nature of his situation inthe world; and it is probably true to say that nothing great has everbeen achieved except by a man in revolt against his situation. But revolt alone is not enoughit eventually contradicts itself. A man inblind revolt is like someone in a railway compartment trying to stop

the train by pushing against the opposite seat with his feet: he may bestrong enough to damage the compartment, but the damaged com-partment will nevertheless continue to move with the train. Except forthe arahat, we are all in this train ofsasra, and the problem is tostop the train whilst still travelling in it.Direct action, direct revolt,wont do; but something, certainly, must be done. That it is, in fact,possible to stop the train from within we know from the Buddha, whohas himself done it:

I, monks, being myself subject to birth, decay, and death, havingseen the misery of subjection to birth, decay, and death, went insearch of the unborn, undecaying, undying, uttermost quietus ofextinction (nibbna), and I reached the unborn, undecaying, un-dying, uttermost quietus of extinction.

Revolt by all means, but let the weapons be intelligence and patience,not disorder and violence; and the first thing to do is to find outexactly what it is that you are revolting against. Perhaps you will cometo see that what you are revolting against is avijj.

Now for flux. I see that you make a certain distinction betweenphysical objects and mental states: let us therefore consider first phys-ical objects. You say The idea of continuous change or that everythingis continuously changing seems to me to be correct. But the difficultyarises when the idea is extended and it is stated that this object is notthe same object. The chair that is in front of me being of matter is un-dergoing change. In that sense it will not be the same chair. But in an-

other sense but much more real is the idea that the chair is there and


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intentionally blank iv. Letters to Dr. M. R. De Silva

[L. 9]5 September 1961

Dear Dr. de Silva,

You told me that you had read Francis Storys The Case for Re-birth (BPS Wheel 12/131) and found that it helped you to accept re


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birth (BPS Wheel 12/131) and found that it helped you to accept re-birth as a fact. Ihave now just read this booklet myself, and perhaps afew observations might not be out of place.

To begin with, the examples of (what appear to be) rebirth are good,and there is no reason at all not to take them at their face value. Suchcases, while not amounting to logical demonstration of the necessity ofrebirth (which is not possible anyway, since, let alone re-birth, logic

cannot even demonstrate the necessity ofbirthis there any logicalreason why you, Dr. de Silva, should have been born?), cannot easilybe dismissed on some other hypothesis.j

The remainder of Mr. Storys booklet, however, sets out to explain re-birth, either in terms taken from the Suttas (Dependent Origination,paiccasamuppda) or the exegetical literature (Cognitive Series, citta-vthi), or else in scientific or pseudo-scientific terms. This part of thebook-let is worthless (or worse), and any acceptance of rebirth based on it is

built on quicksand; for not only are the explanations bogus,k

but theyshould never have been attempted in the first place. The Buddha doesnot explain how rebirth takes place; he states simply that, unless crav-ing has ceased, rebirth does take place. It may be that a more detaileddescription of the phenomenon of rebirth than is found in the Suttascould be made, but (a) it would be irrelevant and unnecessary (becauseit is quite enough just to accept rebirth), and (b) it would not be interms of cause and effect (i.e. it would be strictly a description andnot an explanation).

j. I would strongly recommend G. N. M. Tyrrells The Personality ofMan(Pelican Books A165, published by Penguin Books). It gives an intelligentsummary of various supernormal phenomena, and includes some solid evi-dence for rebirth.

k. (i) Dependent Origination hasin spite of a venerable traditionnothing whatsoever to do with Kamma and Re-birth, (ii) the CognitiveSeries is rubbish anyway, and (iii) Science, since it excludes the scientist,

has nothing to say about the scientistsor anyone elsesrebirth.


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This page deliberately Blank v. Letters to Mr. R. G. De S. Wettimuny

[L. 35]12 May 1962

Dear Mr. Wettimuny,

I was delighted to get your book1 this afternoon, and perhapseven more with the graceful letter that accompanied it. Although wehave, from time to time, discussed the Dhamma in the past, it was dif-ficult from such fragmentary discussions to find out what exactly you


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ficult from such fragmentary discussions to find out what exactly youunderstood by the Buddhas Teaching; but now that you have obligedyourself to set down your ideas all together in print, I hope to have abetter chance. It is my own experience that there is nothing like sittingdown and putting ones ideas on paper to clarify them, and, indeed, tofind out what those ideas really are. I have a private dictum, Do notimagine that you understand something unless you can write it down;and I have not hitherto found any exception to this principle. So, asyou say, one writes by learning, and learns by writing.

What I hope to find, when I come to read the book, is that youhave formed a single, articulated, consistent, whole; a whole such thatno one part can be modified without affecting the rest. It is not so im-portant that it should be correctagthat can only come later, but

unless ones thinking is all-of-a-piece there is, properly speaking, nothinking at all. A person who simply makes a collectionhowevervastof ideas, and does not perceive that they are at variance withone another, has actually no ideas of his own; and if one attempts toinstruct him (which is to say, to alter him) one merely finds that one isadding to the junk-heap of assorted notions without having any othereffect whatsoever. As Kierkegaard has said, Only the truth that edifiesis truthfor you. (CUP, p. 226) Nothing that one can say to these collec-

tors of ideas is truthfor them. What is wanted is a man who will arguea single point, and go on arguing it until the matter is clear to him, be-cause he sees that everything else depends upon it. With such a personcommunication (i.e., of truth that edifies) can take place.

ag. Nobody, after all, who has not reached the path can afford toassume that he is right about the Buddhas Teaching.


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This page deliberately Blank vi. Letters to the Honourable Lionel Samaratunga

[L. 39]

3 March 1963

Dear Mr. Samaratunga,

Many thanks for your letter, which gives me the opportunity ofclarifying certain things aboutNotes on Dhamma.

I quite see that the sentence referring to the Milindapaha as amisleading book is likely to provoke criticism But you will find that


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misleading book is likely to provoke criticism. But you will find thatI have made uncomplimentary remarks not only about the Milinda(see Paramattha Sacca, final paragraphs, Na Ca So, Anicca [c], andPaiccasamuppda [c]) but also about the Paisambhidmagga of

the Suttapiaka (see A Note on Paiccasamuppda 1&2 andPaiccasamuppda), about the Vibhaga and Pahna of the Abhi-dhammapiaka (see Citta), about the Visuddhimagga (see A Note onPaiccasamuppda 1&2, Citta, and Paiccasamuppda), about theAbhidhammatthasagaha (see Citta), and finally about all Pali booksen bloc with the exception of the twelve or thirteen of the Vinaya andSutta Piakas (see Preface [a]). Of these, the Paisambhid, the Vi-bhaga, and the Pahna, which belong to the Tipiaka (whereas the

Milinda does not, except in Burma), are regarded with still greater veneration than the Milinda; and the Visuddhimagga, having beenwritten in Ceylon, is very dear to nationalist sentiment (it is part of thecultural heritage of Ceylon). Furthermore, the views that I have setforth are, I think, without exception, contrary to the accepted tradi-tional interpretation of the Dhamma.1 It is precisely for this reasonthat I have thought it necessary to put them down in writing, and toindicate as misleading the exegetical books that are responsible forthe current misinterpretations of the Suttas. Thus it is part and parcelof my purpose to denounce the Milinda, which in my view is a particu-larly guilty offender (because it is so popular). (Incidentally, it is notmy purpose to demonstrate the unreliability of the Milinda as a wholeby inference fromone or two isolated instances, but to state categori-cally and on my own authority that it is in fact a generally misleadingbook. The same applies to my adverse remarks on other books.)

Perhaps I may have given you the impression that these variousnotes of mine were not originally intended for publication (on account


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This page intentionally blank viii. Letters to Mr. Robert Brady[L. 122]

18 March 1964

Dear Sir,1

I should be most grateful if you could let me know the address ofthe English philosophical journal Mind. Can you also tell me if theHibbert Journal is still alive and, if so, what its address is?

[L. 123]23 April 1964

Dear Mr. Brady,

Many thanks for your letter of the 21st, just received. It is verygood of you indeed, not only to have sent the addresses, but also tohave been so thoughtful as to make the suggestion about an occa-sional loan of books with a philosophical background. As things are,your suggestion is really rather welcome. Although a preoccupationwith books should not be our prime concern, I am much handicapped


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with books should not be our prime concern, I am much handicappedby chronic sickness and find that some reading and a little writing dohelp out over difficult periods. And, as you will be aware, we are more

or less entirely dependent on the kindness of others in such matters asthe provision of books.As I expect you are aware, a copy of myNotes on Dhamma was

sent to your library a few months ago (and duly acknowledged). But Iquite recognize that it is not everybodys cup of teaBuddhists, atleast in Buddhist countries, have long since given up thinking, andthinkers have not yet begun to learn Pali. For the benefit of the think-ers, any future edition will be provided with English translations, butthe problem is not solved so easily of getting the Buddhists to think.

[L. 124]6 May 1964

Thank you for your letter of the 1st, in which you inform me thatyou hope to be seeing me on the 22nd in connexion with some books.


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This page deliberately blank Newly-found Letter to Sister Vajir

Editors note: The following letter, not included in Clearing thePath (1987, Path Press), was found only recently in Sri Lanka. It con-cludes the correspondence between Ven. avra Thera and SisterVajir of 1961-1962.

[L. 149a]29 January 1962

Dear Sister,

Thank you for your letter of the 25th. You have, I fear, returnedto your habit of writing in riddles, which makes it extremely difficultfor a person like me to follow you. I do not see why an arahat should

be hidden amongst the kyasakkhi, dihipatto, and saddhvimuttoall these three have something further to do, as you may see from theKgiri Sutta (M. 70), and this cannot be said of anyarahat. I did notcomment on this since I agreed that the reading arah v (which isnot in the P.T.S. edition, even as a v.l.) was wrong. I still think it is.

It may seem to you that the wind-element obeys me, but to me it ap-pears otherwise. The wind element comes and lodges in my intestines fora large part of each day and causes a persistent discomfort that nearlyprevents me from doing any npnasati at all This has been going on


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prevents me from doing anynpnasati at all. This has been going onfor the last ten years, and at present seems to be getting worse (it is largelyfor this reason that I have spent so much time thinking about theDhamma rather then practisingjhna, which was my prime reason forcoming to Ceylon; but things having turned out in the way they have,I can have no reason for complaint). As a means of communication Iprefer the post to the wind-elementthough it is no doubt slower it isless liable to deliver a corrupt text. It may be that you have seen in methe arahat or that the wind-element has told you that I actually am

arahat; but the plain fact is that I am not arahat and, partly on ac-count of obstruction by the wind-element, I have no great hopes of be-coming one in this lifetime. I am a long way from arahatt, I have farto go before reaching that. What exactly I am is a matter of no greatimportance, and for reasons of Vinaya, which have to be compliedwith, discussion of this matter is not advisable. It is obvious enough


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[L. 150] 5 July 1965, 2:45 p.m.

[L. 150]

5 July 1965, 2:45 p.m.

To the coroner, Hambantota:

Owing to chronic (and apparently incurable) ill-health, I havedecided to put an end to my life. I have been contemplating suchaction for some considerable time; indeed, I made an unsuccessfulattempt at suicide in November 1962; since then the situation has

deteriorated rather than improved. The responsibility for this action ispurely mine, and no other person whatsoever is involved.avra

Editorial NotesGlossary

Index


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490

This page intentionally blank

[L. 1] [editors translation]

Homage To The Auspicious One, Worthy, Fully Awakened

At one time the monk avra was staying in a forest hutnear Bundala village. It was during that time, as he was walking upand down in the first watch of the night, that the monk avramade his mind quite pure of constraining things, and kept thinkingand pondering and reflexively observing the Dhamma as he had heardand learnt it. Then, while the monk avra was thus engaged inthinking and pondering and reflexively observing the Dhamma as hehad heard and learnt it, the clear and stainless Eye of the Dhammaarose in him: Whatever has the nature of arising, all that has thenature of ceasing.

Having been a teaching-follower for a month, he became oneattained to right view.a

(27.6.59)There is, Kassapa, a path, there is a way by following which one will

come to know and see for oneself: Indeed, the recluse Gotama speaksat the proper time, speaks on what is, speaks on the purpose, speakson Dhamma, speaks on Vinaya.

[D. 8: i,165]I have gone beyond the writhings of view.With the path gained I have arrived at assurance.Knowledge has arisen in me and I am no longer to be guided by another.[Knowing this,] let him fare lonely as the unicorn!


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[Suttanipta 3,21 (verse 55, page 9)](See also the second note to L. 97)[L. 2] legal circles: to which Mr. Dias belonged: he later becameCeylons High Commissioner to India.

2. third precept: see second note to L. 119.[L. 3] Mrs. Irene R. Quittner (1909-1984) was a prominent figureamong British Buddhists. A few details that led to this correspondenceare given in L. 80 and L. 84.

2. P.T.S.: The Pali Text Society (73 Lime Walk, Headington,Oxford, OX3 7AD, England) has published all the Sutta and Vinaya

a. The teaching-follower (dhammnusr) is one who, having attainedthe path (magga), puts Dhamma-investigation foremost. Upon reaching thefruit (phala) he becomes one attained to (right) view (dihipatta). SeeL. 91, 92, Glossary.


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Abhidhamma Piaka: 78, 79, 82,83, 83x; origination of, 79, 82,83; rejection of, 3, 39, 51, 76,78, 79, 80, 144

Abhidhammatthasagaha: 39Abhivinaya Piaka: 79absolute: 9, 135, 139

absolute zero: 126abstract thinking: 81, 89, 90absurd (seealso Despair;

Meaninglessness). 33, 59, 68,119, 128

Achilles: 89action: seeKammaAdam and Eve: 132

addictions: 13, 25adhivacana: 147kincaayatana: 86Ali i W d l d 31 42

Anthapiika: 52anatt (seealso Self): 5, 6, 36,

37, 53, 75neja: 149anger: 128angoisse: 62anicca, aniccat: with dukkha,

anatt, 2, 6, 53, 56, 75, 145;and the eternal, 27, 28, 145;and flux, 5, 6, 53, 75; andusing the impermanent, 89;and nuclear physics, 37, 53;objective and subjective, 6, 53;subtleness of, 37, 38, 56

anxiety: 33, 62, 119, 120, 121appearance: 7, 9, 75, 91arahat: and avijj, 6, 149; and

consciousness, mental states,9, 107a; and craving, 13, 36,

Index I

Numbers following entries refer to the number of the Letter, not thepage number. This index includes entries for the Letters only. For anindex to NotesonDhamma see L. 41. This index is arranged in theorder of the English alphabet. Diacritical marks are not considered inthis order. Boldface numbers indicate a fuller discussion. Book titlesare generally listed only as sub-headings under their respectiveauthors. n = footnote to the letter;x= editorial note to the letter.


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Alice in Wonderland: 31, 42aluha: 97America: 33, 75ambiasis: 4, 14, 17x, 20, 21,

22, 23, 25, 93a

angm: 36, 92, 128, 146nanda Thera, Ven.: 83, 102,

103, 109, 121npnasati: 22, 29, 91, 92, 126;

translation of, 110, 111

37, 102, 131; existence of, 98,137, 139, 146, 149; experienceof, 13, 28, 56, 75, 89, 119,120, 135, 135n, 137, 149; andjhna, 92; official recognition

of, 104; and thesekha, 36, 38,50, 53n, 92, 128, 146; andself, 22, 28, 53n, 102, 107a,137, 139, 149; and suicide, 20,47, 49, 50, 93a


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Sayutta NikyaDevat S. 25[i,14]: 148Kosala S. 3 [i,71]: 24Bhikkhun S. 10[i,135]: 43Nidna S. 1 [ii,4]: 19

15 [ii,17]: 4719 [ii,24]: 7825 [ii,38]: 1732 [ii,53]: 2251 [ii,82]: 28

63 [ii,97100]: 5454765&67 [ii,104&11215]: 30KhandhaS.37 [iii,38]: 57

43 [iii,43]: 43047 [iii,46]: 71, 14256 [iii,60]: 14159 [iii,66]: 14379 [iii,867]: 1423, 46481 [iii,967]: 200

83 [iii,105]: 4587 [iii,120]: 532Sayatana S. 80 [iv,50]: 36

93 [iv, 68]: 20107 [iv,87]: 435116 [iv,95]: 96, 432127 [iv,111]: 200191 [iv,164]: 56, 91204 [iv,192]: 101

Vedan S. 7 [iv,211]: 94, 1559 [iv,214]: 30

11 [iv,216]: 84, 47721 [iv,22931]: 4867

G i i S 11 [i 328] 73

Aguttara Nikya A. I,ii,8 [i,302]: 203

II,ii,1 [i,52]: 93xi,8& 9 [i,87]: 4

III,47[i,152]: 114107 [i,263]: 60111 [i,266]: 315

IV,41 [ii,45]: 15577 [ii,80]: 143

V,79 [iii,1058]: 516519151-53 [iii,1746]: 496

VI,29 [iii,325]: 155663 [iii,411]: 44963 [iii,413& 415]: 60, 14168 [iii,422 23]: 521

VII,55 [iv,83]: 497IX,33[iv,414]: 84X,1 [v,12]: 381

7 [v,9]: 8227 [v,50]: 544

61 [v,11316]: 37, 382Khuddaka Nikya

Sn. 55: 153, 495230: 51365153: 59706: 444751: 484

Dh. 62: 80, 427166: 210

22728: 47327779: 25

Ud. 10 [8]: 43411 [10]: 384, 52814 [12]: 35 91


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Gmini S. 11 [iv,328]: 73Asakhata S. 2&34[iv,359&371]:83Avykata S. 1 [iv,379]: 34

2 [iv,384]: 46, 483

10 [iv,400]: 9Bojjhaga S. 30 [v,8990]: 488, 551Indriya S. 18 [v,202]: 146

50 [v,225]: 9453 [v,230]: 11

Sacca S. 11 [v,423]: 249250, 512

14 [12]: 35, 9131 [37]: 9558 [71]: 31573 [80]: 83

Iti. II,17 [38]: 147

III,14 [53]: 114Thag. 120: 246407: 27660607: 2271516: 148

Thig. 106: 483

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Clearing the Path - Writings of Nanavira Thera [2-Up A4 Print Version]