AN 3.60 V&V (thoughts & evaluation) read by telepathy, psychic power of mind reading

Discussion
1

Track the pali words V&V carefully through these selected passages and it should be clear that V&V, vitakka & vicāra, is thinking and evaluating, as in, the mental speech of thinking and evaluating before it becomes voiced, vocalized as vāca, vocalized speech. Analysis to follow later, if necessary.

AN 3.60 excerpt

(2a. Miracle of telepathy, by sign or vision)

♦ “katamañca, brāhmaṇa, ādesanā-pāṭihāriyaṃ?
 "And what is the telepathy-miracle?
idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco nimittena ādisati —
 There is the case where a certain person reads [another person' thoughts] by means of a sign (vision), [saying,]
‘evampi te mano,
 'Such is your thinking,
itthampi te mano,
 here is where your thinking is,
itipi te cittan’ti.
 thus is your mind.'
so bahuṃ cepi ādisati
 And however much he may read,
tatheva taṃ hoti,
 that's exactly how it is,
no aññathā.
 and not otherwise.

(2b. Telepathy by talking to external beings)

♦ “idha pana, brāhmaṇa, ekacco
 "Then there is the case where a certain person reads [another person's thoughts],
na heva kho nimittena ādisati,
 not by means of a sign or vision,
api ca kho manussānaṃ vā a-manussānaṃ vā devatānaṃ vā saddaṃ sutvā ādisati —
 but by hearing the voice of human beings, non-human beings, or devas, [saying,]
‘evampi te mano,
 'Such is your thinking,
itthampi te mano,
 here is where your thinking is,
itipi te cittan’ti.
 thus is your mind.'
so bahuṃ cepi ādisati
 And however much he may read,
tatheva taṃ hoti,
 that's exactly how it is,
no aññathā.
 and not otherwise.

(2c. telepathy by directly “hearing” vitakka and vicara)

♦ “idha pana, brāhmaṇa, ekacco
 "Then there is the case where a certain person reads [another person's thoughts],
na heva kho nimittena ādisati
 not by means of a sign or vision;
napi manussānaṃ vā amanussānaṃ vā devatānaṃ vā saddaṃ sutvā ādisati,
 not by hearing the voice of human beings, non-human beings, or devas;
api ca kho vitakkayato vicārayato
 but by hearing the sound of the directed thought & evaluation
Vitakka-vip-phāra-saddaṃ sutvā ādisati —
 of a person thinking directed thoughts and evaluating, [saying,]
‘evampi te mano,
 'Such is your thinking,
itthampi te mano,
 here is where your thinking is,
itipi te cittan’ti.
 thus is your mind.'
so bahuṃ cepi ādisati
 And however much he may read,
tatheva taṃ hoti,
 that's exactly how it is,
no aññathā.
 and not otherwise.

(2d. Telepathy by 6ab #3, abhiñña #3, mind encompass mind)

♦ “idha pana, brāhmaṇa, ekacco
 "Then there is the case where a certain person reads [another person's thoughts],
na heva kho nimittena ādisati,
 not by means of a sign or vision;
napi manussānaṃ vā amanussānaṃ vā devatānaṃ vā saddaṃ sutvā ādisati,
 not by hearing the voice of human beings, non-human beings, or devas;
napi vitakkayato vicārayato
 not by hearing the sound of the directed thought & evaluation
Vitakka-vip-phāra-saddaṃ sutvā ādisati,
 of a person thinking directed thoughts and evaluating;
api ca kho a-vitakkaṃ a-vicāraṃ samādhiṃ samāpannassa
 but by mind-reading (a being in the) no-thinking no-evaluation samādhi
cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti —
 and encompassing the awareness [of the other] with his own awareness, he discerns,
‘yathā imassa bhoto mano-saṅkhārā paṇihitā
 'Given the way the mental-fabrications of this venerable person are inclined,
imassa cittassa anantarā amuṃ nāma vitakkaṃ vitakkessatī’ti.
 the directed thoughts of his mind will immediately think about this.'
so bahuṃ cepi ādisati
 And however much he may read,
tatheva taṃ hoti,
 that's exactly how it is,
no aññathā.
 and not otherwise.
idaṃ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, ādesanā-pāṭihāriyaṃ.
 "This, brahman, is the telepathy-miracle.

(3. Miracle of instruction)

♦ “katamañca, brāhmaṇa, anu-sāsanī-pāṭihāriyaṃ?
 "And what is (the) instructional-miracle?
idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco evam-anu-sāsati —
 There is the case where a certain person gives instruction in this way:
‘evaṃ vitakketha,
 'Direct your thought in this way,
mā evaṃ vitakkayittha;
 don't direct (your) thought (in that way).
evaṃ manasi karotha,
 in-this-way pay attention,
mā evaṃ manas-ākattha;
 ** in-this-way {don't}-pay-attention,
idaṃ pajahatha,
 Let go of this,
idaṃ upasampajja viharathā’ti.
 enter and remain in that.'
idaṃ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, anu-sāsanī-pāṭihāriyaṃ.
 This is called, ***, (the) instructional-miracle.
imāni kho, brāhmaṇa, tīṇi pāṭihāriyāni.
 "And these are the three miracles.
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@suaimhneas,
note that
sotam = ear, sadda = sound, sutva = hear.

Just as cakkhuna rupam disva, with the eye, forms are seen.
sotena saddam sutva = with the ear, sounds are heard.

track the use of sutva and sadda and it should be clear what V&V being heard means.

and note the other words being used for something of lower order complexity than “mental speech of V&V”, such as mano-sankhara, citta sankhara.

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That excerpt is not part of the mind reading, but I included that part because all of the miracles (1. emanating clones of yourself, flying, 2. telepathy, 3. instruction) involve the user having 4th jhana samadhi . And look how V&V is being used here.

clearly V&V in this passage also needs to be thinking & evaluation level of complexity in mental process. If the Buddha’s miracle of instruction was just teaching people samatha kung fu of paying attention, entering and abiding in various samadhi attainments, and V&V of “placing the mind & keeping it connected”, that would not impart the crucial teaching of Dhamma-principles that would lead to nirvana. That would only be samatha kung fu devoid of vipassana.

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