Hi Sylvester,
I am hoping to explore the following perspective on ajjhattaṃ and ekodi.
The translation of ajjhattaṃ as ‘internally’; in the Pali-English dictionary, we see that ajjhattaṃ being translated as:
- in Concise Pali-English Dictionary by A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera
ajjhattaṃ:[adv.] inwardly.
But,
2. Pali-Dictionary Vipassana Research Institute
ajjhattaṃ:Relating to the individual,within the individual,internally,subjectively
https://palidictionary.appspot.com/browse/a/ajjhattaṃ
It appears that in translations of both inwardly and internally; an imaginery line is drawn on salayatana perhaps; the process after that as outwardly/externally, prior to that as inwardly/internally? Internal appear to define a domain, and that is a good choice. I just curious if inwardly means not the same as internally?
When we look at the Jhana itself, the ‘domain’ it self is all that consciousness experience, there is no boundary; in other words, boundary is transparent, therefore can not be defined. Only when we look at our experience from external point of view that we define Jhana domain as internal, but for Jhana experience it self, there is no internal nor external.
Within Jhana experience domain, between the ‘self’ and the ‘object’, a describable experience is only in the relativity relation of outwards and inwards.
Imagine that there are 2 parallel lines drawn on a paper; the line on the left is drawn with an arrow symbol on top, the line on the right is drawn with an arrow symbol at the bottom. If the top arrow is taken as outward, thus for one that is not outwardly diffused and inwardly settled, he stands at the center between the lines.
Say that one is on a road of two way traffic, and a signboard is located at 50 feet’s away in front of him. He does not move towards (outwards) the signboard, and (inwardly settled) he stay without arises of interest on the signboard. It appears that there ‘exist’ an ‘experiense’ of a state of suspension (at the center between). (However, experience does not occur, can only be investigated later, and that is only by means of relativity of prior to and after suspension)
Looking at Jhana in this perspective, ajjhattaṃ=inwardly seems more appropriate.
Furthermore, in these scenario; it looks to me that ekodi may refer to a state of suspension by our conditioned understanding; ‘outwardly not diffused and inwardly settled’.
Thus the signboard is no longer in front, but a 3D surrounding.
So ekodi = outwardly not diffused and inwardly settled?