Expanding the peyyālas: restoring the clear transparent lake simile, DN 2:98.1

Q & A
1

In the Eight Knowledges section of DN 2, which is basically the last third of the passage elided in the others, each of the eight subsections has an illustrative simile (two of them have three similes each), as follows:

  1. Knowledge and Vision: DN 2:84.1 simile of the strung beryl gem
  2. Mind-Made Body: DN 2:86.1 similes of reed & sheath, sword & scabbard, snake & slough
  3. Psychic Powers: DN 2:88.1 similes of potter, ivory carver, goldsmith
  4. Clairaudience: DN 2:90.1 simile of the drums
  5. Comprehending the Minds of Others: DN 2:92.1 simile of the mirror
  6. Recollection of Past Lives: DN 2:94.1 simile of the intervillage traveler
  7. Clairvoyance: DN 2:96.1 simile of the stilt longhouse & the central square
  8. Ending of Defilements: DN 2:98.1 simile of the clear lake (roughly paralleled at AN 1.46)

I had understood the final anchor segment, usually corresponding to the text of DN 2:97.6, to mean that this was the end of the elision, and therefore no need to restore any text after that. And that’s the way I did both of the first two passes. But doing it this way leaves only the final subsection missing its accompanying simile, which now just feels wrong.

DN 10 Subha, which elides most of the ethics section (and only that) and provides its own (very little altered) version of the text of the Immersion section and the Eight Knowledges section, does include the simile of the clear lake at DN 10:2.36.1. And of course, so does the only other example of this text that we have, DN 2 itself.

DN 9 and DN 13 don’t enter into this, as they begin completely rewriting the passage starting in the four Absorptions subsections, before we even get to the beginning of the Eight Knowledges. The relevant ones here are the eight suttas DN 3 through DN 8, DN 11, & DN 12.

For the third pass, I’m planning to treat that final anchor segment, usually the “nothing further for this place” one (DN 2:97.6) as standing for both the section containing it, and also the following simile, before continuing with the 12th and final repetition of the refrain, which is always spelled out in full in these eight suttas, after the last anchor segment indicating the end of the elision.

Does anyone know of any reason why the clear lake simile (DN 2:98.1) should not be restored when expanding these eight suttas?

1 Like
2

Perhaps you have missed a passage from DN2:98.2 to DN2:98.7.

1 Like
3

Thank you for checking!

I’m planning to restore DN 2:98.2 as well as 98.1, but segments after 98.2 are not elided and so don’t need to be restored. These segments make up the final repetition of the refrain (12th occurrence of the immersion/knowledges refrain, or 8th of the knowledges refrain if it’s different), and are spelled out in full in the text of each sutta even in the current elided state.

I would have linked to section 98 as a whole, like this DN 2:98, but as you see, that doesn’t make a link.

1 Like
4

Yes, linking to ranges of segments doesn’t work. The numbering appears to be hierarchical, but really the anchors that link to sections are all independent.

1 Like