"Vineyya": is there a deeper/broader meaning?

Discussion
1

Dear forum

The dictionary says about the word “vineyya”:

New Concise Pali English Dictionary

vineyya
adjective

  1. fit to be trained

The word “vineyya” is most commonly found in the Satipatthana formula; translated by Bhikkhus Bodhi, Thanissaro & Sujato as “having removed”, “putting aside” & “rid of”.

at that time they meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

dhammesu dhammānupassī, bhikkhave, tasmiṁ samaye bhikkhu viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

Having seen with wisdom the giving up of desire and aversion, they watch over closely with equanimity.

So yaṁ taṁ abhijjhādomanassānaṁ pahānaṁ taṁ paññāya disvā sādhukaṁ ajjhupekkhitā hoti.

MN 118

The word “vineyya” is also found in the suttas below:

So you should dispel stinginess,
Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
overcoming that stain, and give a gift.
dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
The good deeds of sentient beings
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
support them in the next world.”
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.

SN 1.43

So you should dispel pride,
Tasmā vineyya sārambhaṁ,
practicing absorption undistracted.
Jhāyeyya apurakkhato”ti.

Thag 1.37

Today I eat just once a day,
Sājja ekena bhattena,
my head is shaven, I wear the outer robe.
muṇḍā saṅghāṭipārutā;
I don’t long for the host of gods,
Devakāyaṁ na patthehaṁ,
for stress has been removed from my heart.
vineyya hadaye daran”ti.

Thig 2.7

Finding no substance in attachments,
Na so upadhīsu sārameti,
rid of desire for things they’ve acquired,
Ādānesu vineyya chandarāgaṁ;
independent, needing no-one to guide them,
So anissito anaññaneyyo,
they’d rightly wander the world.
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Faithful, learned, seer of the sure path,
Saddho sutavā niyāmadassī,
the wise one takes no side among factions;
Vaggagatesu na vaggasāri dhīro;
rid of greed, hate, and repulsion,
Lobhaṁ dosaṁ vineyya paṭighaṁ,
they’d rightly wander the world.
Sammā so loke paribbajeyya.

Snp 2.13

What is interesting is MN 118, in the two consecutive sentences above, contains the words “vineyya” & "pahānaṁ ". About “pahānaṁ”, the dictionary says:

PTS Pali English Dictionary

pahāna

neuter giving up, leaving, abandoning, rejection.

SuttaCentral

Since it seems the meaning of “vineyya” is related to “training”, is there more to the meaning of the word “vineyya” than merely “rid of”?

Thank you

2 Likes
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Vineyya is the absolutive of Vineti.

So it has two meanings according to the dictionary:

  1. Remove, put away, give up
  2. Lead, guide instruct
4 Likes
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Thank you Danny. However, I wish to explore the etymological meaning more deeply, if possible. :melting_face:

4

The basic idea comes from naya, “to lead”. From there it has the sense “to remove, to take out”, but also the more familiar sense of “to lead on, to educate, to train”.

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Thank you Sujato. Since “vineyya” is used in each satipatthana, it seems logical it might be about “training to be rid of” covetousness & distress (Payutto used “eradicating”; Buddhadasa used “in order to abandon”) rather than the more absolute “having overcome” (per Nyanaponika Thera). What do you think about this?