YARVVI, Professional translations of V&V (vitakka & vicāra) in EBT schools

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Table of Contents

• Professional translations of V&V
  • V&V = Vitakka & Vicāra
  • Vitakka trans. From Pali → English
  • Vicāra trans. From Pali → English
  • V&V Tibetan fragment parallel to MN 10, 4sp, satipatthana suttas
    • Ven. Analayo has V&V = comprehension & discernment
  • MN 44 agama parallel, Ven. Analayo MA studies
    • V&V as part of 5 jhana factors, = comprehension & discernment
    • V&V as part of STED 4 jhanas formula, = comprehension & discernment
  • Ven. Ānandajoti, sanskrit → english, Arthaviniścayasūtram
    • V&V as part of first jhana, = thinking & reflection

Professional translations of V&V

V&V = Vitakka & Vicāra

Surveying what professional translators use to translate V&V, by far they all resemble the same ordinary “thinking & evaluation” that you would do in first jhāna as you would outside of jhana in ordinary daily life. Some of them, such as Ven. Nanamoli, try to straddle VRJ (vism. Redefined jhana) and ordinary V&V outside jhana, with something along the lines of “applied thought & sustained thought”. Which is confusing for nonspecialists, but at least it includese the word “thought” and some connection to ordinary thinking & evaluation. Bhante Sujato’s translation of V&V as “placing the mind & keeping it connected” among all the professional translators surveyed in this article, is unique in that it cuts off any obvious connection to thoughts, and more importantly, the capability to do vipasssana, insight, contemplation implied by all the translations used by everyone else. This is extremely problematic, and causes incoherence and mass confusion when there are no clear cut rules of when he uses the ordinary “thinking & consideration” or the first jhana’s “placing the mind & keeping it connected”. Examples of the multiple places where breakage and incoherence happens is detailed with pali+english audits in other articles. The other EBT schools represented, at least 2 schools from Chinese Agamas, also a tibetan fragment, a sanskrit fragment, agree with the majority of transalators in Theravada EBT that V&V is very close to “thinking and evaluation”.

Vitakka trans. From Pali → English

Vitakkā	Pali
thinking, re-thinking, thought, word-thought	MO
speculative thought [AN 7.50], applied thought, reflections, thought, perceptions	Hare
initial thought, thought, thoughts	Horner
conceptual thought (with vicara)	Punnaji
thinking, applied thought	Bodhi
applied thought	Nanamoli
mental application, thoughts	Rhys Davids
thoughts, initial application	(Mrs)Rhys Davids
directed thought	Thanissaro
thinking	Walshe
	Woodward

Vicāra trans. From Pali → English

Vicāra	Pali
turning over in the mind, Pondering, thoughts, Rambling on, Meandering thoughts, re-imagining	MO
deliberative thought [AN 7.50] sustained thought	Hare
discursive thought	Horner
conceptual thought (with vitakka)	Punnaji
examining, sustained thought	Bodhi
sustained thought	Nanamoli
sustained thought	Rhys Davids
sustained application [of thought]	(Mrs)Rhys Davids
evaluation	Thanissaro
pondering	Walshe
	Woodward

sources: http://buddhadust.net/backmatter/glossology/glossology/vicara.htm http://buddhadust.net/backmatter/glossology/glossology/vitakka.htm

V&V Tibetan fragment parallel to MN 10, 4sp, satipatthana suttas

Ven. Analayo has V&V = comprehension & discernment

STED 4j from Tibetan parallels excerpt, Anālayo's 4sp comparative studies VII.5 THE CONDITIONING NATURE OF FEELINGS ... Examples of the second type of pleasant feeling, those that do not lead to unwholesome repercussions, are given in the Tibetan version as follows: j1 Here a noble disciple, being free from sensual desire and free from bad and unwholesome states, with [directed] comprehension and [sustained] discernment, and with joy and happiness arisen from seclusion, dwells having fully attained the first absorption.

MN 44 agama parallel, Ven. Analayo MA studies

V&V as part of 5 jhana factors, = comprehension & discernment

"Noble lady, how many factors does the first absorption possess?" 17 "Honourable Visākha, it possesses five factors: [directed] comprehension, [sustained] discernment,18 delight, [Si 18] happiness and unification of the mind."

V&V as part of STED 4 jhanas formula, = comprehension & discernment

28. "Noble lady, what pleasant feelings do not increase de sire, but [instead] abandon it?" "Honourable Visākha, here a noble disciple, being free from sensual desire and free from evil and unwholesome states, with [directed] comprehension and [sustained] discernment, and with happiness and rapture arisen from seclusion, dwells having fully attained the first absorption. With the stilling of [directed] comprehension and [sustained] discernment, with complete inner confidence and unification of the mind, [Si 23] free from [directed] compre hension and [sustained] discernment, with happiness and rap ture arisen from concentration, he dwells having fully attained the second absorption. With the fading away of rapture, dwell ing equanimous with mindfulness and comprehension, experi encing just happiness with the body, what the noble ones reckon an equanimous and mindful dwelling in happiness, he dwells having fully attained the third absorption. Such pleasant feelings do not increase desire, but [instead] abandon it."34

Ven. Ānandajoti, sanskrit → english, Arthaviniścayasūtram

V&V as part of first jhana, = thinking & reflection

STED four jhānas from Arthaviniścayasūtram (excerpt from The Discourse giving the Analysis of the Topics) STED 1st Jhāna (english from Ven. Ānandajoti) quite secluded from sense desires, secluded from wicked and unwholesome things, having thinking, reflection, and the happiness and rapture born of seclusion, dwells having attained the first absorption.