A
phrase "Vinnanam anidassanam anantam sabbato pabham" is a profound and cryptic teaching from the Pali canon, found in the Kevatta Sutta of the Digha Nikaya. Let's break it down and explore its meaning:
Translation and Meaning:
- Vinnanam: Consciousness.
- Anidassanam: Non-manifestive, invisible, or without distinguishing marks.
- Anantam: Infinite or boundless.
- Sabbato pabham: Radiating in all directions or luminous everywhere.
Interpretation:
This phrase describes a particular state of consciousness that is beyond duality, form, and worldly conceptualizations. It refers to a non-local, infinite, and radiant consciousness. In Buddhist philosophy, this might be linked to a deep meditative state or an ultimate understanding of reality beyond conditioned existence.
In the Kevatta Sutta, the Buddha explains this in response to a question about the cessation of the elements (earth, water, fire, air, etc.). He points to a state where conventional distinctions fall away—a transcendent realm where there is no arising, ceasing, or coming into being as we understand it.
Where Mind and Body "Fall Away":
When asked about the point at which mind and body "fall away," the Buddha's reply indicates a state of pure, undifferentiated awareness. This is not a "place" but rather a condition or realization that goes beyond the dualistic nature of experience.
Connection to Practice:
For practitioners, this teaching emphasizes the potential to transcend the limitations of self-identity, concepts, and dualities through deep meditative insight, culminating in an experiential understanding of reality's luminous, boundless nature.
This phrase remains one of the most poetic and profound expressions of the ultimate in Buddhist thought, inviting contemplation and meditative inquiry.
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