[Buddha-l] Re: Query on Non-Local Consciousness

[Dan Lusthaus]

Bernie,

Thanks for the link on aama. It is described as the clogging of physical and
spiritual vessels (intestines, nadis, etc.) by toxic ingested material that
is not fully digested due to certain weaknesses in the body (not enough of
various digestive heats, etc.). Since it involves clogging (constipation,
etc.), the problem with the Skt of the YBh would be what to do with na
aadharati ("not retained"), which suggests the opposite of aama (the full
phrase is aamam na aadharati). Aama seems to be retension par excellence,
though retension without fully digesting -- hence clogging. So if we take
Xuanzang's 不吐 -- which normally would mean "doesn't vomit" -- as "doesn't
expel," that would seem to work. That he would translate aama as 生 (life,
produce, arise, birth, etc.) then becomes the problem.

All in all, a very perplexing passage in both languages (which, I suspect,
the Tibetan attempted to gloss away).

Whatever it is, it is one of the nine causes of untimely death.

Dan