[Buddha-l] bodhi

[Dan Lusthaus]

Chris,

> In "Kindly Bent to Ease Us" H.V. Guenther translated bodhi (Tib. byang
> chub) as "luminous clarity and consummate perspicacity" - apparently
> based on an explanation of the term by Longchenpa the author of the text
> he was translating.
>
> A real mouthful in English for two syllables of Sanskrit or Tibetan.

Longchenpa is following a long tradition, though I'm not sure he anticipated 
Guenther's penchant for bloated equivalents. Joy has started to provide some 
of the Pali references to the luminous mind. There are many more. I don't 
have my "Guenther jargon lexicon" on hand, but seem to remember that 
"perspicacity" was how he was inclined to treat prajna and mati. I won't try 
to guess further...

Richard told us half the story of the Theravada trajectory, in which the 
Kathaavatthu decides on a "negative" view of awakening (it is the *absence* 
of defilements). The story for Theravadins continued, however, and did a 
flip-flop when Buddhaghosa (whose name means he woke up because someone was 
shouting; buddha + ghosa [shout, announce, howl, wail]) in the Visuddhimagga 
decided that this negative understanding was too negative, and so awakening 
required positive content as well. Ergo, one positively knows the 4 Noble 
Truths, and a bunch of other stuff in the Theravadin handbook of things to 
know when one is awakened [by shouting].

Dan