[Buddha-l] Non-Arising

[L.S. Cousins]

I have not had time to join the discussion of kṣānti up to now, but part 
of the problem is caused by looking at old dictionaries. There are clear 
definitions in Edgerton's Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary and in 
Margaret Cone's A Dictionary of Pāli.


The reason why some of the older dictionaries are confused is that the 
basic meaning in Middle Indian is narrowed down in Classical Sanskrit, 
but preserved in some Buddhist technical uses.


So khanti simply corresponds to the verb khamati (Skt kṣam) i.e. it is 
what seems good or is acceptable. This develops in two slightly 
different directions:


1. Acceptance of pain or adversity. This becomes particularly well-known 
in the context of the perfections or pārami(tā) and is there generally 
translated as 'patience'. That is effectively the standard meaning in 
Classical Sanskrit.


2. Acceptance or receptivity to some kind of knowledge or wisdom. This 
occurs in some contexts in Pali literature, but is developed more 
systematically by the Vaibhāṣikas and others in the context of the 
sixteen knowledges which occur at the time of realization. So each 
momentary dharma knowledge is preceded by a momentary kṣānti or 
acceptance of the knowledge to come. This is then further developed in 
Mahāyāna literature. So anutpādadharmakṣānti means 'receptivity or 
openness to the teaching/truth of non-arising'. It is nothing to do with 
patience in the English sense of the word.


Lance Cousins