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”.

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

leigh brasington 2015, book on ‘right concentration – practical guide to jhanas

I emailed Leigh 2018 december, and he confirmed that his book contains his current view of V&V in jhana. What he said about jhanas and V&V on his website, contains old views and opinions that have changed.

from Leigh Brasington's 2015 published book, right concentration - a practical guide to jhanas

(first jhana chapter:)

Quite secluded from sense pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, one enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thinking and examining and filled with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. One drenches, steeps, saturates, and suffuses one’s body with this rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of one’s entire body which is not suffused by this rapture and happiness. (DN 2.77)

(he also has a whole chapter discussion V&V , here is an excerpt)

PERHAPS NO ASPECT OF THE FIRST JHĀNA as described in the suttas is more misunderstood than the words vitakka and vicāra. They are often translated as something like “initial and sustained thinking” or “initial and sustained application” or “initial and sustained attention on the meditation object.” It is true that this is the meaning of these words in later Buddhism, particularly in the commentaries, but this is definitely not the meaning in the suttas—ever. At the time of the Buddha and probably for more than a century after his death, vitakka meant “thinking,” and vicāra meant “examining” or “pondering” or “evaluating” or “considering.”

Rupert Gethin

Professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and codirector of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol, and (since 2003) president of the Pali Text Society. He holds a BA in Comparative Religion (1980), a master's degree in Buddhist Studies (1982), and a PhD in Buddhist Studies (1987), all from the University of Manchester. He was appointed Lecturer in Indian Religions by the University of Bristol in 1987, and then Professor In Buddhist Studies in 2009.

Sayings of the Buddha, Oxford University Press, 2008.

This from DN 2 Samannaphala Sutta, pgs 28-29.

When he sees that the five hindrances have been given up in himself,

gladness arises, and when one is glad, joy arises. When the mind is

joyful, the body becomes tranquil, and when the body is tranquil one

experiences happiness; the mind of someone who is happy becomes

concentrated.

First Jhana

Completely secluded from sense desires and unwholesome

qualities, he lives having attained the joy and happiness of the first

absorption, which is accompanied by thinking and examining, and born of

seclusion.

Second Jhāna

by stilling thinking and examining, a monk lives having attained the joy

and happiness of the second absorption, a state of inner clarity and

mental unification that is without thinking and examining, and is born

of concentration.

V&V💭 and the relativity of wrong

.	.

⛔ Wrong translations for V&V💭

✅ ☸EBT V&V💭: vitakka & vicāra = directed-thought & evaluation

⛔ Vism. Redefinition V&V💭: applied-thought & sustained-thought (b.nanamoli)
⛔ Vism. Redefinition V&V💭: initial-application & sustained-application (u thittila, Te Ab Vb 12 )
⛔ B.Sujato mistranslation of V&V💭: placing-the-mind & keeping-it-connected
⛔ B.Anālayo mistranslation of V&V💭: [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation

In translation, there can be legitimate difference of opinion and many legitimate ways to translate the same idea with different words.

For example: thinking, pondering, evaluating, considering, examining, etc., can all be legitimate ways to translate vicara.

But vitakka in the pāḷi EBT, means the same thing in first jhāna as it does outside of jhāna.

That is not debatable. You can do a global search for every single occurence of vitakka in the EBT and confirm for yourself by seeing what it means in context (Yes, in fact I have done that, as well as every single occurrence of first jhāna). I've also assembled a list in a separate article of all the other professional English translators, and aside from those following ABRJ (Ajahn Brahm Re-definition of Jhāna, same as Vism. Redefinition without abhidhamma theory), it's unanimous.

Different legitimate ways to translate vitakka might include something along the lines of cerebration, intellection, mentation, cogitation, etc. But almost everyone translating from EBT perspective has thought or thinking for vitakka.

From the late Theravada perspective, where they give primacy to Abhidhamma over EBT (Early Buddhist Texts), VRJ (Vism. Re-definition of Jhāna) describes a first jhāna and (V&V💭) vitakka & vicāra, that is a different samādhi training system than EBT. They redefined (V&V💭) and jhāna to accommodate their abhidhamma idea of radical momentariness.

The Relativity of Wrong

There are different levels of wrong.

Unintentional honest mistakes are forgivable and understandable.

"not even wrong", and "wronger than wrong", refer to exponentially more pernicious magnitudes of wrongness: they can wreak havoc with devastating consequences to oneself and humanity.

point of view

From the EBT perspective of jhāna, B. nanamoli's applied-thought & sustained-thought is wrong.

From the VRJ (Vism. Re-definition of Jhāna) perspective, B. nanamoli's applied-thought & sustained-thought translation is excellent.

From the VRJ (Vism. Re-definition of Jhāna) perspective, U thittila's initial-application & sustained-application is wronger than wrong. (will explain later)

From the point of view of finding a (V&V💭) translation that would best fit both Abhidhamma and EBT, B. nanamoli's applied-thought & sustained-thought translation is really excellent and well thought out (no pun intended).

From the point of view of EBT, Bhikkhu Anālayo's [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation is wronger than wrong.

If Bhikkhu Anālayo's translation were meant for abhidhamma and VRJ (Vism. Re-definition of Jhāna), it could actually work, but would be awkward if he's using 'thinking' and 'thought' outside of jhāna, unlike B.Nanamoli's translation.

But Bhikkhu Anālayo is a leading figure of EBT, and he's supposed to be translating from an EBT perspective.

So his translation is wronger than wrong. This is an objective, right and wrong situation, not a translator preference with a continuum of fine shades in meaning.

Bhikkhu Sujato's translation, is wrong even from the point of view of abhidhamma and VRJ (Vism. Re-definition of Jhāna)!

His translation is more similar to U thittila, which is wronger than wrong (even for VRJ).

Bhikkhu Sujato's translation, from the EBT perspective is not even wronger than wrong, a level of wrong so heinous it's hard to describe.

But I'll try.

parable of horse from Bodagosia

A long time ago in the country of Bodagosia, Buddhism had become corrupt. Three friends, Ernest, Mr. Wellbourne, and Mr. Relinquist, decided to each set off in different direction, and look for an uncorrupt Buddhism, and promised to let each other know if they found one. After many years, they found it. Deep in the country of Integra, a town called Taneesaru, where the people were honest and pure. They had preserved an uncorrupt Buddhism through many generations. So the three friends made plans on bringing the Dharma back to Bodagosia.

Mr. Wellbourne had become wealthy and famous from his business in transporting goods. His horses were the strongest, fastest, and most well trained in all the land. The carriages for carrying cargo, all the equipment was the best. He had a money back guarantee that the delivery would be made on time, and product arriving intact. So far, they had a spotless record, and Mr. Wellbourne intended to keep it that way. It wasn't just his business, it was also his name and reputation on the line.

They did the math, and figured it would take 7 trips to carry all the Dhamma scrolls from Taneesaru to Bodagosia. And with the new early Dhamma, they could restore Buddhism to its former glory.

Each of the 7 trips was a different Dhamma category, with the final one being jhāna samādhi.

Each trip was to be led by the same horse, the best one in the company, with a perfect record.

The first 6 trips went perfectly. There was just one final trip to make.

On the seventh trip, Ernest, Mr. Wellbourne, and Mr. Relinquist, went to the arrival port in Bodagosia to await the final cargo carrying the samādhi scrolls.

Right on time, they saw the horses. But there was one problem. They weren't pulling any cargo! The carriage containing the samādhi scrolls were stranded somewhere, perhaps still back in the country of Integra.

The lead horse, who had a perfect record until today, had pulled 6 loads of Dharma perfectly, but for some reason de-coupled from the jhāna samādhi Dhamma scrolls and left it behind.

The horse's name, was Vitakka.

The meaning of the story is this.

You can't trust a horse from Bodagosia named Vitakka .

Most of the time he works just fine and stays coupled to the carriage carrying the Dhamma.

But when the cargo is jhāna samādhi, then he decides he's just initial application and sustained application, and there's no need to stay connected to the carriage carrying Dhamma thoughts.

In other words, vitakka has two parts to it.

The carriage containing valuable cargo, thoughts, is not optional.

The optional part is the horse.

First jhāna formula works with or without it.


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	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

4👑☸ Cattāri Ariya-saccaṃ 四聖諦

V&V💭 Professional translations

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