Bhāvanā (Pali;[Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 503, entry for "Bhāvanā," retrieved 9 December 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [1].] Sanskrit: भावना, also bhāvanā[Monier-Williams (1899), p. 755, see "Bhāvana" and "Bhāvanā", retrieved 9 December 2008 from "U. Cologne" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/MWScanpdf/mw0755-bhAvodaya.pdf .]) literally means "development"[See various translations cited in the notes below.] or "cultivating"[Matthieu Ricard has said this in a talk.] or "producing"[Nyanatiloka (1980), p. 67.] It is an important concept in Buddhist practice ( Patipatti). The word bhavana normally appears in conjunction with another word forming a compound phrase such as citta-bhavana (the development or cultivation of the heart/mind) or metta-bhavana (the development/cultivation of loving-kindness). When used on its own, bhavana signifies contemplation and 'spiritual cultivation' generally.
Etymology
Bhavana derives from the word
Bhava meaning
becoming or the subjective process of arousing mental states.
To explain the cultural context of the historical Buddha's employment of the term, Glenn Wallis emphasizes bhavanas sense of cultivation. He writes that a farmer performs bhavana when he or she prepares soil and plants a seed. Wallis infers the Buddha's intention with this term by emphasizing the terrain and focus on farming in northern India at the time in the following passage:
Hinduism
In
Hindu texts, bhavana is a concept that is often attributed to deities, such as
Krishna in the
Bhagavad Gita:
Buddhism
In the
Pali Canon bhāvanā is often found in a compound phrase indicating personal, intentional effort over time with respect to the development of that particular faculty. For instance, in the Pali Canon and post-canonical literature one can find the following compounds:
- * citta-bhāvanā, translated as "development of mind"
[See, e.g., Digha Nikaya 33.1.10(48), trans. by Walshe (1995), p. 486; and, Majjhima Nikaya 36, trans. by Ñāamoli & Bodhi (2001), pp. 332–343.]
Both DN 33 and MN 36 juxtapose citta-bhāvanā with kāya-bhāvanā. In DN 33, it is said that there are three types of development: of body ( kāya), of mind ( citta), and of wisdom ( paññā). In end notes to MN 36, Bodhi (pp. 1228–29, nn. 382, 384) states that the MN atthakatha explains that "development of the body" refers to vipassana and "development of mind" refers to samādhi.[Also see Anguttara Nikaya 1.22 and 1.24 (a/k/a, AN I, iii, 1 and 3), trans. by Thanissaro (2006) ; and, AN 1.51–52 (a/k/a, AN I, vi, 1–2), trans. by Thanissaro (1995) , as well as trans. by Nyanaponika & Bodhi (1999), p. 36.] or "development of consciousness."
- * kāya-bhāvanā, translated as "development of body."
- * mettā-bhāvanā, translated as the "cultivation"
[See, e.g., Sutta Nipata 1.8, Metta Sutta, trans. by Thanissaro (2004). The compound metta-bhāvanā does not actually exist in this sutta, but the sutta famously mentions that one should "cultivate" ( bhāvaye) a limitless heart of metta.] or "development of benevolence."[See, e.g., Itivuttaka. 1.27, trans. by Ireland (1997) , pp. 169–70.]
- * paññā-bhāvanā, translated as "development of wisdom"
[See Digha Nikaya 33.1.10(48), trans. by Walshe (1995), p. 486, referenced in note above regarding citta-bhāvanā.] or "development of understanding."
- * samādhi-bhāvanā, translated as "development of concentration."
[See, e.g., Anguttara Nikaya 4.41, trans. Thanissaro (1997) (cf. ). In addition, see Majjhima Nikaya 44, Cavedalla Sutta, trans. by Thanissaro (1998a):]
- [Upasaka Viskha:] "Now what is concentration, lady, what qualities are its themes, what qualities are its requisites, and what is its development samādhibhāvanāti?"
- [Bhikkhuni Dhammadinn:] "Singleness of mind is concentration, friend Visakha; the Satipatthana are its themes; the four right exertions are its requisites; and any cultivation, development, & pursuit of these qualities is its development."
In addition, in the Canon, the development ( bhāvanā) of samatha-vipassana is lauded.[See, e.g., in Majjhima Nikaya 151, the Buddha states that a bhikkhu who has developed samatha-vipassana (or any of the seven sets of Enlightenment-conducive qualities) "can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states" (trans., Ñāṇamoli & Bodhi, 2001, p. 1145). Additionally, Anguttara Nikaya 4.170 identifies three ways in which an arahant develops samatha-vipassana: samatha first; vipassana first; or both in tandem (Nyanaponika & Bodhi, 1999, p. 114; and, Thanissaro, 1998b). See also the paracanonical Nettipakarana 91 (Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921–25, p. 503, entry for "Bhāvanā", retrieved 9 December 2008 from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3558.pal).] Subsequently, Theravada teachers have made use of the following compounds:
- * samatha-bhāvanā, meaning the development of tranquility.
- * vipassanā-bhāvanā, meaning the development of insight.
The word bhavana is sometimes translated into English as 'meditation' so that, for example, metta-bhavana may be translated as 'the meditation on loving-kindness'. Meditation is properly called dhyana (Sanskrit; Pali: jhāna), as practiced in samādhi, the 8th limb of the eightfold path.
Jainism
In
Jainism,
bhāvana refers to "right conception or notion" or "the moral of a fable".
See also
Notes
Sources
-
Ireland, John D. (trans.) (1997). The Udāna & the Itivuttaka. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. . Retrieved 9 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" (1999, excerpts) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.intro.irel.html.
-
Monier-Williams, Monier (1899, 1964). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. London: Oxford University Press. . Retrieved 2008-12-09 from "Cologne University" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/index.php?sfx=pdf.
-
Ñāamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2001). The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. .
-
Nyanatiloka Mahathera, Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Terms And Doctrines, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, fourth Edition, 1980
-
Nyanaponika Thera (trans.) & Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans., ed.) (1999). Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas from the Aguttara Nikāya. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. .
-
Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921–5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. Retrieved 2008-12-09 from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.
-
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1995). Pabhassara Sutta: Luminous (Anguttara Nikaya 1.49–52). Retrieved 9 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an01/an01.049.than.html.
-
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). Samadhi Sutta: Concentration (Anguttara Nikaya 4.41). Retrieved 11 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.041.than.html.
-
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998a). Culavedalla Sutta: The Shorter Set of Questions-and-Answers (Majjhima Nikaya 44). Retrieved 11 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.044.than.html.
-
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998b). Yuganaddha Sutta: In Tandem (Anguttara Nikaya 4.170). Retrieved 11 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.170.than.html.
-
Thanissaro, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2004). Karaniya Metta Sutta: Good Will (Sutta Nipata 1.8). Retrieved 9 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.08.than.html.
-
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2006). Ekadhamma Suttas: A Single Thing (Anguttara Nikaya 1.21–24). Retrieved 9 December 2008 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an01/an01.021-040.than.html.
-
Walshe, Maurice (1995). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. .
