➥ maññati:

• for maññati:
  • to think
  • to think appropriate
  • to think of in personal terms
  • to think ‘I am’
• for maññita:
  • thinking in personal terms

Think: rhetorical questions

As a rhetorical introduction to a question, the Buddha would ask what people thought:

• ‘What do you think, bhikkhus (taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave)? Is bodily form lasting or unlasting?’ (SN iii 187).
• ‘What do you think, bhikkhus (taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave)? Which is the greater, this small stone I have picked up, the size of my hand, or the Himalayas, the king of mountain ranges?’ (MN iii 166).
• What do you think, Kālāmas (taṁ kiṁ maññatha kālāmā)? Does greed arise for one’s benefit or harm? (AN i 189).

To think

Maññati sometimes means ‘to think’:

• ‘I think such teaching is truly foolish’

maññāmahaṁ momūhameva dhammaṁ. (Snp 840)

• ‘Whoever might think he could pollute the sea with a pot of poison would not be able to do so

samuddaṁ visakumbhena yo maññeyya padūsituṁ. (Vin.2.203)

• Groups of ascetics would sit quietly, hoping that the Buddha ‘might think of approaching’

upasaṅkamitabbaṁ maññeyyā. (MN ii 2)

Think appropriate

Maññati also means ‘to think appropriate.’ When the matted-hair ascetic Kassapa of Uruvelā wanted to receive ordination, the Buddha told him to consult his group of five hundred ascetics ‘so that they can do what they think appropriate’ (yathā te maññissanti tathā karissantī ti).’ That is, whether or not to likewise receive ordination (Vin.1.32).

Think of in personal terms

Maññati also means thinking of something in personal terms, or to ‘think “I am.”’ This is the special meaning of maññati. For example, a bhikkhu ‘should not think “I am part of solidness”’ (paṭhaviyā mā maññi). The past participle maññita is used as the corresponding noun. PED (sv Maññita) calls it: ‘illusion, imagination’). We say ‘thinking in personal terms’:

• And what is the way that is appropriate for uprooting all thinking in personal terms (sabbamaññita)? In this regard a bhikkhu does not think of the visual sense in personal terms (na maññati), does not think (na maññati) ‘I am part of the visual sense,’ does not think ‘I am separate from the visual sense,’ does not think the visual sense is “[in reality] mine”

Katamā ca sā bhikkhave sabbamaññitasamugghātasāruppapaṭipadā idha bhikkhave bhikkhu cakkhuṁ na maññati cakkhusmiṁ na maññati cakkhuto na maññati cakkhuṁ meti na maññati. (SN iv 22)

On resorting to brackets

Although translators agree to this special meaning of maññati, ‘thinking in personal terms,’ they usually resort to brackets. For example, Horner says ‘he thinks (of self) in (regard to) extension’ (Horner, MLSN i 4).

Bodhi, too, uses brackets, explaining that maññati is often used to mean ‘the intrusion of the egocentric perspective’ (MLDB n.6). In translating the Mūlapariyāya Sutta he therefore introduces the word ‘himself,’ but in brackets:

• ‘Having perceived earth as earth, he conceives [himself as] earth, he conceives [himself] in earth, he conceives [himself apart] from earth, he conceives earth to be ‘mine.’

paṭhaviṁ paṭhavito saññatvā paṭhaviṁ maññati paṭhaviyā maññati paṭhavito maññati paṭhaviṁ me ti maññati. (Bodhi, MN i 1)

Adding brackets tends to suggest that maññati does not have the full meaning one is giving it. We treat it as if it does.

Illustration: maññati, think of in personal terms; maññati, think ‘I am’; maññati, think

The ignorant Everyman

assutavā puthujjano

perceives solidness to be solidness;

paṭhaviṁ paṭhavito sañjānāti

Having done so, he thinks of solidness in personal terms;

paṭhaviṁ paṭhavito saññatvā paṭhaviṁ maññati

He thinks ‘I am part of solidness,’

paṭhaviyā maññati

He thinks ‘I am separate from solidness,’

paṭhavito maññati

He thinks that solidness is “[in reality] mine.”

paṭhaviṁ me ti maññati

He takes delight in solidness.

paṭhaviṁ abhinandati

For what reason? He does not profoundly understand it.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Apariññātaṁ tassā ti vadāmi. (Mūlapariyāya Sutta, MN i 1)

Comment:

I render the locative case as ‘part of,’ and the ablative case as ‘separate from’ for the following reasons:

1) The Locative shows the place in or on which a thing or person is, or an action is done and is therefore expressed as in, on, upon, at (PGPL, para601).

2) The primary meaning of the Ablative is expressed by the word ‘from,’ namely separation, and other relations in which the idea of separation is more or less discernible (e.g. he fell from the horse) (PGPL, para 600).

Illustration: maññati, think of in personal terms; maññati, think ‘I am’; maññati, think

The bhikkhu who is an arahant

bhikkhu arahaṁ

fully understands solidness to be solidness

so pi paṭhaviṁ paṭhavito abhijānāti

Fully understanding solidness to be solidness

paṭhaviṁ paṭhavito abhiññāya

he does not think of solidness in personal terms

paṭhaviṁ na maññati

He does not think ‘I am part of solidness’

paṭhaviyā na maññati

He does not think ‘I am separate from solidness’

paṭhavito na maññati

He does not think solidness is “[in reality] mine”

paṭhaviṁ me ti na maññati

He does not take delight in solidness

paṭhaviṁ nābhinandati

For what reason? He profoundly understands it, I declare

Taṁ kissa hetu? Pariññātaṁ tassā ti vadāmi. (MN i 4)

Illustration: maññati, think of in personal terms

Man is subject to torment;

ayaṁ loko santāpajāto

Afflicted by sensation,

phassapareto

He calls an illness ‘endowed with personal qualities’;

rogaṁ vadati attato

But whatsoever one thinks of in personal terms

yena yena hi maññati

It is different than [how one thinks of it],

tato taṁ hoti aññathā. (Uda 32)

Illustration: maññati, think of in personal terms; maññati, think ‘I am’

The Perfect One in seeing what is to be seen, does not think of what is seen in personal terms.

tathāgato daṭṭhā daṭṭhabbaṁ diṭṭhaṁ na maññati.

He does not think of what is not seen in personal terms

Adiṭṭhaṁ na maññati.

He does not think of what should be seen in personal terms

Daṭṭhabbaṁ na maññati.

He does not think ‘I am the seer.’

Daṭṭhāraṁ na maññati. (AN ii 25)

Illustration: maññati, think ‘I am’

The Brahman speaks thus:

brāhmaṇo evamāha

All states of individual existence are unlasting, intrinsically unsatisfactory, destined to change

sabbe bhavā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā ti.

In so saying

iti vadaṁ brāhmaṇo

• he speaks truth not falsehood saccaṁ

āha no musā

• he does not think ‘I am an ascetic’

so tena na samaṇo ti maññati

• he does not think ‘I am a Brahmanist’

na brāhmaṇo ti maññati

• he does not think ‘I am better’

na seyyo’hamasmī ti maññati

• he does not think ‘I am equal’

na sadiso’hamasmī ti maññati

• he does not think ‘I am worse’

na hīno’hamasmī ti maññati. (AN ii 176-7)

Illustration: maññati, think ‘I am’

If one profoundly understands what can be expressed, and does not think ‘I am the expressor.’

Akkheyyañca pariññāya akkhātāraṁ na maññati

The mind’s deliverance [from perceptually obscuring states] is achieved, the unsurpassed Peaceful State.

Phūṭṭho vimokkho manasā santipadamanuttaraṁ. (Iti 53)

Illustration: maññati, think ‘I am’

The arahant does not think ‘I am something’; he does not think ‘I am somewhere’; he does not think ‘I am due to something.’

na kiñci maññati na kuhiñci maññati na kenaci maññatī ti. (MN iii 45)

Illustration: maññati, think of in personal terms

The Sappurisa Sutta (MN iii 42) compares the common person and the spiritually outstanding person (asappuriso and sappuriso). When the common person (asappuriso) gains first jhāna, he thinks

• ‘I am an attainer of the first jhāna; these other bhikkhus are not’

ahaṁ khomhi paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyā lābhī ime panaññe bhikkhū na paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyā lābhino ti

He thereby exalts himself and disparages others

attānukkaṁseti paraṁ vambheti

When a spiritually outstanding person gains jhāna, he thinks:

‘The perception that “It is void of personal qualities” even concerning the attainment of the first jhāna has been spoken of by the Blessed One

paṭhamajjhānasamāpattiyāpi kho atammayatā vuttā bhagavatā.

For whatsoever one thinks of in personal terms, it is different than [how one thinks of it]

yena yena hi maññati tato taṁ hoti aññathā

Comment:

Maññati means ‘think of in personal terms,’ which is seen in the thoughts of the asappuriso, dominated by ahaṁ.

Illustration: maññati, think; maññati, think of in personal terms

See the world [of beings] with its devas entrenched in [attachment to] immaterial-factors-and-bodily-form. It thinks what is void of personal qualities is endowed with personal qualities. It thinks ‘This is true [to its appearance].’

Anattani attamāniṁ passa lokaṁ sadevakaṁ niviṭṭhaṁ nāmarūpasmiṁ idaṁ saccan ti maññati.

But whatsoever they think of in personal terms is different [from how they think of it].

Yena yena hi maññanti tato taṁ hoti aññathā

For it is untrue to itself.

taṁ hi tassa musā hoti

That which is transitory is intrinsically false indeed.

mosadhammaṁ hi ittaraṁ. (Snp 756-7)

➥ maññita: (main article see: maññati)

Illustration: maññita, thinking in personal terms

‘I am,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

asmī ti maññitametaṁ

‘I am this,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

ayamahamasmī ti maññitametaṁ

‘I will be,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

bhavissan ti maññitametaṁ

‘I will not be,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

na bhavissan ti maññitametaṁ

‘I will be material,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

rūpi bhavissanti maññitametaṁ

‘I will be immaterial,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

arūpī bhavissan ti maññitametaṁ

‘I will be aware,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

saññībhavissan ti maññitametaṁ

‘I will be unaware,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

asaññī bhavissan ti maññitametaṁ

‘I will be neither aware nor unaware,’ is a matter of thinking in personal terms

nevasaññināsaññī bhavissan ti maññitametaṁ

Thinking in personal terms is an illness, a carbuncle, a [piercing] arrow. Therefore train yourselves with the thought, ‘We will live with minds free of thinking in personal terms’

maññitaṁ bhikkhave rogo maññitaṁ gaṇḍo maññitaṁ sallaṁ tasmātiha bhikkhave amaññamānena cetasā viharissāmāti evaṁ hi vo bhikkhave sikkhitabbaṁ. (SN iv 203)

Illustration: maññita, thinking in personal terms; maññati, think of in personal terms; maññati, think ‘I am’; maññati, think

And what is the way that is appropriate for uprooting all thinking in personal terms?

Katamā ca sā bhikkhave sabbamaññitasamugghātasāruppapaṭipadā

In this regard a bhikkhu does not think of the visual sense in personal terms

cakkhuṁ na maññati

does not think ‘I am part of the visual sense’

cakkhusmiṁ na maññati

does not think ‘I am separate from the visual sense’

cakkhuto na maññati

does not think the visual sense is “[in reality] mine”

cakkhuṁ me ti na maññati. (SN iv 22)

➥ amaññissaṁ: (main article see: maññati)

Illustration: amaññissaṁ, think appropriate

'I was so pleased and satisfied with Master Kassapa's first parable, I wanted to hear his brilliant replies to these other various questions. So I thought it appropriate to treat Master Kassapa as an opponent.

Purimeneva ahaṁ opammena bhoto kassapassa attamano abhiraddho. Api cāhaṁ imāni vicitrāni pañhāpaṭibhānāni sotukāmo evāhaṁ bhavantaṁ kassapaṁ paccanīkaṁ kātabbaṁ amaññissaṁ. (DN ii 352)