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en:dictionary:nindā



nindā {pi}


Pāḷi; √ nindā
gender:
type:
alt. sp.: IPA: n̪ɪn̪d̪ɑː, Velthuis: nindaa, readable: nindaa, simple: ninda
translation ~:
skr.:
khmer: និន្ទា
thai: นินฺทา
sinhal.: නින්දා
burm.: နိန္ဒာ
appears:



nindaa.jpg

[dic] nindā (ninda)

nindā: Description welcome. Info can be removed after imput.

ATI Glossary

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Buddhist Dictionary

by late Ven. Nyanalokita Thera:

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PTS Dictionary

by the Pali Text Society:

 

Glossary Thanissaro

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Illustrated Glossary of Pāli Terms

by Ven. Varado Maha Thera:

Renderings
Introduction

Nindā: criticism not blame

Praise and blame are wrongfully used as opposites in English, where praise’s opposite is in fact criticism. The problem is so deeply ingrained that ‘blameworthy’ actually means ‘worthy of criticism,’ and ‘blameless’ means ‘not worthy of criticism.’ To understand ninda, we will first discuss the difference between blame and criticism:

  • Blame answers the question: ‘Who or what is responsible for something bad?’ It involves no should’s or shouldn’ts.
  • Criticism means saying something should have been better, or should or shouldn’t have happened, or be the way it is.

Criticism and blame: illustration

We might either blame the cook (tell him he was responsible), or criticise him (tell him he should have been better). And though we criticise the food (it should have been better), we do not blame it, because it was not responsible.

Considering the Illustrations

Now let us consider the Illustrations to be presented below:

  • 1) When the bhikkhu Kokālika accused bhikkhus of unvirtuous desires (SN i 150), he was saying they should have been better. Therefore he was criticising them. But he was not holding them responsible, so it was not a matter of blame.
  • 2) When in Dhammapada verse 227 a bhikkhu talked too much, people complained. He should have been better. So it is criticism. And although the bhikkhu’s speech could be criticised (it should have been better) it cannot be blamed, because it was not responsible.
  • 3) In Dhammapada verse 309, a man commits adultery. If people criticise him, they would be saying he should not have done it. But if her character is ruined, they could blame him, because he was responsible.

No Pāli word for blame

There is no Pāli word for ‘to blame.’ Buddhadatta’s English to Pāli Dictionary gives three words for blame: upavadati, codeti and nindati. These all in fact mean ‘to criticise’ or ‘to reprove’:

• If a bhikkhu does not fulfil the training in virtue, the Teacher criticises (upavadati) him, his discerning wise companions in the religious life criticise him, the devas criticise him, and he himself even criticises himself.

satthāpi upavadati. Anuvicca pi viññū sabrahmacārī upavadanti. Devatāpi upavadanti. Attāpi attānaṁ upavadati. (MN i 440)

• If a bhikkhu is wanting to reprove another (codetu), having contemplated five principles within himself he may do so:

Codakenupāli bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ manasikaritvā paro codetabbo. (Vin.2.250)

Illustrations

Illustration: nindā, criticism

Eight worldly conditions whirl around the world [of beings], and the world [of beings] whirls around eight worldly conditions, namely: acquisition and loss, imprestige and prestige, criticism and praise, pleasure and pain.

aṭṭha lokadhammā lokaṁ anuparivattanti loko ca aṭṭha lokadhamme anuparivattati: lābho ca alābho ca ayaso ca yaso ca nindā ca pasaṁsā ca sukhañca dukkhañcā ti. (AN ii 188)

nindiyaṁ

nindiyaṁ: (main article see: nindā)

Illustration: nindiyaṁ, criticism

The bhikkhu Kokālika was reborn in hell for repeatedly criticising Venerables Sāriputta and Moggallāna as follows:

• ’Bhante, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have unvirtuous desires and are dominated by unvirtuous desires.’

pāpicchā bhante sāriputtamoggallānā pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṅgatā ti.

The Buddha later reflected:

• ’He who praises one deserving criticism, or criticises one deserving praise, accumulates demerit with his mouth, by which he finds no happiness.

Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo
Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati. (SN i 150-153)

aninditā

aninditā: (main article see: nindā)

Illustration: aninditā, beyond criticism

Having eliminated the stain of stinginess together with its origin, they are beyond criticism.

Vineyya maccheramalaṁ samūlaṁ aninditā. (AN ii 63)

nindanti

nindanti: (main article see: nindā)

Illustration: nindanti, criticise; anindito, beyond criticism

[People] criticise one who sits silently. They criticise one who speaks a lot. They even criticise one who speaks moderately. There is no one beyond criticism in the world.

Nindanti tuṇhimāsīnaṁ nindanti bahubhāṇinaṁ
Mitabhāṇimpi nindanti natthi loke anindito. (Dhp 227)

nindaṁ

nindaṁ: (main article see: nindā)

Illustration: nindaṁ, criticism

The man negligently applied [to the practice] who pursues another’s wife meets with four states: the accumulation of demerit; insomnia; thirdly, criticism; fourthly, hell.

Cattāri ṭhānāni naro pamatto āpajjati paradārūpasevī
Apuññalābhaṁ na nikāmaseyyaṁ nindaṁ tatiyaṁ nirayaṁ catutthaṁ. (Dhp 309)

nindāya

nindāya: (main article see: nindā)

Illustration: nindāya, criticism

In the midst of the assembly, engaged in dispute, [each] is desirous of praise, but anxious about the outcome. If his argument is refuted he becomes downcast. Shaken by criticism, he seeks his opponent’s weak spots.

Yutto kathāyaṁ parisāya majjhe pasaṁsamicchaṁ vinighātī hoti
Apāhatasmiṁ pana maṅku hoti nindāya so kuppati randhamesi. (Snp 826)

 

Glossary various Teacher

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See also

Suttas and Dhammadesanā

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Add a reference here or in the list.

 

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en/dictionary/nindā.txt · Last modified: 2019/09/25 05:31 by 127.0.0.1