➥ vyāpajjha and vyābajjhā.

• for vyāpajjha:
  • hostility
  • affliction

Considerable confusion: BJT editor astonished

That vyāpajjha and vyābajjha are hopelessly confused is expressed in the digital edition of the Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tripiṭaka, where the editor comments on this quote:

• Properly reflecting, he uses therapeutic requisites simply to ward off troublesome feelings that have arisen and for maximum freedom from affliction.

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paṭisevati yāvadeva uppannānaṁ veyyābādhikānaṁ vedanānaṁ paṭighātāya avyābajjhaparamatāya.

However, at MN i 10 an alternative spelling occurs: avyāpajjhaparamatāya, about which the BJT editor has this to say:

• We correct the 'p' in avyāpajjha of the BJT text to 'b' in agreement with the PTS M1 and Nld readings. We regard avyābajjha as the correct reading because it is derived from the basic Pāli word vyābādha vyābādhya vyābajjha. In view of this process of derivation, we opt the final reading to be avyābajjha. At the same time it is astonishing to find the derivative from the Pāli word vyāpāda written as vyāpajjha. The two words appear to be the result of a considerable amount of mutual confusion.

Bodhi: similar correction

A vacillation between savyābajjhā and savyāpajjhā is seen in a passage at MN ii 130, which in 2001 Bhikkhu Bodhi translated as follows:

• Great king, those gods who are still subject to affliction come back to this [human] state, those gods who are no longer subject to affliction do not come back to this [human] state (Bodhi, 2001)

Ye te mahārāja devā savyābajjhā te devā āgantāro itthattaṁ ye te devā avyābajjhā te devā anāgantāro itthattan ti. (MN ii 130)

But in 2005, he adopted the alternative Pāli, and translated as follows:

• Great king, those gods who are still subject to ill will come back to this [human] state, those gods who are no longer subject to ill will do not come back to this [human] state (Bodhi, 2005).

Ye te mahārāja devā savyāpajjhā te devā āgantāro itthattaṁ ye te devā avyāpajjhā te devā anāgantāro itthattan ti. (MN ii 130)

Although either reading could be justified, the 2001 edition is preferable for two reasons:

1) Non-returners do not usually proclaim themselves in terms of freedom from ill will. More usually they proclaim themselves in terms of freedom from sensuous hankering:

• We, dear sir, who lived the religious life under the Blessed One Vipassī have been reborn here having discarded sensuous hankering for sensuous pleasures.

Te mayaṁ mārisa vipassimhi bhagavatī brahmacariyaṁ caritvā kāmesu kāmacchandaṁ virājetvā idhūpapannā ti. (DN ii 51)

2) It is in accordance with other suttas to define non-returnership in terms of non-affliction because non-returners have demolished all demerit in their lifetime, and therefore the associated affliction to be experienced:

• Whatever demeritorious karmically consequential conduct was previously undertaken by this [wretched human] body born of deeds, all [the consequences of] that must be experienced now [in this lifetime]; it will not [be able to] arise hereafter.’ Thus developed, the liberation [from perceptually obscuring states] through [unlimited] goodwill leads to non-returnership for a wise bhikkhu here who has not penetrated to a more exalted liberation.

yaṁ kho me idha kiñcī pubbe iminā karajakāyena pāpakammaṁ kataṁ sabbaṁ taṁ idha vedanīyaṁ na taṁ anugaṁ bhavissatī ti. Evaṁ bhāvitā kho bhikkhave mettācetovimutti anāgāmitāya saṁvattati idha paññassa bhikkhuno uttariṁ vimuttiṁ appaṭivijjhato. (AN v 300)

Confusion noted in PED

The source of the confusion between the spellings can be seen in PED’s comments:

1) Vyābādha (& byābādha) [fr. vi + ā + bādh, but semantically connected with vi + ā + pad, as in vyāpāda & vyāpajjha

2) Avyāpajjha1 (abyābajjha) (nt.) [a + vyapajjha or bajjha, a confusion between the roots bādh or pad]

3) Avyāpajjha2 (abyābajjha) adj.) [either a + vyāpadya or more likely a + vyābādhya]

Resolving the confusion

We resolve the confusion as follows:

1) All bya- prefixes are spelt here as vya-

2) We spell vyāpajjha with ‘h.’ We regard vyāpajja as a misspelling. PED likewise does not recognise this as a word.

3) Vyāpajjha (‘hostility’) is commonly associated with veraṁ (‘unfriendliness’), implying that the words are synonyms. In the context of veraṁ we therefore regard vyābajjhā (‘affliction’) as a misspelling, and correct it to vyāpajjhā. For example, consider this passage:

• To limitless beings he gives freedom from fear, unfriendliness, and hostility.

aparimāṇānaṁ sattānaṁ abhayaṁ deti. Averaṁ deti. Avyāpajjhaṁ deti.

… In doing so, he partakes of limitless freedom from fear, unfriendliness, and hostility.

Aparimāṇānaṁ sattānaṁ abhayaṁ datvā averaṁ datvā avyāpajjhaṁ datvā aparimāṇassa abhayassa averassa avyāpajjhassa bhāgī hoti. (AN iv 246)

A misspelt variant reading is given in VRI, as follows:

• Aparimāṇānaṁ sattānaṁ abhayaṁ datvā averaṁ datvā avyābajjhaṁ datvā aparimāṇassa abhayassa averassa avyābajjhassa bhāgī hoti.

➥ vyāpajjhaṁ: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: vyāpajjhaṁ, hostility

Freedom from hostility in the world is happiness, and being restrained [in conduct] towards living beings

Avyāpajjhaṁ sukhaṁ loke pāṇabhutesu saṁyamo. (Uda 10, Vin.1.3)

Illustration: vyāpajjhaṁ, hostility

A bhikkhu develops a mind of [unlimited] goodwill which is free of unfriendliness and hostility.

bhikkhu averaṁ avyāpajjhaṁ mettacittaṁ bhāveti. (DN i 167-8)

Illustration: vyāpajjhaṁ, hostile

And what, Puṇṇa, is conduct that is dark with dark karmic consequences

kammaṁ kaṇhaṁ kaṇhavipākaṁ?

In this regard, some person undertakes a hostile karmically consequential deed by way of body… speech… mind

savyāpajjhaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ… vacīsaṅkhāraṁ… manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti.

Having done so, he is reborn in a hostile world (savyāpajjhaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati) where hostile sensations affect him (savyāpajjhā phassā phusanti) and he experiences hostile sense impressions that are exclusively unpleasant (savyāpajjhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti ekantadukkhaṁ), as experienced by the beings in hell. (MN i 390)

➥ avyāpajjhena: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: avyāpajjhena, free of hostility

We shall abide pervading the whole world [of beings] with a mind of [unlimited] goodwill, vast, exalted, unlimited, free of unfriendliness and hostility.

sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena avyāpajjhena pharitvā viharissāmāti. (MN i 126)

➥ vyāpajjhaṁ: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: vyāpajjhaṁ, hostile

If, bhante, an assumed individuality that is hostile is brought into being, unconducive to inner perfection, spiritually unwholesome factors flourish and spiritually wholesome factors fade in him.

savyāpajjhaṁ bhante attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ abhinibbattayato apariniṭṭhitabhāvāya akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti kusalā dhammā parihāyanti. (MN iii 52)

➥ avyāpajjhaṁ: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: avyāpajjhaṁ, unhostile

One should develop an unhostile, beneficent attitude which leads to the world of the devas.

Avyāpajjhaṁ hitaṁ cittaṁ devalokāya bhāvaye. (AN iii 213)

➥ avyāpajjhā: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: avyāpajjhā, without hostility

He has a benevolent mind and unhateful thoughts:

Avyāpannacitto kho pana hoti appaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo

May these creatures sustain themselves happily, and be rid of unfriendliness, hostility, and spiritual defilement.

ime sattā averā avyāpajjhā anīghā sukhi attānaṁ pariharantū ti. (MN i 288)

Illustration: avyāpajjhā, non-hostility

The Perfect One takes pleasure and delight in non-hostility. In doing so, this thought often occurs: ‘By this behaviour I harm no one at all, whether weak or strong.’

Avyāpajjhārāmo bhikkhave tathāgato avyāpajjharato. Tamenaṁ bhikkhave tathāgataṁ avyāpajjhārāmaṁ avyāpajjharataṁ esova vitakko bahulaṁ samudācarati: imāyāhaṁ irīyāya na kiñci vyābādhemi tasaṁ vā thāvaraṁ vā ti. (Iti 31)

➥ vyābajjhā: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: vyābajjhā, affliction

Properly reflecting, he uses therapeutic requisites simply to ward off troublesome feelings that have arisen and for maximum freedom from affliction.

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paṭisevati yāvadeva uppannānaṁ veyyābādhikānaṁ vedanānaṁ paṭighātāya avyābajjhaparamatāya. (AN iii 338)

➥ vyābajjhaṁ: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: vyābajjhaṁ, affliction

The wise are reborn in a world of happiness that is free of affliction.

Avyābajjhaṁ sukhaṁ lokaṁ paṇḍito upapajjatī tī. (Iti 14-16)

➥ avyābajjhaṁ: (main article see: vyāpajjha)

Illustration: avyābajjhaṁ, affliction

The highest sweetness of sense impressions is freedom from affliction, I declare.

Avyābajjhaparamāhaṁ bhikkhave vedanānaṁ assādaṁ vadāmi. (MN i 89-90)