"Pure, bright awareness" -- a mistranslation

In many sutta translations by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) you will find the fourth jhana described in terms of a "pure, bright awareness". Bhikkhu Bodhi and Ajahn Sujato use the similar term "pure bright mind".

However, all of these are mistranslations.

The original Pali for this term is parisuddhena cetasā pariyodātena (in the instrumental singular). Cetas is simply the mind, an -as derivation from the same root as citta. And both the terms parisuddha and pariyodāta mean "clean". So, most plainly, the phrase should be translated as "pure, clean mind".

submitted by /u/Temicco
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from Buddhism https://ift.tt/2xZsaTs