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The Doctrine of Awakening

We undertook a new translation of `La Dottrina del risveglio' into French a few
years ago. The first chapter and the fifth chapter have already been published
at http://thompkins_cariou.tripod.com/ The second chapter will soon follow.

An important issue is that of the excerpts from the Pali canon quoted in this
work. The French translations, for various reasons, cannot be fully trusted.
Therefore, we decided to translate J. Evola's quotations from the Pali canon
from `The Doctrine of Awakening', its American translation by H. E. Musson,
assuming that Musson had used the recommendable English translations of the Pali
canon that were available at the time he worked on it, namely, for example, T.W.
Rhys Davids' translation of the Digha-nikaya (`Sacred Books of the Buddhists',
London : 1899-1910. http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/dob/index.htm
) and C. A. F. Rhys Davids' and F. L. Woodward's translation of the
Samyutta-nikaya (`The Book of the Kindred Sayings', London, 1917-30). Only about
a half of the Majjhima nikaya was then available in English, into which he had
been translated by Lord Chalmers (`Further Dialogues of the Buddha', vol. 1,
Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1926).

However, it soon became clear that it was not the case. It appeared that he
relied on the Italian text to translate the excerpts from the Digha-nikaya and
the Samyutta-nikaya quoted in `La Dottrina'. We were no better off. Indeed, not
all these excerpts were crystal clear to us, nor were all those taken from the
Italian translation of the Majjhima-nikaya by K. E.
Neumann and G. de Lorenzo (I discorsi di Buddho, Bari, 1916-27), an Italian
translation which is considered as a "first-class" work by J. Evola (even though
both authors are credited for this work, it is merely a translation by G. de
Lorenzo into Italian of Neumann's German translation (Die Reden Gotamo Buddhos,
three vols., Munich : Piper, 1922)), which, as far as it is concerned, is indeed
an excellent work). The only option was thus to check the Pali version itself, a
task that cannot be improvised, even when armed with a battery of bilingual
dictionaries and an armoured teapot.

Substantial help was provided by :

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/index.html

http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/2Majjhima-Nikaya/index.html

http://www.leighb.com/studymn.htm

http://www.vipassana.com/canon/majjhima/index.php

http://www.palicanon.org/en/

Especially by : http://www.palikanon.com/
(http://www.palikanon.com/majjhima/majjhima1.htm offers a corrected version of
Neumann's work. Most of the corrections were approved by Nyanaponika Thera.
http://www.palikanon.com/majjhima/m_index_new.html offers a revised translation
of the Majjhima nikaya, made by the same person who corrected Neumann's work)
There is nothing better than the surgical precision of the German language in
its most unadorned form to start on the right footing.

We have said before that the criticisms made against the translations of the
Pali canon used by J. Evola were, to a large extent, unfounded, and we have even
better reason to say it again today. To be sure, there are mistranslations in
the Italian version of the Pali canon which is used in `La Dottrina'. Yet they
do not affect J. Evola's interpretation of the doctrine of awakening. It can
even be said that some excerpts, in which, for example, the terms translated as
`virtue' and `ascesis' in the Italian and English version can be best translated
respectively as `strength' and `fight', reinforce it.

In the second chapter, the meaning of two `threads' is affected by an incorrect
translation. Let us focus on that which is found in the excerpts from
Majjhima-nikaya, LXXV, quoted p. 32 : « A distinction is therefore made between
the ascetics and Brahmans who "only by their own creed profess to have reached
the highest perfection of knowledge of the world : such are the reasoners and
the disputers," and other ascetics and Brahmans who, "in things never before
heard, recognise clearly in themselves the truth, and profess to have reached
the highest perfection of knowledge of the world » should read : « There are
some ascetics and brahmans who, entirely on the basis of mere faith, claim [to
teach] the fundamentals of the holy life after having reached the highest point
and perfection of strength of mind here and now ; such are the reasoners and
investigators. There are some ascetics and brahmans who, having directly known
the Dhamma for themselves in things not heard before, claim [to teach] the
fundamentals of the holy life after having reached the highest point and
perfection of strength of mind here and now. »

These ascetics and brahmans have not recognised clearly in themselves the truth
directly. They have known the Dhamma for themselves. This needs to be clarified
because of the Christian connotations of everything that is related to the
development of the subjective standpoint in spiritual matters, which is
reflected in a notion such as that of the discovery and of the realisation of
the « the truth in oneself », which in turn relates to that of « The kingdom of
God is within you ».




--- In evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com, "Evola" <evola_as_he_is@...> wrote:
>
>
> The term sa&#7747;s&#257;ra may have made "a relatively late appearance", the
fact still remains that the concept, and, beyond this, the consciousness of life
as the current of becoming, as a continuous flow, as a perpetual wandering, is
acknowledged by the Rig-Veda.
>
> "The restless shakers drain the udders of the sky, and ever wandering round
fill earth full with milk." (I, 61-69).
>
> "The deeper, doctrinal, and nonpopular significance of the term dukkha is a
state of agitation, of restlessness, or of 'commotion' rather than 'suffering'".
What the noble man, by his very own nature, experienced as 'restlesneess' the
non Aryans, such as the &#346;rama&#7751;as, by their very nature, experienced
as 'suffering'. Typically, the Sanskrit word 'Sams&#257;ra' is the root for the
Malay word 'sengsara', which means 'suffering'.
>
> The concept of sams&#257;ra, as an endless cycle of reincarnations, might have
its origin in pre-Vedic Shramanic traditions, yet, as conclusively showed by J.
Evola, reincarnation was not taught by early Buddhism, far from it. Leaving
aside 'The Doctrine of Awakening', the very Buddhist concept of anatta ('no
soul') is as anti-reincarnationist as possible.
>
>
>
>
> --- In evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com, Asdfasdsfdas Sfsdf <andreforcordelia@>
wrote:
> >
> > Simply put, concepts such as Samsara, Nibbana, and Dukkha have their origins
in
> > Pre-Vedic Shramanic Traditions.
> >
> > They are noticeably absent from the Rig Veda.
> >
> > Forensically, one looks at the major tenants of Buddhism and finds them in
the
> > South, not in the North. Or at least we find them in Bactria, not in the
> > tropical southern region, but also not in the arctic home of the Vedic
> > prehistory.
> >
> > This is not to say that Gaenocratic Shaktism is in anyway wound up in
original
> > Buddhist tenants, but if we look to PIE religion with the archetype of the
Sky
> > Father conquering the Telluric serpent, Sun worship, tri-caste society, etc.
we
> > would look in vain to find remnants of ascetic renunciation and the
Shramanic
> > meditational, and yogic ideas.
> >
> > Latter Hinduism is so incredibly mixed with Vedic, Shramanic and Shaktic
> > elements it is hard to take any criticisms of Evola's critique, which you
> > included, seriously.
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Evola <evola_as_he_is@>
> > To: evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Sun, February 27, 2011 6:15:29 PM
> > Subject: [evola_as_he_is] The Doctrine of Awakening (was : "My Problem with
> > Doctrine of Awakening")
> >
> >
> >
> > We have followed those links but we have not found any evidence that would
> > substantiate the view that the roots of Buddhism "(were) hardly Aryan".
> >
> > Originally "Vedic Aryanism was resolutely rooted in ritual, sacrifice, and
> > hierarchy", yet it decayed :
> >
> > "(...) the germs of decadence, which were already showing
> > themselves in the post-Vedic period and which were to become quite
> > evident in the Buddha's day (sixth century b.c.), are as follows:
> > above all, a stereotyped ritualism; then the demon of speculation,
> > whose effect was that what ought to have remained "secret
> > doctrine," upanisad, rahasya, became partly rationalized, with the
> > result that there eventually appeared a tumultuous crowd of
> > divergent theories, sects, and schools, which the Buddhist texts
> > often vividly describe. In the third place, we find a "religious"
> > transformation of many divinities who, in the Vedic period were, as
> > we have said, simply cosmically transfigured states of
> > consciousness; these have now become objects of popular cults. (1)
> > We have already spoken of the pantheistic danger. In addition to
> > these points we have yet to consider the effect of foreign,
> > non-Aryan influences, to which we believe are attributable in no
> > small degree the formation and diffusion of the theory of
> > reincarnation."
> >
> > The Vedas consist of four books : the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Sama-Veda,
and
> > the Atharva-Veda. "'(truths)' of non-Aryan races that are tellurically and
> > matriarchally adjusted in outlook" can already be found in the third book of
the
> > Rigveda, which is organised in ten books. "(...) the character of the first
> > Vedic period was
> > becoming overgrown with a tropical and chaotic vegetation of myths
> > and popular religious images, even of semidevotional practices
> > seeking the attainment of this, that, or the other divine 'rebirth'
> > on the basis of views on reincarnation and transmigration that, as
> > we have said, had already infiltrated into the less illuminated
> > Indo-Aryan mentalities;"
> >
> > Just as with Vedism, the Aryan nucleus of early Buddhist teachings ended up
> > being overgrown with a tropical and chaotic vegetation of autochtonous myths
and
> > popular religious images, which, in turn, gave rise to the pre-Christian
> > "doctrine of universal compassion encouraging humanitarianism and democratic
> > equality" to which you allude ; asceticism, when practised by individuals
whose
> > centre of gravity lies in the animal instincts with their labyrinthical
> > moralistic ramifications, comes down to a mere mortification of the flesh
along
> > sentimental and intropective lines. The short-circuit which fatally ends up
> > being caused by a vague ascetic attempt in individuals who are not qualified
for
> > the kind of action early Buddhist teachings are about eventually leads to a
> > pathological condition which can be clearly seen in early Christian
ascetics,
> > which, as a matter of fact, would turn, for some of them, into mob leaders
in
> > their 'spare time', especially in ancient Egypt.
> >
> > Prince Siddhattha "was never concerned with upsetting the caste system on
the
> > ethnic, political, or social plane; on the contrary, it is laid down that a
man
> > should not omit any of the obligations inherent in his station in life, and
it
> > is never said that a servant -- sudda (Skt.: sudra) -- or a vessa (Skt.:
vaisya)
> > should not obey higher Aryan castes. The problem only concerns the spiritual
> > apex of the Aryan hierarchy, where historical conditions required
discrimination
> > and revision of the matter: it was necessary that the "lists" should be
reviewed
> > and reconstructed, with the traditional dignities being considered real only
on
> > "the merits of the individual cases. (...) there is no question here of
> > equalitarian
> > subversion under spiritual pretexts, but of rectification and
> > epuration of the existing hierarchy. Prince Siddhattha has so
> > little sympathy for the masses that in one of the oldest texts he
> > speaks of the 'common crowd' as a 'heap of rubbish,' where there
> > takes place the miraculous flowering of the Awakened One."
> >
> > "The only point we must take with a grain of salt in the texts is
> > the affirmation that in individuals of all castes all possible
> > potentialities, both positive and negative, exist in equal measure.
> > But the Buddhist theory of sankhara, that is, of prenatal
> > predispositions, is enough to rectify this point. The exclusiveness
> > of caste, race, and tradition in a hierarchical system results in
> > the individual possessing hereditary predispositions for his
> > development in a particular direction; this ensures an organic and
> > harmonious character in his development, as opposed to the cases in
> > which an attempt is made to reach the same point with a kind of
> > violence, by starting from a naturally unfavorable base."
> >
> > All quotes are taken from 'The Historical Context of the Doctrine of
Awakening',
> > by J. Evola.
> >
> >
> > --- In evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com, "Asdfasdsfdas" <andreforcordelia@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Researching Indo-Greek Bactria and its various Aryan-migration
predecessors I
> > >was, inspired by Doctrine of Awakening, led to believe that a great
European
> > >Buddhism could have taken root were it not for the roaming hordes of Islam
which
> > >eventually cut asunder the connection between the two civilizations. It
seemed
> > >that Buddhism could have been a proper Northern renewal, with Aryan roots
going
> > >at least as far back as Androvnovo culture.
> > >
> > >
> > > My pessimism came about not by the reception that the Indo-Skythians and
> > >Indo-Greeks took to Buddhism (see the following links,) but the fact that
the
> > >roots of Buddhism now strike me as hardly Aryan.
> > >
> > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxila_copper_plate
> > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menander_I#Buddhism
> > >
> > > Vedic Aryanism was resolutely rooted in ritual, sacrifice, and hierarchy,
and
> > >despite the physical characteristics of the Shakyamuni (including blue
eyes) he
> > >was and remained a child of the wondering ascetics (shramanas) who forever
stood
> > >in an almost egalitarian revolt against the Brahmins.
> > >
> > > Buddha's ksatriya tribe existed outside of Vedic centers of learning. The
> > >founders of Jainism all claimed ksatriya lineage, as well.
> > >
> > > It was during the end of Buddha's austerities that he reached
enlightenment,
> > >and it was during this time he gathered his immense terminology for the
Buddhist
> > >weltanschuuang such as "samsara," Nibbana" "dukkha" etc.
> > > All of which come from Pre-Aryan India:
> >
>http://books.google.co.in/books?id=bRQ5fpTmwoAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Heinrich\
+Zimmer&lr=&cd=4#v=onepage&q=this%20is%20the%20view%20that%20jainism%20shares%20\
with&f=false

> > >e
> > >
> > > Not to mention the egalitarian premises of the Shramana paths such as
non-caste
> > >society, vegetarianism, non-violence (to the point of not harming insects,
etc.
> > > This is a far cry from the warrior ethos of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Rig
> > Veda.
> > >
> > > It seems that Buddhism should be classified as a "child of the South,"
through
> > >and through which in turn influenced Christian asceticism, not as an echo
of
> > >ancient Northern Aryan path but as an indigenous Dravidian sect which
migrated
> > >north through contact with various conquering races (Persians, Greeks,
etc).
> > >
> > > Already in the 1 century CE we find a distinct connection between the
Indian
> > >shramanas and European sources, Strabo the Roman historian records an event
of a
> > >shramana in Greece performing suicide by self-immolation.
> > >
> > > Porphyry, the successor of Plotinus regarded asceticism as "the olympics
of the
> > >soul," and was quoted as being impressed by the shramanas several times:
> > >
> > > http://www.scribd.com/doc/27204597/Asceticism-in-the-Graeco-Roman-World
> > >
> > > He wrote extensively on the shramanas in his treatise on vegetarianism,
"On
> > >abstinence from animal food, Book IV."
> > >
> > > The shramana practices eventually came to morph into Christian monasticism
at
> > >least as far back as Clement of Alexandria, another vegetarian mystic
inspired
> > >by the shramanas.
> > >
> > > "Thus philosophy, a thing of the highest utility, flourished in antiquity
among
> > >the barbarians, shedding its light over the nations. And afterwards it came
to
> > >Greece. First in its ranks were the prophets of the Egyptians; and the
Chaldeans
> > >among the Assyrians; and the Druids among the Gauls; and the Sramanas among
the
> > >Bactrians ("&#931;&#945;&#961;&#956;&#945;&#957;&#945;&#943;&#959;&#953;
> > >&#914;&#940;&#954;&#964;&#961;&#969;&#957;"); and the philosophers of the
Celts;
> > >and the Magi of the Persians, who foretold the Saviour's birth, and came
into
> > >the land of Judaea guided by a star. The Indian gymnosophists are also in
the
> > >number, and the other barbarian philosophers. And of these there are two
> > >classes, some of them called Sramanas
> > >("&#931;&#945;&#961;&#956;&#940;&#957;&#945;&#953;"), and others Brahmins
> > >("&#914;&#961;&#945;&#966;&#956;&#945;&#957;&#945;&#953;")." Clement of
> > >Alexandria "The Stromata, or Miscellanies" Book I, Chapter XV
> > > http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/clement-stromata-book1.html
> > >
> > > Therefore, it seems that with roots in Pre-Vedic India, Buddhism stands in
> > >stark contrast to the Solar deities of the Vedas, Eddas, and other IE
> > >mythologies, and although the Buddha used the word "Ariya" (noble) to
describe
> > >the truths of Buddhism, the past itself is in itself a Southern phenomena.
> > >
> >
>





Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:36 pm

evola_as_he_is
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Researching Indo-Greek Bactria and its various Aryan-migration predecessors I was, inspired by Doctrine of Awakening, led to believe that a great European...
Asdfasdsfdas
andreforcord... Offline Send Email
Feb 27, 2011
4:34 pm

We have followed those links but we have not found any evidence that would substantiate the view that the roots of Buddhism "(were) hardly Aryan". Originally...
Evola
evola_as_he_is Offline Send Email
Feb 27, 2011
6:15 pm

Simply put, concepts such as Samsara, Nibbana, and Dukkha have their origins in Pre-Vedic Shramanic Traditions. They are noticeably absent from the Rig Veda. ...
Asdfasdsfdas Sfsdf
andreforcord... Offline Send Email
Feb 28, 2011
6:13 pm

The term sa&#7747;s&#257;ra may have made "a relatively late appearance", the fact still remains that the concept, and, beyond this, the consciousness of life...
Evola
evola_as_he_is Offline Send Email
Feb 28, 2011
11:30 pm

We undertook a new translation of `La Dottrina del risveglio' into French a few years ago. The first chapter and the fifth chapter have already been published...
Evola
evola_as_he_is Offline Send Email
Aug 20, 2012
2:36 pm
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