The Buddha was a cool dude... literally

person

Gil Fronsdale has been mentioning recently in his talks that the meaning of nibbana is more accurately translated as cooling rather than liberation. For example he says that back in the day people would say that cooked rice had nibbanaed.

Translating it like this puts emphasis on the settling or gradual aspect to nibbana rather than a big shift in experience. Though in some sense being cool is different than being hot.

Shoshin

That definition is cool with me

Vimalajāti

@person said:
Gil Fronsdale has been mentioning recently in his talks that the meaning of nibbana is more accurately translated as cooling rather than liberation. For example he says that back in the day people would say that cooked rice had nibbanaed.

Is the talk on YouTube or otherwise publically accessible? I've never heard this usage of nibbuti (if you are more interested, see A Verb for Nibbāna by Venerable Ṭhānissaro, available here: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nirvanaverb.html), but I am very interested.

federica

We're back to that ol' chestnut 'personal interpretation' again....

seeker242

@federica said:
We're back to that ol' chestnut 'personal interpretation' again....

Yet the notion of "cooling" easily supported by the suttas.

"Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning?

"The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs.SN 35.28

When lust, hate and delusion are gone, the fire is out. Fires of lust, hate and delusion generally don't just up and vanish. They generally diminish gradually. Small fire is cooler than big fire. No fire is the coolest.

"A monk endowed with six qualities is capable of realizing the unexcelled cooled state. Which six? There is the case where a monk reins in his mind when it should be reined in. He exerts his mind when it should be exerted. He gladdens his mind when it should be gladdened. He watches over his mind when it should be watched over. He is intent on what is exquisite. And he delights in Unbinding. A monk endowed with these six qualities is capable of realizing the unexcelled cooled state." AN 6.85

person

@Vimalajāti said:

@person said:
Gil Fronsdale has been mentioning recently in his talks that the meaning of nibbana is more accurately translated as cooling rather than liberation. For example he says that back in the day people would say that cooked rice had nibbanaed.

Is the talk on YouTube or otherwise publically accessible? I've never heard this usage of nibbuti (if you are more interested, see A Verb for Nibbāna by Venerable Ṭhānissaro, available here: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nirvanaverb.html), but I am very interested.

He's brought it up in a few recent Audio Dharma podcasts. I couldn't say for sure which, maybe this one?

https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/audio_player/9030.html
or this one?
https://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/1/talk/9059/venue/IMC/20180708-Gil_Fronsdal-IMC-forest_bathing.mp3
video of it

I'm pretty sure Andrea Fella brings it up here, but I don't think she understands Pali and is probably just getting it from Gil.

https://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/2/talk/9065/venue/IMC/20180715-Andrea_Fella-IMC-not_feeding_the_fire.mp3

If he brings it up again I'll be sure to note it.

Jeroen

I wonder if it helps during heatwaves... kind of like tumo in reverse... “keep a Buddhist monk to power your refrigerator or ac”

it’s only 10.30 in the morning here and it’s already very warm. They’re saying the water in the North Sea may reach record temperatures over the next few days.

person

@Kerome said:
I wonder if it helps during heatwaves... kind of like tumo in reverse... “keep a Buddhist monk to power your refrigerator or ac”

it’s only 10.30 in the morning here and it’s already very warm. They’re saying the water in the North Sea may reach record temperatures over the next few days.

Maybe that's why its so cold in Tibet?

lobster

Cooling, extinguishing the fire is my type of dharma ...

As somone who regularly bursts into unskilful flaming, cool Buddha sounds Mellow Heaven

Chill Buddha!

Vimalajāti

I had to go looking, once I saw that, and while I could not find that exact CD in video form, I think this is the "best" Buddha Chill Music on YouTube at the moment:

kando

Love the line 'he is intent on what is exquisite' ooooh, gives me goosebumps. Cool ones. I am a word junky!

paulyso

@person said:
Gil Fronsdale has been mentioning recently in his talks that the meaning of nibbana is more accurately translated as cooling rather than liberation. For example he says that back in the day people would say that cooked rice had nibbanaed.

Translating it like this puts emphasis on the settling or gradual aspect to nibbana rather than a big shift in experience. Though in some sense being cool is different than being hot.

what is our cooling process that makes us closer to buddha ?

personal list: digital detox.less sensory overload helps ease the mind. calm and cool in brain function. as federica would say,empty your brain. so my method is refrain and be if i watch too much tv.

turn the noise down. a quiet place. observe and be.r&r.

about interrelationships. walk away,if the arguement is heated esp.,with my sister. equimity in the attitude,agree to dissagree can calm the mind.

paulyso

also if they make a blue icon sculpture of buddha,it be great to observe and be with the color theory of blue associate with water and sky which may cool the brain. ive seen a green buddha. medicine and nature associate with green.