Gnostic 'union with the divine' (Mary Mag)

What is she doing to the Lord?

Koinonos (Ancient Greek κοινωνός, consort, partner) was generally thought to mean "companion." However, this covers up its true meaning. It has been used extensively in ancient writing with a wide variety of meanings. Its original form is κοινωνός and was later translated to koinonos.

It can be read as "koy-no-nos," which can mean a partner (in marriage or business or a spiritual endeavor), noble friend, consort, or companion in faith as well. It is generally used with reference to "sharing" [1, 2].

It has been used in the Gospel of Philip to note the special relationship between Gnostic Jesus and Mary Magdelene [1]. More

The successor Goddess Mary Magdelene

• Perhaps this hints at the true meaning of "union" (yoga) as tantra in tantric sex (in the esoteric yogic practice of Vajrayana Buddhism and Hinduism).
• Inner Tantric Yoga: Working With the Universal Shakti Secrets of Mantras, Deities and Meditation (by David Frawley)

The Apocryphon of John (the "Secret Book or Secret Revelation of John") is a 2nd-century Sethian Gnostic Christian pseudepigraphical text attributed to John the Apostle. It is one of the texts addressed by Irenaeus in his Christian polemic Against Heresies, placing its composition before 180 AD. It tells of the appearance of Jesus and the imparting of secret knowledge (gnosis) to his disciple John. The author describes it as having occurred after anointed [DMT-awakened] Jesus Christ had "gone back to the place from which he came." More

(The Gnostic Eye) Goddess of Wisdom Sophia's descent: story changed my life

Vipassana: liberation through insight

Is vipassana really Buddhist? The truth about the world's most popular meditation

(Buddha's Wisdom) 🔍 IS VIPASSANA REALLY BUDDHIST? THE HIDDEN STORY BEHIND THE WORLD'S MOST PRACTICED KIND OF INSIGHT MEDITATION

Millions of people have practiced Buddhist vipassana meditation, but very few know what the word vipassanā originally meant, or how the modern movement transformed one of Buddhism's oldest insights into a global meditation phenomenon.

• The powerful, practical, and effective Pa Auk Sayadaw system to Buddhist liberation (stream entry and nirvana in this very life) by scholar-monk practitioner at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery (in Burma and around the world), the most Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw (aka Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa)
• What it’s like to spend a week at Pa-Auk Tawya Forest Monastery in Burma (Myanmar) | Meditation Magazine
• The American Monk student of Pa Auk Sayadaw

What is insight (vipassana) meditation actually for? This word doesn't mean "meditation" at all. And the practice millions know from Goenka's free 10-day silent retreats was born not in the Buddha's proto-India, but in [George Orwell's] colonial Burma, the day an empire stopped protecting the Theravada Dhamma.

This is the true story of insight meditation: what vipassanā really means, how it nearly vanished, and how a monk, a farmer, an accountant, and a businessman carried it to the modern world.

📿 DISCOVER:

• The original meaning of vipassanā and why it never simply meant "meditation"
• How the fall of the Burmese kingdom sparked the modern Vipassana Movement
• Why meditation was rare even among Buddhist monastics for nearly 1,000 years
• Why many Buddhist teachers say today's vipassana is both ancient and surprisingly modern
• The unlikely relay that saved insight practice: from Buddhist monk Ledi Sayadaw to a rice farmer to S.N. Goenka's flight home in 1969
• What today's vipassana retreats, the mindfulness movement, and scientific research gained... and what may have been left behind.

🙏 If this changed what viewers thought meditation was, subscribe. The next episode uncovers the other half the world forgot: the deep stillness of jhana ("meditative absorption" as samma-samadhi or "right stillness," "coherent unification of mind") the Buddha paired with insight.

📱 Join community:

• Instagram: buddhaswizdom    
• Facebook: buddhaswizdom  
• X: x.com/BuddhasWizdom
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☕ Support channel:

• buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom
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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Day 4 — inside the silence
• 01:54 What vipassanā really means
• 04:33 The ice cube — what seeing actually means
• 09:43 The king is gone — Mandalay, 1885
• 15:09 The farmer, the accountant, and the businessman
• 18:48 How vipassanā conquered the West
• 23:28 The homecoming

#vipassana #vipassanameditation #insightmeditation #buddhism #meditation #buddhistwisdom #mindfulness #theravada #buddhisthistory #goenka #Buddha

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING: (affiliate links)

• Primary Buddhist Texts
• Saṃyutta Nikāya (SN 22.59) — Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta ("The Discourse on Not-Self")
• Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ("The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse," Majjhima Nikāya, MN 10)
• Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta ("The Greater Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse," Dīgha Nikāya, DN 22)
• Ānāpānasati Sutta ("Discourse on Mindfulness of In-and-Out Breathing," Majjhima Nikāya, MN 118)
• Selected passages from the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa

Historical and Scholarly Resources

• Erik Braun — The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw amzn.to/4h8DnaQ
• Robert Sharf on meditation in monastic history; Robert Buswell on the lapse of vipassanā practice
• Bhikkhu Anālayo — works on Satipaṭṭhāna and early Buddhist meditation amzn.to/4bDh1KT
• Rupert Gethin — The Foundations of Buddhism amzn.to/4wGpXr3
• Bhikkhu Bodhi — translations of the Pāli canon amzn.to/4w4iJNB
• Prof. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. — writings on modern Buddhism
• Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche — teachings on Tibetan Buddhist meditation and lhaktong (vipaśyanā)
• Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Zen) — teachings on mindfulness, concentration, and insight amzn.to/4w6ILjx

Modern Scientific References

• Jon Kabat-Zinn — Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) amzn.to/4yooPKg
• Research on mindfulness, attention regulation, stress reduction, and contemplative neuroscience

#vipassana How this was made: Made with AI. Sounds or visuals were altered or fully generated. Learn more

Lapsed Atheism; Gnosticism vs. Christianity

(Gnostic Library) What is the gnosis ("knowledge") in Gnosticism? It is direct experience of truth

(Kayse Melone) Why I don't want to be an "atheist" anymore

Orthodox Christianity vs. Gnosticism Explained | Prof. Jiang

(Prof. Jiang MasterClass) June 27, 2026: UNITED STATES Professor Jiang Xueqin explores two very different ways of interpreting Christianity. First, the traditional (orthodox) understanding of the Bible: Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus.

Then the lecture moves into alternative esoteric interpretations drawn from historical mystical traditions, discussing ideas such as hidden knowledge, apocryphal texts, Nephilim narratives, the Gnostic Monad [GOD, Brahman], and symbolic readings of creation.

This video presents historical and philosophical interpretations for discussion and education not established historical fact or theological endorsement.

TOPICS COVERED:

— Orthodox Christianity and Biblical Covenants

— Hidden Interpretations and Esoteric Traditions

— Mind Creates Matter

— False God Theory and Jesus

— Paradise Lost and Hidden Meaning

This video is based on lectures by Prof. Jiang Xueqin, where we extract and simplify key ideas from long-form discussions into short, focused videos. Check out Prof. Jiang Xueqin's recommended books to supplement his ideas: ► The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso) by Dante Alighieri: amzn.to/3NZSkzt ► Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: amzn.to/3ZQfsmy ► Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins: amzn.to/4kskgs4. Check out the Prof. Jiang FULL curated reading list here:  docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yU...

The lectures featured on this channel are delivered by Prof. Jiang Xueqin. Original lectures: @predictivehistory. Content is used with permission from Prof. Jiang Xueqin. This channel breaks down complex topics in geopolitics, history, and global trends into clear and concise insights. Subscribe for simplified, idea-focused content.

• Kayse Melone, Xueqin; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Who created Creation? Who's the Creator?

Siddhartha in awakening, found 'the Creator'

It's interesting that when the wandering ascetic Siddhartha became "the Enlightened One," the Buddha, he found the Creator and said so. The words are famous in Buddhist history for what they say about our present situation even though we have not yet realized it. But we will at our awakening, when and if we become enlightened. It's not guaranteed that we will. In fact, if we do nothing, it's guaranteed that we won't. The Buddha's final words were, "All things are hurtling towards destruction; work out your salvation (enlightenment) with diligence." So what did he say?

"Through the round of many rebirths I roamed without reward, without rest, seeking the house-builder. Painful is rebirth again and again. House-builder, you are seen! You will not build a house again. All your rafters broken, the ridge pole destroyed, gone to the unformed, the mind has come to the end of craving."

— Dhammapada 153-4

I’ve seen you, house-builder!

You won’t build a house again!

Your rafters are all broken,

your roof-peak is demolished.

The mind, set on deconstruction,

has reached the end of craving.

Dhp 154—Bhikkhu Sujato (edited trans)

If there's no Creator, why does the Universe exist? A Buddhist answer

(Buddhism Podcast) June 4, 2025: Buddhism Explained. The universe exists not by a creator, but through endless cycles of conditions. The Buddha (in Buddhist cosmology) presents Dependent Origination, where everything that arises does so from interconnected causes, challenging traditional and scientific quests for a first spark [or prime mover].

Understand why the Buddha redirected focus from cosmic origins to the immediate path of ending suffering right here right now.

This profound wisdom finds surprising parallels in modern scientific thought, revealing a cosmos shaped by karma and interdependence. Learn how to transform external questions into inner clarity and liberation, finding peace in understanding reality as it truly unfolds.

• 00:00 - The human longing: Who made this?
• 06:12 - No creator: the universe of conditions
• 13:29 - The six realms [31 Planes of Existence] — where consciousness can reappear
• 17:43 - Waking from the cosmic dream [Maya]
• 21:20 - The real answer: From external questions to inner freedom

Ironic sarcasm (with a point)

Black Joshua, how shall we live? - It's all yours.

Aha, Buddhism must be wrong because obviously Creation must have a Creator. It's built right into the word. All of this was created by someone somewhere somehow at sometime. That much we know. The rest is a mystery. The Black God came down to Earth after it evaporated from being the "face of the deep," a great big sea or primordial soup, and he made a matching pair called Steve and Eve, or was that Adam and Lilith? And He, it was a he, right? We can all at least agree He was a white man, very Germanic, kind of Ashkenazi Scandinavian, but the Pair in the Garden got tanned from not wearing clothes or using the sunblock the Lord provideth... Preposterous, but so many of us buy into our society's creation myths without thinking.

Who created us? - We looked...

The Native American stories are best, very direct and campfiery. The Indigenous people were living by the beach in Tovaangar (future Los Angeles) and the Creator made a Rainbow Bridge for people to go to Catalina Island, saying, 'Don't look down as you cross over the ocean.' But some did, and as a result they fell off the bridge and became our brothers and sisters the dolphins."

Now that's a creation tale we can embrace, living on the beach, traversing rainbows, swimming with the dolphins.

down and fell. It had to be the Great D!

As Westerners invading the area, we laugh, but we can't imagine anyone laughing out our nonsense: "Once upon a time, before time, there was this nothingness but this Guy lived alone, very lonely, nothing to do all day but putter about, so he created us, put us in a Garden, male first to set the social order, populated the place with plants and animals, everyone living in peace, no one eating anyone else, everyone purely vegan and peaceful.

Should I have mentioned my Snake?

Except for this one snake jerk, a real troublemaker, doubting the Lord, and contaminating the mind of the Jenny-come-lately female pulled out of the male's rib. The Great Creator God wanted to keep us pig ignorant, and this dang Serpent (Reptilian) had to go and lead the Pair to the fruiting body of some kind of psychedelic mushroom growing off the lignans of a tree the Lord God forbade us from ever eating from. It's not like He set us up for failure or anything. We are full of sin and sinners, most of us unrepentant, so we deserve all we get. (Ya think maybe Natives roll their eyes at hearing such campfire tales from Bible thumpers?)

Both sound good. Don't know which to believe

Get real and stop joking around

Isn't the Buddha just another philosopher? NO!

Is irony any way to teach? Probably not given that we live in a Post-Ironic Age and everyone suffering from irony deficiency.

The Buddha often spoke of an imagined "Creator," Brahma ("Supremo") or Maha Brahma ("Great Supremo"). There are gods. Gods have powers and can create things. Now imagine a God creates something, as the creative gods can do on higher planes. That would not mean that they really bring us into being or end us, save us from bad karmic ("sin") results, or get us into heavens, of which there are many, none of which are actually permanent. No God creates new beings, new souls, new selves and individuals. But, then, what is creating ALL of this?

In a sense, each of us is the creator of our experience. This is deep and hard to understand by our usual way of thinking -- all of the misguided assumptions we've inherited. The Buddha was well aware of these philosophical problems and questions. Some are good. Most such questions do not lead to freedom, liberation, the end of suffering, enlightenment, or nirvana.

Indeed, there was once a dissatisfied Buddhist monk (Malunkyaputta) who, failing to meditate, got to thinking: Who am I, why am I here, is life infinite or not, what happens after death, and many such perplexing questions. He realized he had never asked the Buddha and gotten clarity on these philosophical conundrums, yet he was a monk.

So he went over to the Buddha and said, "If you cannot answer these questions to my satisfaction, I will stop being a monk and leave the sangha." Rather than answering him, the Buddha asked if they had ever entered into an agreement that if he became a monk, the Buddha would answer all of these perplexing questions.

The monk agreed that he did not. The Buddha further pointed out that what he said was for fast progress toward enlightenment and freedom. And these questions, whatever the answer, were not conducive to that.

It was far better to follow the Path than to remain stuck pondering all of these types of questions (which probably included the Four Imponderables). Become enlightened and see for yourself is the spirit of the matter. The monk was flummoxed by this logic.

Then the Buddha removed all doubt by teaching this monk using an amazing analogy: The Parable of the Poisoned Arrow

#BuddhistCosmology #Buddhism #NoCreator. Channel's purpose and commitment: This channel is committed to sharing the beauty and wisdom of Buddhist teachings with the purpose of education and inspiration. All content is created with deep respect for the [historical] Buddha’s teachings, aiming to promote understanding, mindfulness, and compassion in everyday life. The goal is to present the values and practices of Buddhism in a way that is accessible and beneficial to everyone, regardless of their background or [religious, agnostic, or atheistic] beliefs. It does not seek to influence or alter anyone’s faith but simply to offer insights into the timeless wisdom of Buddhism as a source of guidance and positivity. This channel is a space for learning, reflection, and connection, guided by the principles of respect, kindness, and truth. Feedback or concerns are welcomed as is open and respectful dialogue. Thanks for supporting the mission to share the meaningful messages of Buddhism with the world.

• Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad); Buddhist Podcast (video), 6/4/,25; Bible stories with Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian; text by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Amber Larson, Xochitl (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Who created God? Who is "God"?

The Monad [GOD, Brahman], Sophia, and the Demiurge explained | Gnostic Origins #gnosis #gnosticism #hempenology

This secret GODDESS banned from the Bible #gnostic #ChristConsciousness #ExChristian

The Myth of Sophia and the Demiurge - Real reason God destroyed Sodom #gnostic #demiurge

9 Sophia’s Fall: The Birth of the Demiurge - Jesus says Lucifer (Angel of Light) was right

Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: God, no God? Do Buddhists pray?

.

Who created God? Who is God? (The Vedas)

Who created God? Who is God? Ancient wisdom of Vedas

• GOD? Brahman (Godhead)
• GOD? Monad (Gnosticism)
• The Buddha was a nontheist, not an atheist
• Brahma ("Supreme")
• Devas in Buddhism ("Deities")
• Devas in Jainism
• Saccidānanda (Sat, Chit, Ananda means truth, mind, and bliss)
• Demigods
• Devas in Hinduism
• The Vedas ("Knowledge Books")
• Buddhism, the God-Idea, and earthly human origins
• Aeon (Gnosticism)
• Sophia (Gnosticism)
• Demiurge
• Yaldabaoth

Sophia births the Demiurge #Sophia - True Gnostic interpretation of Eve + the Demiurge

Eve didn’t come from Adam’s RIB, they lied - Gnostic Sophia (Refutation of All Heresies)

God admits the Serpent was right | Revelation - Sophia and the Demiurge: Gnostic Creation

Shocking truth about Gnostic concept of the Demiurge - Gnostic Sophia: Origins of the world

Gnostic Lore Part 1: Abraxas/Mary Magdaline/Quantum Sophia/

The Apocrypha of John and its parallels

(Alan Watts) It's ALL a show, the lila ("divine play" of God or Pure Consciousness), this Samsara (painful Round of Rebirth), this Maya (illusion)

The Buddha confronted "God" and said: "You're not the Creator" 

(Buddha's Wisdom by Matt) The universe has no creator | Here's what Buddhism says instead

When will I become enlightened? (sutra)

O, how we cling to form, finding it pretty

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One (the Buddha) was dwelling in Savatthi and said: "Meditators, I declare [this Teaching/Dhamma] is for one who knows and sees that there is a way to the end of the defilements (asavas).

"For one who knows what and sees what is there an end to the defilements? [The Five Aggregates clung to as self:]

1. 'This is form, this its origination, this its passing away.
2. This is feeling...
3. This is perception...
4. These are mental formations (impulses, volitions, fabrications)...
5. This is consciousness, this its origination, this its passing away.'

"It is for one who knows and sees in this way that there is an end to the defilements.

"Even though a meditator not dwelling devoted to cultivation (bhavana, meditation, development, bringing into being) may wish, 'O, that my mind/heart might be released from the defilements through the end of clinging (craving)!' — still one's heart/mind will not be released from the defilements through not clinging. Why?

"'From lack of development,' it should be said. The lack of developing what? [The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment:]

1. the Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
2. the Four Right Efforts,
3. the Four Bases of Power,
4. the Five Faculties,
5. the Five Strengths,
6. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
7. the Noble Eightfold Path.

Will we just trip and fall into self-realization?

"Suppose a hen lays eight, ten, or 12 eggs. If she fails to cover them rightly, warm them rightly, or incubate them rightly, then even though she wishes, 'O, may my chicks break through the shell with beak and claw and hatch safely!' still it is impossible that her chicks will break through and hatch safely.'

"Why is that? It is because the hen has neither covered them rightly, warmed them rightly, nor incubated them rightly.

"In the same way, even though a meditator dwells not devoted to development may wish, 'O, that my mind/heart might be released from the defilements through not clinging!' still one's mind/heart remains unreleased from the defilements. Why is that? 'It is from the lack of development,' it should be said. The lack of developing what?

• The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
• the Four Right Efforts,
• the Four Bases of Power,
• the Five Faculties,
• the Five Strengths,
• the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
• the Noble Eightfold Path.

I should've done yoga (Dave/ACZC)

"Even though a meditator who dwells without devoting oneself to development may wish, 'O, that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements through not clinging!' still one's mind/heart remains unreleased from the defilements. Why is that? 'It is from the lack of development,' it should be said. Developing what?

1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
2. the Four Right Efforts,
3. the Four Bases of Power,
4. the Five Faculties,
5. the Five Strengths,
6. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
7. the Noble Eightfold Path.

"Suppose a hen lays eight, ten, or 12 eggs which she DOES cover rightly, warms rightly, and incubates rightly: Even though she may not wish, 'O, that my chicks might break through the egg shells with their beaks and claws or and hatch safely!' still it is possible that the chicks will break through their shells and hatch safely. Why is that? It is because the hen has covered them, warmed them, and incubated them rightly.

"In the same way, even though a meditator who dwells devoted to development may not wish, 'O, that my heart/mind might be released from defilements through not clinging!' still one's mind/heart is released from the defilements through not clinging. Why is that? 'It is from development,' it should be said. The development of what?

1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
2. the Four Right Efforts,
3. the Four Bases of Power,
4. the Five Faculties,
5. the Five Strengths,
6. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
7. the Noble Eightfold Path.

We made a resolution to regularly sit no matter what, and hard as it was, we stuck to it.

"Just as when a carpenter or apprentice sees fingermarks on the handle of an axe but does not know, 'Today my axe handle wore down this much, or yesterday it wore down that much, or the day before yesterday it wore down that much,' still the carpenter or apprentice knows it is worn away when it is worn away.

"In the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to development, that meditator does not know, 'Today my defilements wore down this much, or yesterday they wore down that much, or the day before yesterday they wore down that much.' Nevertheless, one knows they are worn away when they are worn away.

"When an ocean-going ship that is rigged with masts and stays, after six months on the water, is left on shore for the winter, its stays -- weathered by heat and wind, moistened by clouds of the rainy season -- easily wither and rot away.

"In the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to development, the fetters (bonds, samyojanas) easily wither and rot away." Source

• Dhr. Seven (ed.), Nava Sutta: "The Ship Discourse" (SN 22.101 PTS: S iii 152 CDB i 959) based on translation by Ven. Thanissaro (accesstoinsight.org, 1997), Wisdom Quarterly

Why does WQ talk about such things?!

The danger of seeing what others don’t: Alan Watts

(Alan Watts Daily Wisdom) Oct. 10, 2025: Alan Watts Collection. Ever feel like you see too much? In this profound lecture, let's explore the experience of the highly perceptive person—the one who walks into a room and instantly feels the unspoken tensions, hidden sorrows, and secret truths.

Rebel Truth "All I Know" (Not So Quiet on the Western Front)

This Alan Watts talk reveals why this "gift" of clear-seeing (vipassana, "insight") can be the most dangerous thing you'll ever possess.

Discover the four hidden dangers of being deeply intuitive:

1. the profound isolation of living in a different reality,
2. the impossible choice between speaking truth and losing yourself,
3. the pain of becoming a target for those who prefer illusion, and
4. the devastating risk of losing your own identity by absorbing the emotions of others.

I can even meditate in city traffic and chaos.

This isn't about being "too sensitive"; it's about navigating a world that isn't ready for your clarity.

This is a complete guide to transforming this potential curse back into a gift. Learn the art of "conscious distance"—how to see clearly without the compulsion to fix, how to protect your energy, and how to hold your awareness as a quiet strength rather than an unbearable burden.

Stop trying to WAKE UP the world and, instead, learn to live peacefully with your own eyes wide open.

If this message resonates with your experience, please give the video a thumbs up and subscribe for more deep insights to help navigate life with greater wisdom.

💬 Join the conversation:

• What is the most challenging part of seeing what others don't? Share experiences in the comments.

Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for inspirational and entertainment purposes only. The ideas shared are not a substitute for professional advice. This channel is not officially affiliated with any specific philosopher or their estate. All materials are used under the principles of fair use, and no copyright infringement is intended. The channel aims to share timeless wisdom in a respectful manner. For a deeper understanding, please refer to original works where applicable.

TAGS: #empath #hsp #highlysensitiveperson #psychology #lifelessons #wisdom #philosophy #selfawareness #mentalhealth #boundaries #emotionalintelligence #intuition #consciousness #selfimprovement #personaldevelopment #motivation #inspiration #spiritualawakening #deepthinking #isolation #protectyourenergy

When we see clearly, nothing bothers us

(Buddhism Podcast)

• The Three Marks or Characteristics of All Existence: anicca (all things are radically impermanent); dukkha (all things are unsatisfactory, incapable of fulfilling us); anatta (all things are impersonal in an ultimate sense).
• Sammāditthi Sutta: the "Discourse on Right View"
• Sallatha Sutta: "The Arrow Discourse" (SN 36.6)

Mental proliferation: papañca

Things just keep dividing, growing, proliferating

What is (Pali) papañca or (Sanskrit) prapañca? In Buddhist doctrinal usage, [puh-pon-chuh] signifies the proliferation, expansion, differentiation, "diffuseness," and "manifoldness" of the world. It may refer to the "phenomenal world" in general or to the mental attitude of "worldliness."

In A. IV, 173, it is said: "As far as the field of sixfold sense-impression extends, so far reaches the world of diffuseness (the phenomenal world, papañcassa gati). As far as the world of diffuseness extends, so far extends the field of sixfold sense-impression. Through the complete fading away and cessation of the field of sixfold sense-impression, there comes about the cessation and the coming-to-rest of the world of diffuseness (papañca-nirodho papañca-vupasamo)."

The opposite term nippapañca is another name for nirvana (Pali nibbāna) (S. LIII) in the sense of "freedom from samsaric diffuseness."

Dhammapada 254: "Humankind delights in the diffuseness of the world, whereas the Perfect Ones are free from such diffuseness" (papañcābhiratā pajā, nippapañca tathāgatā).

The eighth of the "thoughts of a great person" (mahā-purisa-vitakka, A. VIII, 30) is: "This Dhamma [Teaching, Truth, Doctrine] is for one who delights in non-diffuseness (nirvana, the unworldly); it is not for one who delights in worldliness (papañca)."

For the psychological sense of "differentiation," see MN 18 (Madhupindika Sutta): "Whatever a person conceives (vitakketi) that one differentiates (papañceti). And what one differentiates, by reason thereof ideas and considerations of differentiation (papañca-saññā-sankhā) arise in one."

On this text and the term papañca, see Dr. Kurt Schmidt in German Buddhist Writers (BPS.lk, Wheel 74/75) p. 61ff. See DN 21 (Sakka's Quest, Wheel 10).

In the Commentaries, one often finds a threefold classification (tanhā-, ditthi-, māna-papañca), which probably means the world's diffuseness created hy craving, wrong views, and conceit. See MN 123; A. IV, 173; A. VI, 14, Sn. 530, 874, 916.

Ven.  Ñānananda Bhikkhu, in Concept and Reality: An Essay on Papañca and Papañca-saññā-sankhā (Kandy 1971, Buddhist Publication Society), suggests that the term refers to the human "tendency towards proliferation in the realm of concepts" and proposes translating the term as "conceptual proliferation," which appears convincing in a psychological context, for example, in two of the texts quoted above (A. IV, 173 and MN 18).

The threefold classification of papañca, by way of craving, wrong views, and conceit is explained by the author as three aspects, or instances, of the foremost of deluded conceptualizations, namely, the ego-concept, the belief in a permanent, unchanging "self" or "soul." See anatta.

• Buddhist Podcast (video); Ven. Nyanaponika (Buddhist Dictionary) edited by Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly