Vichara
| Translations of Vicara |
|
|---|---|
| English | sustained application sustained thinking selectiveness subtle discernment discernment |
| Pali | vicāra |
| Sanskrit | vicara, vicāra |
| Chinese | 伺 (T) / 伺 (S) |
| Korean |
사 (RR: sa) |
| Tibetan |
དཔྱོད་པ། (Wylie: dpyod pa; THL: chöpa) |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
| Table: Jhāna-related factors. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| first jhāna |
second jhāna |
third jhāna |
fourth jhāna |
|
|
sensuality (kāma), unskillful qualities (akusala dhamma) |
secluded from, withdrawn |
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|
applied thought (vitakka) |
accom- panies jhāna |
stilled | ||
|
sustained thought (vicāra) |
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|
rapture (pīti) |
seclusion- born; pervades body |
samādhi- born; pervades body |
fades away (as does distress) |
|
|
pleasure (sukha) |
pervades physical body |
aban- doned (as is pain) |
||
|
pure, mindful equanimity (upekkhā- sati- pārisuddhi) |
[internal confidence, mental unification] |
equani- mous, mindful |
mindfull; neither pleasure nor pain |
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Table's sources:
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Vicara (Sanskrit( विचार) and Pali, also vicāra; Tibetan phonetic: chöpa) is a Sanskrit term that is translated as "discernment", "sustained thinking", etc. It is an essential element of dhyana, meditation, both in the Buddhist and the Hindu traditions.
In the Theravada tradition, it is defined as the sustained application of the mind on an object. In the Mahayana tradition, vicara is defined as a mental factor that scrutinizes finely to discern the specific details. In Hinduism, it is part of Patanjali's Samprajatna samadhi, and also well known as atma-vichara or self-inquiry.
Vicara, also Vichāra (Sanskrit: विचार) means "deliberation." Its roots are:
It is the faculty of discrimination between right and wrong; it is deliberation about cause and effect, and the final analysis.
This Sanskrit word, Vichāra, does not have a corresponding word in English.
Vicara is identified as:
Bhikkhu Bodhi explains:
The Visuddhimagga ( IV, 88) defines vicara as follows:
Nina van Gorkom explains:
Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro provides a different description for vicāra, which is translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu as "evaluation":
The Abhidharma-samuccaya explains vitarka together with vicara as follows:
Herbert Guenther explains:
Alexander Berzin explains:
Vichāra is reflection and contemplation upon the meaning of Vedantic truths, and leads the individual to true knowledge, it leads to Brahman, the Universal Self. It is also the enquiry into the nature of the Atman, Satya, Ishvara and Brahman.
Aitareya Aranyaka (II.iii.2.5) of the Rig Veda tells us that in man alone is the Atman ('Self') most manifest, for man is best endowed with intelligence and discrimination, and who knowing the higher and the lower worlds aspires to achieve immortality through mental things. Taittiriya Upanishad tells us:-
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