Also Known As…
Another part of the DPP homework for this month is to read Mind Like Fire Unbound, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. In it, he lists a series of similes for nibbana, collected from the Samyutta Nikaya, and our homework assignment is to reflect on these terms. We are asked: “Which ones do you find inspiring? Spend some time allowing yourself to connect with the inspiration of those terms. Do some of them feel uninspiring? Why?” Here’s the list:
the Unfashioned
the End
the Effluent-less
the True
the Beyond
the Subtle
the Very-Hard-to-See
the Ageless
Permanence
the Undecaying
the Surface-less
the Non-Objectification
Peace
the Deathless
the Exquisite
Bliss
Solace
the Exhaustion of Craving
the Wonderful
the Marvelous
the Secure
Security
Nibbana (which literally translates as “coolness”)
the Unafflicted
the Passionless
the Pure
Release
Non-Attachment
the Island
Shelter
Harbor
Refuge
the Ultimate
(image: House of a Thousand Paintings by Sanford Darling)