Silabbata-Paramaso

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S¨labbata-par¤m¤so

Pali	MO	Hare	Horner	Punnaji	Bodhi	Nanamoli	Rhys Davids	(Mrs)Rhys Davids	Thanissaro	Walshe	Woodward
S¨labbata-par¤m¤so	attachment to trust in good works, ethics and rituals			alienating moral principles	adherence to rules and observances	adherence to rules and observances	wrong judgment as to rules and ritual	wrong judgment as to rules and ritual	grasping at precepts and practices	attachment to rite and ritual

**Pali Text Society, Pali English Dictionary (edited entry):**
S¨la: 1. nature, character, habit, behaviour; usually as -- in adj. function "being of such a nature," like, having the character of -- 2. moral practice, good character, Buddhist ethics, code of morality. -bbata [=vata2] good works and ceremonial observances Dh 271; A I.225; S IV.118; Ud 71; Sn 231, etc.; s¨lavata the same Sn 212, 782, 790, 797, 803, 899; It 79 sq.; - -par¤m¤sa the contagion of mere rule and ritual, the infatuation of good works, the delusion that they suffice Vin I.184; M I.433; A III.377; IV.144 sq.. s¨labbatup¤d¤na grasping after works and rites D II.58; Vism 569. -- The old form s¨lavata still preserves the original good sense, as much as "observing the rules of good conduct," "being of virtuous behaviour." Vata² (m.andnt.) [cp. Vedic vrata vow. fr. vr.t, meaning later "milk" 1. a religious duty, observance, rite, practice, custom S I.143, 201; IV.180; A IV.461 (s¨la, vata, tapas, brahmacariya); V.18. -subbata of good practice. Cp. patibbata, s¨labbata. - 2. manner of (behaving like) a certain animal (as a practice of ascetics), e. g. aja- like a goat J IV.318; go- like a cow M I.387; J IV.318; vagguli- bat practice J I.493; III.235; IV.299; hatthi- elephant behaviour. Par¤m¤sa [par¤+mr.sh, cp. Epic Sk. par¤marsha being affected by; as philos. term "reflection"] touching, contact, being attached to, hanging on, being under the influence of, contagion. In Asl. 49, Bdhgh analyses as parato ¤masant¨ti par¤m¤s¤: p. means "they handle dhamma's as other" (than what they really are, e. g. they transgress the real meaning of anicca etc. and say nicca). Hence the renderings in Asl. trs. "Reversion," in Dialogues III.28, 43, etc. "perverted" (par¤mas¤mi par¤maÂÂha) -- S III.46, 110; A II.42 (sacca-); III.377 (s¨labbata-), 438 (id.); V.150 (sandiÂÂhi-); D III.48; Para (adv.--adj.) [fr. Idg. per, peri (cp. pari); Ved. para, par¤, paraµ; Lat. per through, Gr. pe/raandpe/ran beyond; see Walde, Lat. Wtb. under perandalso pari, pubba, pura, pur¤¼a] 1. (adv.and prep.) beyond, on the further side of (with abl. or loc.), over. £masati [¤ + masati fr. mrsh] to touch (upon), to handle, to lay hold on Vin II.221; III.48 (kumbhiµ); J III.319 (id.); A V.263, 266; J IV.67; Ps II.209.

Venerable Punnaji, Awakening Meditation, pp 8-72: "Assumed behaviour imposed from utside is called "silabbataparamasa" in Buddhism. This Pali word is commonly mistranslated as, "attachment to rites and rituals." This is a gross misunderstanding. The word "sila" refers to the negative or omission aspect of behaviour, "bata" refers to the positive or commission aspect, and "paramass" means, alienation or regarding something as foreign, or as an imposition from outside (parato amasati). The meaning has nothing at all to do with rites and rituals. Itcan ony mean, alienation of discipline, which is associated with shame and fear. It is morality based on conformity to a social or religious standard of behaviour. It is the oedience of commandments or rules givenfrom outdside. It is not genuine goodness coming from within. It is external conformity."

Well you have got to appreciate Venerable Punnaji's willingness to think for himself! My perception of this term is that the meaning is the view of certain phenomena (such as rites and rituals, but also sila = ethical conduct, and including any behavior taken on willingly or unwillingly from the outside as a matter of faith) at the time of Stream Entry. At such a time one is able to see that these are not behaviors that could possibly bring about the end of dukkha, samsaric existance. All of the activities included that require "doing" are ruled out because they are downbound to kamma. Those that involve not-doing as encompassed in sila, if not accompanied by insight as to the need to let go will have been accompanied by the intent to create good kamma by the abstention and will also, therefore, create kamma.