Samma

Some sections on this site can only be properly viewed using the MOZPALI Font for the insertion of diacritical marks. If you wish to view these items properly, download this font and install it: [ PC: download here] [Mac: download here]

Samm¤

WP, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, #9: Right View, Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans, pp134

Pali	MO	Hare	Horner	Punnaji	Bodhi	Nanamoli	Rhys Davids	(Mrs)Rhys Davids	Thanissaro	Walshe	Woodward
samm¤	High, Consummate	right	perfect	Harmonious	right, correct, perfectly	fully, completely; right(ly)	right	right	right	Right	right

**Pali Text Society, Pali English Dictionary:**
Samma²: (indecl.) [Vedic samyac (=samyak) & sam¨.s "connected, in one"; see under sa¸^-] thoroughly, properly, rightly; in the right way, as it ought to be, best, perfectly (opp. micch¤) D I.12; Vin I.12; Sn 359; 947; Dh 89, 373. Usually as ^--, like samm¤-dh¤r¤ even or proper showers (i. e. at the right time) Pv II.970; especially in connection with constituents of the eightfold Aryan Path, where it is contrasted with micch¤; see magga 2 a. (e. g. VbhA 114 sq., 121, 320 sq.). The form samm¤ is reduced to samma^- before short vowels (with the insertion of a sandhi -d-, cp. puna-deva), like samma-d-eva properly, in harmony or completeness D I.110; Vin I.9: PvA 139, 157; samma-d-a¾¾a & ^-akkh¤ta (see below); and before double consonants arisen from assimilation, like sammag-gata (=samyak+gata). The cpds. we shall divide into two groups, viz. (A) cpds. with samma^-, (B) with samm¤^-. A. --akkh¤ta well preached Dh 86. --a¾¾a perfect knowledge Vin I.183; S I.4; IV.128; Dh 57 (^-vimutta, cp. DhA I.434); It 38, 79, 93, 95, 108. --attha a proper or good thing or cause J VI.16. --ddasa having right views A II.18; S IV.205, 207; Sn 733; It 47, 61, 81; Kvu 339. --ggata [cp. BSk. samyaggata Divy 399] who has wandered rightly, perfect M I.66; who has attained the highest point, an Arahant D I.55; S I.76; A I.269; IV.226; V.265; J III.305; It 87; Ap 218. Also sammagata Vin II.20317. --ppajana having right knowledge Dh 20; It 115. --ppa¾¾¤ right knowledge, true wisdom Vin I.14; Dh 57, 190; Sn 143; It 17; Miln 39. --ppadh¤na [cp. BSk. samyakprah¤na Divy 208] right exertion Vin I.22; Dhs 358; Dpvs 18, 5; they are four D II.120; M III.296; explained M II.11 (anuppann¤na¸ p¤pakana¸ akusal¤na¸ dhamm¤na¸ anupp¤d¤ya; uppann¤na¸ pahanaya; anuppann¤na¸ kusal¤na¸ dhamm¤na¸ upp¤daya; uppann¤na¸ Âhitiy¤). B. --¤j¨va right living, right means of livelihood, right occupation Vin I.10; S V.421, etc.; formula D II.312; (adj.) living in the right way M I.42; A II.89. --kammanta right conduct, right behaviour Vin I.10; S V.421 etc.; definition D II.312; Dhs 300; adj. behaving in the right way M I.42; A II.89. --¾a¼a right knowledge, enlightenment, results from right concentration D II.217; A I.292; adj. M I.42. --¾¤¸in possessing the right insight A II.89, 222. --dassana right views Vism 605. --diÂÂhi right views, right belief, the first stage of the noble eightfold path, consists in the knowledge of the four truths D II.311; its essence is knowledge Dhs 20, 297, 317; cp. Vism 509; comprises the knowledge of the absence of all permanent Being and the reality of universal conditioned Becoming S II.17; III.135; and of the impermanence of the 5 Khandhas S III.51=IV.142; and of S¨la, of causation and of the destruction of the £savas M I.46-55; how obtained M I.294; two degrees of M III.72; supremely important A I.30-2 292 sq.; (adj.) Miln I.47. --diÂÂhika having the right belief D I.139; A II.89; 220 sq.; III.115, 138; IV.290; V.124 sq.; S IV.322. --dvayat¤nupassin duly considering both-i. e. misery with its origin, the destruction of misery with the path, respectively Sn p. 140. --dh¤r¤ a heavy shower S V.379. --paÂipatti right mental disposition A I.69; Nett 27; Miln 97; samm¤paÂipada Pug 49 sq.; DhA IV.127; samm¤paÂipanna rightly disposed, having the right view D I.8, 55; Pug 49 sq. --passa¸ viewing the matter in the right way S III.51; IV.142. --p¤sa [Sk. samyaprasa, but BSk. samyaprasa Divy 634] a kind of sacrifice Sn 303; A II.42; IV.151; S I.76; It 21; J IV.302; SnA 321. Cp. samm¤1. --manasik¤ra right, careful, thought D I.13; DA I.104. --vattan¤ strict, proper, conduct Vin I.46, 50; II.5. --v¤c¤ right speech Vin I.10; DA I.314; definition D II.312; Dhs 299; (adj.) speaking properly M I.42; A II.89. --v¤y¤ma right effort Vin I.10; Dhs 13, 22, 302; definition D II.312; adj. M I.42; A II.89. --vimutta right emancipation A I.292; ^-vimutti the same D II.217; A II.196, 222; (adj.) M I.42; A II.89. --sankappa right resolve, right intention Dh 12; Vin I.10; Dhs 21, 298; definition D II.312; (adj.) M I.42; A II.89. --sati right memory, right mindfulness, self-possession Vin I.10; Dhs 23, 303; definition D II.313; (adj.) M I.42; A II.89. --sam¤dhi right concentration, the last stage of the noble eightfold path Vin I.10; Dhs 24, 304; definition D II.313; adj. M I.12; A II.89. --sampassa¸ having the right view S IV.142. --sambuddha perfectly enlightened, a universal Buddha Vin I.5; D I.49; Dh 187; J I.44; DhA I.445; III.241; VbhA 436, etc. --sambodhi perfect enlightenment, supreme Buddhaship Vin I.11; D II.83; S I.68, etc.
PED on Line (no diacriticals): "samma" PED on Line (unicode font required): "samma"

The first is that here in the West this word has been taken from its origins as a carpenters term for an upright or perpendicular angle, a right angle, or Upright, and made into a term standing for power and authority: "righteous" (or, as "correct" it means "the only correct") and "with the right to". The use as Upright is not heard at all, and that would be the meaning that was needed, at least for the elements of the Magga, although it would be awkward elsewhere. But that is not how, even, I see the elements of the Magga, that is to say as being the upright ways of things; I see them rather as the ways that work in a system designed to accomplish something. This will become apparent if you examine the structure of the individual elements. They are not stated in terms of static states, they are stated in terms that will be interpreted differently by different individuals at different stages of progress. So what is needed is not a term that describes an absolute.

So the second is that this is a term that must be used as to describe a conditional state of things, not an absolutely correct position. "Right" allows only for any other alternative to be "wrong", and that is not what is being said in most cases where sammaa is being used, it is simply saying that this is the best for those going This Way, second best is not necessarily wrong, and certainly not wrong for those who are going that way. Sammaa ditthi is the point of view you adopt in order to overcome views of self and existence, once those have been overcome, samma ditthi too must be abandoned as just one of the limitless ways of seeing things. (All views are to be let go.) Remember the simile of the raft. If right were right and wrong were wrong, then right view would be right for the Arahant as well as for the student, and that is not the case. It needs to be a word that stands for "best under these conditions".

I think that reliance on the fact that Pali is the root (or close to it) of all IndoEuropean languages, as has been said, is a good justification for seeking in the etymology of the word for the best translation. From summa then, we have (at least) two alternatives: the terms "high" (I suppose we could say "top") and "consummate" depending on how closely you want to stick to the sound of the root.

Both these terms allow for understanding the thing it is conditioning to be conditionally the best, and yet allow for that which is second best to not necessarily be wrong, just not the highest, or the best in this case.

My preference is for High, because that word fits all round, as in. . . ahum. . . sammaasamadhi = high getting high, or sammaasambuddhassa=the high #1 wide awakened one.

As for miccha, it breaks down (me<wee) into "small-stuff"; so you could say "low", which is my preference. PED has, as well as "wrong", "contrary".