ChatGPT and commentaries

Lounge
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I’m not sure where to put this…
But ChatGPT can be used to generally look at commentaries.
Does it work… ? Not really.

Here is a sample:

2. sabbāsavasuttavaṇṇanā

can you translate to english
me sutaṃ…pe… sāvatthiyanti sabbāsavasuttaṃ. tatrāyaṃ apubbapadavaṇṇanā – sāvatthīti savatthassa isino nivāsaṭṭhānabhūtā nagarī, yathā kākandī mākandī kosambīti evaṃ tāva akkharacintakā. aṭṭhakathācariyā pana bhaṇanti "yaṃkiñci manussānaṃ upabhogaparibhogaṃ sabbamettha atthīti sāvatthī. satthasamāyoge ca kiṃ bhaṇḍamatthīti pucchite sabbamatthī"ti vacanamupādāya sāvatthī."sabbadā sabbūpakaraṇaṃ, sāvatthiyaṃ samohitaṃ,tasmā sabbamupādāya, sāvatthīti pavuccati. puraṃ rammaṃ, dassaneyyaṃ manoramaṃ,kosalānaṃ dasahi saddehi avivittaṃ, annapānasamāyutaṃ.vuddhiṃ vepullataṃ pattaṃ, iddhaṃ phītaṃ manoramaṃ,aḷakamandāva devānaṃ, sāvatthipuramuttama"nti.tassaṃ sāvatthiyaṃ. jetavaneti ettha attano paccatthikajanaṃ jinātīti jeto, raññā vā attano paccatthikajane jite jātoti jeto, maṅgalakamyatāya vā tassa evaṃnāmameva katanti jeto, jetassa vanaṃ jetavanaṃ. tañhi jetena rājakumārena ropitaṃ saṃvaddhitaṃ paripālitaṃ, so ca tassa sāmī ahosi. tasmā jetavananti vuccati, tasmiṃ jetavane. anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāmeti ettha sudatto nāma so gahapati mātāpitūhi katanāmavasena. sabbakāmasamiddhitāya pana vigatamalamaccheratāya karuṇādiguṇasamaṅgitāya ca niccakālaṃ anāthānaṃ piṇḍamadāsi, tena anāthapiṇḍikoti saṅkhaṃ gato. āramanti ettha pāṇino visesena vā pabbajitāti ārāmo, tassa pupphaphalādisobhāya nātidūranaccāsannatādipañcavidhasenāsanaṅgasampattiyā ca tato tato āgamma hutvā nivasantīti attho. vuttappakārāya vā sampattiyā tattha tattha gatepi attano abbhantaraṃyeva ānetvā rametīti ārāmo. so hi anāthapiṇḍikena gahapatinā jetassa rājakumārassa hatthato aṭṭhārasahi hiraññakoṭīhi koṭisantharena kīṇitvā aṭṭhārasahi hiraññakoṭīhi senāsanāni kārāpetvā aṭṭhārasahi hiraññakoṭīhi vihāramahaṃ

Here is the answer:

This is a text in Pali that appears to be describing the city of Sāvatthī and the Jetavana monastery. Here is a general summary of the content:

  • Sāvatthī is a city that is home to the monks of Savattha, and is also known by various other names such as Kākandī, Mākandī, and Kosambī. According to the commentaries, Sāvatthī is a place where all forms of enjoyment and indulgence can be found.
  • The Jetavana monastery was founded by a wealthy merchant named Jeto, who may have been named after his own wealth, his victory over his enemies, or his desire for good fortune. The monastery was built and maintained by Jeto, and he also had a close relationship with the king’s son. The name “Jetavana” means “the forest of Jeto.”
  • Anāthapiṇḍika was a wealthy merchant who was known for his generosity and compassion. He would regularly give food and other necessities to the poor and destitute, and as a result he was known as “Anāthapiṇḍika” (meaning “feeder of the helpless”).
  • The text also mentions the gardens, pavilions, and monasteries that were built in the Jetavana monastery, and describes them as being beautiful and well-maintained. It also mentions that the monastery was visited by the Buddha and his disciples on many occasions.
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can you translate to english
upādānavāravaṇṇanā95. upādānavāre kāmupādānantiādīsu vatthukāmaṃ upādiyati etena, sayaṃ vā taṃ upādiyatīti kāmupādānaṃ. kāmo ca so upādānañcāti vā kāmupādānaṃ. upādānanti daḷhaggahaṇaṃ vuccati. daḷhattho hi ettha upasaddo, "upāyāsa upakaṭṭhā"tiādīsu viya pañcakāmaguṇikarāgassetaṃ adhivacanaṃ. ayamettha saṅkhepo. vitthārato panetaṃ "tattha katamaṃ kāmupādānaṃ, yo kāmesu kāmacchando"ti (dha. sa. 1220, vibha. 938) vuttanayena veditabbaṃ.tathā diṭṭhi ca sā upādānañcāti diṭṭhupādānaṃ. atha vā diṭṭhiṃ upādiyati, upādiyanti vā etena diṭṭhinti diṭṭhupādānaṃ. upādiyati hi purimadiṭṭhiṃ uttaradiṭṭhi. upādiyanti ca tāya diṭṭhiṃ. yathāha "sassato attā ca loko ca, idameva saccaṃ moghamañña"ntiādi (ma. ni. 3.27), sīlabbatupādānaattavādupādānavajjassa sabbadiṭṭhigatassetaṃ adhivacanaṃ. ayamettha saṅkhepo. vitthārato panetaṃ "tattha katamaṃ diṭṭhupādānaṃ natthi dinna"nti (dha. sa. 1220, vibha. 938) vuttanayena veditabbaṃ.

This is a text in Pali that appears to be discussing the concept of upādāna, which is often translated as “clinging” or “attachment.” The text mentions two specific types of upādāna: kāmupādāna (attachment to sensual pleasures) and diṭṭhupādāna (attachment to views or beliefs).

Kāmupādāna refers to the desire to possess or indulge in sensory pleasures, such as the desire for wealth, fame, power, or physical pleasure. Diṭṭhupādāna refers to the attachment to certain views or beliefs, such as the belief in the existence of a permanent self, the belief in the existence of a permanent world, or the belief in the efficacy of rituals and practices.

The text also mentions that upādāna is a “strong attachment,” and that it is often used in the sense of “clinging” or “grasping” in phrases such as “upāyāsa upakaṭṭhā” (grasping at the strap of a water pot). The text also suggests that a more detailed explanation of upādāna can be found in other texts, such as the phrase “tattha katamaṃ kāmupādānaṃ, yo kāmesu kāmacchando” (what is the attachment to sensual pleasures, which is desire for sensual pleasures?). Similarly, a more detailed explanation of diṭṭhupādāna can be found in the phrase “tattha katamaṃ diṭṭhupādānaṃ natthi dinna” (what is the attachment to views, which is not given?).

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I think it fails.
I think it gets some keywords and then sort of b.s’s its way around the words it knows. However, there is potential.

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While this is pretty good, everyone already knows this and there are many translations out there.

“The Great Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness” was narrated to me in this way: At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Kuru, in Kammāsadhamma, a grove of the Kurus. There, the Buddha addressed the monks, saying, “Monks.” The monks replied to the Buddha, saying, “Venerable sir.” The Buddha said this:

  1. This, monks, is the noble path leading to the purification of beings, to the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, to the destruction of suffering and grief, to the attainment of the right method, to the realization of Nibbana – namely, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
  2. And what, monks, are the Four Foundations of Mindfulness? Here, monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, putting away covetousness and grief for the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, putting away covetousness and grief for the world. He dwells contemplating the mind in the mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, putting away covetousness and grief for the world. He dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, putting away covetousness and grief for the world.
  3. And how, monks, does a monk dwell contemplating the body in the body? Here, monks, a monk, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place, sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and establishes mindfulness in front of him. He breathes in, he breathes out. When he is breathing in a long breath, he knows, “I am breathing in a long breath”; when he is breathing out a long breath, he knows, “I am breathing out a long breath”; when he is breathing in a short breath, he knows, “I am breathing in a short breath”; when he is breathing out a short breath, he knows, “I am breathing out a short breath.” He trains thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body”; he trains thus: “I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body.”
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It should be known that the gpt+ is pretty good if you ask it to do line by line.
It can do a pretty strong job (but not perfect) in the commentaries too. I fed it a complex vinaya passage from the commentary.

You will see that when I told the word it got wrong (which is a very special meaning) it understood 100% this very technical passage.

Certainly, Bhante. Here is the translation of the Pāḷi text you provided, line by line:

  1. sāvanaṃ hāpetīti sabbena sabbaṃ kammavācāya anussāvanaṃ na karoti: “He causes an omission in the announcement; he does not make an announcement with all the required details in the formal act of motion.”
  2. ñattidutiyakamme dvikkhattuṃ ñattimeva ṭhapeti: “In a motion with one announcement, he places only the announcement twice.”
  3. ñatticatutthakamme catukkhattuṃ ñattimeva ṭhapeti: “In a motion with three announcements, he places only the announcement four times.”
  4. evaṃ anussāvanaṃ hāpeti: “In this way, he causes an omission in the announcement.”
  5. yopi ñattidutiyakamme ekaṃ ñattiṃ ṭhapetvā ekaṃ kammavācaṃ anussāvento akkharaṃ vā chaḍḍeti, padaṃ vā duruttaṃ karoti, ayampi anussāvanaṃ hāpetiyeva: “And whoever, in a motion with one announcement, after placing one announcement, while announcing the formal act, omits a letter, or makes a word wrong, he too causes an omission in the announcement.”
  6. ñatticatutthakamme pana ekaṃ ñattiṃ ṭhapetvā sakimeva vā dvikkhattuṃ vā kammavācāya anussāvanaṃ karontopi akkharaṃ vā padaṃ247vā chaḍḍentopi duruttaṃ karontopi anussāvanaṃ hāpetiyevāti veditabbo: “However, in a motion with three announcements, after placing one announcement, even if one makes an announcement in the formal act once or twice, omitting a letter or a word, or making a word wrong, he is to be understood as causing an omission in the announcement.”

Please note that Pāḷi texts can have multiple interpretations depending on the context, and this translation aims to provide a general understanding of the lines you provided.

You

That is pretty good… omission is actually invaliding the kammavaca (vinayakamma reading).

ChatGPT

ChatGPT

Yes, Bhante, your understanding is correct. In the Vinaya context, the term “sāvanaṃ hāpeti” refers to the act of invalidating the kammavācā, which is a formal act or procedure within the Vinaya. The kammavācā, being a precise and formal recitation, requires exactness in its delivery. Any deviation, such as omitting a letter or mispronouncing a word, would invalidate the act, as it’s crucial that these recitations are performed accurately and completely. This precision in the recitation ensures the integrity and the efficacy of the Vinaya procedures.

Below is a dhammapada quote and I told it to do a grammar word by word.

Dhammapada 27:

Pāḷi: “pamādamanuyuñjanti, bālā dummedhino janā, appamādañca medhāvī, dhanaṃ seṭṭhaṃva rakkhati.”
Translation: “Fools and unintelligent people engage in heedlessness, but the wise one guards heedfulness as the best treasure.”

Grammar:

  • “pamādamanuyuñjanti” (engage in heedlessness) - 3rd person, plural, present tense of “anuyuñjati” (to engage in) with “pamāda” (heedlessness)
  • “bālā” (fools) - nominative plural of “bāla” (fool)
  • “dummedhino” (unintelligent) - nominative plural of “dummedhin” (unintelligent)
  • “janā” (people) - nominative plural of “jana” (person)
  • “appamādañca” (and heedfulness) - accusative singular of “appamāda” with “ca” (and)
  • “medhāvī” (the wise one) - nominative singular of “medhāvī”
  • “dhanaṃ” (treasure) - accusative singular of “dhana” (treasure)
  • “seṭṭhaṃva” (as the best) - accusative singular of “seṭṭha” (best) with “va” (like, as)
  • “rakkhati” (guards) - 3rd person, singular, present tense of “rakkhati” (to guard)
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