Prapanca

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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Simon E.
Posts: 7652
Joined: Tue May 15, 2012 11:09 am

Prapanca

Post by Simon E. »

As the term prapanca has been used a lot recently on the forum, I thought it might be useful to explore its meanings.
The literal translation is 'diffusion' to take something and expand it. As in diffusing a scent throughout a room.
But it has also overtones of proliferation. Something that increases itself.

So basically it refers to a concept that expands, that increases itself..but, and this is the most operant meaning in terms of Dharma imo... it is an unnecessary narrative.
A story we tell ourselves about the world and ourselves which may or may not be true..but which does not lead to our liberation from samsara.
Oftentimes those narratives are an obstacle to our liberation because they are in the end a distraction. Distractions which seem to us to have importance..
The Buddha warned about speculating about the origin of the Universe, or the precise workings of karma in the case of an individual. Those are prime examples of prapanca.
There are many lesser and more minor examples.
Coming up with a precise form of words which try to make our subjective experiences universal would be another.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
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