➥ oḷārika:

• for oḷārika:
  • gross
  • gross material
  • obvious
  • self-evident
  • less subtle
  • less refined
  • not particularly refined
  • effortful
  • morally unrefined

Illustration: oḷārika, gross

Whatever bodily form, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or sublime, far or near

Yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā. (MN iii 18-9)

Physical food, gross or subtle;

kabaliṅkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo. (MN i 48)

What now if I allowed medicine for bhikkhus, both medicine itself as well as what could be regarded as medicine, which though it serves as nourishment in the world, could not be regarded as gross food?

Kinnū kho ahaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ bhesajjaṁ anujāneyyaṁ yaṁ bhesajjañceva assa bhesajjasammatañca lokassa āhāratthañca phareyya na ca oḷāriko āhāro paññāyeyyā ti. (Vin.1.199)

Illustration: oḷārika, gross material

Whenever the gross material acquired self is present, it is not reckoned as a mind-made material acquired self, nor an immaterial acquired self. It is reckoned only as a gross material acquired self on that occasion.

yasmiṁ samaye oḷāriko attapaṭilābho hoti neva tasmiṁ samaye manomayo attapaṭilābho ti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Na arūpo attapaṭilābho ti saṅkhaṁ gacchati. 'Oḷāriko attapaṭilābho'tveva tasmiṁ samaye saṅkhaṁ gacchati. (DN i 202)

Illustration: oḷārika, self-evident

In this regard, in seeing a visible object via the visual sense, there arises in a bhikkhu pleasure, or displeasure, or pleasure plus displeasure.

cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā uppajjati manāpaṁ uppajjati amanāpaṁ uppajjati manāpāmanāpaṁ.

He knows that ‘This pleasure has arisen in me, this displeasure… this pleasure plus displeasure has arisen in me.

uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ

And that is originated, self-evident, dependently arisen.

saṅkhataṁ oḷārikaṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ

But this is peaceful, this is sublime, namely, detached awareness.

Etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ yadidaṁ upekkhā ti. (MN iii 299)

Some [ascetics and Brahmanists] proclaim that the state of awareness of nonexistence, limitless and imperturbable, where one perceives that there is [nowhere] anything at all, is the purest, highest, best, and greatest of those states of refined awareness, whether refined material states of awareness, or immaterial states of awareness, or states of refined awareness involving mental cognisance alone, or involving the external senses.

Yā vā panetāsaṁ saññānaṁ parisuddhā paramā aggā anuttariyā akkhāyati yadi rūpasaññānaṁ yadi arūpasaññānaṁ yadi ekattasaññānaṁ yadi nānattasaññānaṁ natthi kiñci ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ eke abhivadanti appamāṇaṁ āneñjaṁ.

But that [state of refined awareness] is originated and self-evident. And there is a ending of originated phenomena. Knowing the truth of this, seeing the deliverance [from originated phenomena] the Perfect One has gone beyond it.

Tayidaṁ saṅkhataṁ oḷārikaṁ. Atthi kho pana saṅkhārānaṁ nirodho atthetanti iti viditvā tassa nissaraṇadassāvī tathāgato tadupātivatto. (MN ii 229-230)

Illustration: oḷārika, obvious

But though Venerable Ānanda was given such a broad hint by the Blessed One, such an obvious suggestion, he was unable to perceive it.

Evampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavatā oḷārike nimitte kayiramāne oḷārike obhāse kayiramāne nāsakkhi paṭivijjhituṁ. (SN v 259)

Illustration: oḷārika, less subtle

Whenever Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra appears to the Tāvatiṁsā devas, he appears having created [for himself] a less subtle bodily form (oḷārikaṁ attabhāvaṁ abhinimminitvā) because his natural appearance (pakativaṇṇo) is not perceptible to the eye

Yadā bhante brahmā sanaṅkumāro devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pātubhavati oḷārikaṁ attabhāvaṁ abhinimminitvā pātubhavati. Yo kho pana bhante brahmuno pakativaṇṇo anabhisambhavanīyo so devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ cakkhupathasmiṁ. (DN ii 210)

Hatthaka, the deva’s son, approached the Blessed One, thinking, ‘I will stand in the presence of the Blessed One,’ but he sank down, collapsed, could not stand upright. Just as butter or oil when poured upon sand sinks down, sinks in, cannot abide.

Then the Blessed One told him ‘Create a less subtle bodily form, Hatthaka’

oḷārikaṁ hatthaka attabhāvaṁ abhinimmināhī ti. (AN i 279)

Illustration: oḷārika, less refined

’Poṭṭhapāda, once the bhikkhu is possessed of that preliminary state of refined awareness, he proceeds from stage to stage till he reaches the highest state of refined awareness.

Yato kho poṭṭhapāda bhikkhu idha sakasaññī hoti so tato amutra tato amutra anupubbena saññaggaṁ phusati.

Then, remaining in the highest state of refined awareness it occurs to him, ‘Intentional effort is worse for me, being free of intentional effort is better.

Tassa saññagge ṭhitassa evaṁ hoti cetayamānassa me pāpiyo acetayamānassa me seyyo.

If I were to be intent upon or to aim [at anything further], these states of refined awareness that I have attained would cease and less refined states of refined awareness would arise in me.

Ahañceva kho pana ceteyyaṁ abhisaṅkhareyyaṁ imā ca me saññā nirujjheyyuṁ aññā ca oḷārikā saññā uppajjeyyuṁ.

How about if I were not to be intent upon or to aim [at anything further]?’

Yannūnāhaṁ na ceva ceteyyaṁ na cābhisaṅkhareyyan ti.

So he is neither intent [upon anything], nor aims [at anything further].

So na ceva ceteti na cābhisaṅkharoti.

And thus in him just these states of refined awareness cease, and other less refined states of refined awareness do not arise.

Tassa acetayato anabhisaṅkharoto tā ceva saññā nirujjhanti aññā ca oḷārikā saññā na uppajjanti.

He attains to the ending [of originated phenomena].

So nirodhaṁ phusati.

And that, Poṭṭhapāda, is how the ending of successively refined states of refined awareness is attained in full consciousness.

Evaṁ kho poṭṭhapāda anupubbābhisaññānirodhasampajānasamāpatti hoti. (DN i 183-4)

Illustration: oḷārika, not particularly refined

• Moggallāna, friend, your [mental] faculties are serene, your countenance is pure and bright. Venerable MahāMoggallāna surely spent today in a peaceful abiding.

vippasannāni kho te āvuso moggallāna indriyāni parisuddho mukhavaṇṇo pariyodāto santena nūnāyasmā mahāmoggallāno ajja vihārena vihāsī'ti

• Friend, I spent the day in a not particularly refined abiding, but I had some discussion on the teaching [with the Blessed One].

Oḷārikena kho ahaṁ āvuso ajja vihārena vihāsiṁ. Api ca me ahosi dhammī kathā ti. (SN ii 275)

Bodhi: “I spent the day in a gross dwelling, friend, but I did have some Dhamma talk.”

Illustration: oḷārika, effortful

It is just as if a man walking fast might ask himself why he is walking fast. Why not walk slowly? Then walking slowly, why not stand? Then standing, why not sit? Then sitting, why not lie down?

• In this way the man would substitute for each more effortful posture one that was less effortful.

Evaṁ hi so bhikkhave puriso oḷārikaṁ oḷārikaṁ iriyāpathaṁ abhinivajjetvā sukhumaṁ sukhumaṁ iriyāpathaṁ kappeyya. (MN i 121)

Illustration: oḷārika, morally unrefined

There are three pathways to happiness discovered by the Blessed One who knows and sees [the nature of reality], the second of which is for someone in whom the morally unrefined deeds of body, speech, and mind are unquelled

Then he hears the noble teaching, and properly contemplates it and practises in conformity with it. By doing so:

• His morally unrefined deeds of body, speech, and mind are quelled

oḷārikā kāyasaṅkhārā paṭippasasambhanti oḷārikā vacīsaṅkhārā paṭippassambhanti oḷārikā cittasaṅkhārā paṭippassambhanti. (DN ii 214-5)