Consciousness in MN 49 DN 11 is wrong translation (Brahmanimantanikasutta, Kevaṭṭasutta)

Related answer: https://unmixedtheravada.blogspot.com/2019/01/rebirth-appears-in-both-sutta-and.html

Pre-knowledge:

Jānāmi means I know.
Vijānāmi means I know various things.
Viññāṇa is noun from Vi prefix+Ñā root+Yu suffix.
Vijānāmi is verb from Vi prefix+Ñā root+Na suffix+Mi Case-endings.
Vijānāmi term is same as "I do Viññāṇa".
Viññāṇa = Vijāṅa = Cognition Of Various Object.
Recite and learn kaccayaṇa-vyākaraṇa from the Tipitaka Memorizer for more explanation.

Question 1

What is the invisible consciousness or consciousness without >surface described in MN 49 and DN 11?
Is it a cosmic consciousness like the one found in Hinduism? I guess not.

1. It definitely isn't cosmic consciousness. Actually, it is like cognized/cognition in the other Sutta. However to understand it, the reader must recite and memorize Pali, first, then learn it with the inherited Tipitaka Memorizer, such as Pa-Auk because the proficiency is definitely required to understand the whole detail of each sutta. Even you can read Pali, Atthakathā, or ṭīkā, the proficiency still required.
   See below explanation to understand why I tell you like that.
2. Your quoted MN 49 Brahmanimantanikasutta is bad cut, and wrong translation. It is:
   Buddha said Brahma think this is the all cognizable thing which could be cognized by his consciousness:
   

   ‘A galaxy extends a thousand times as far
   ‘Yāvatā candimasūriyā,

   Buddha claims Buddha cognizes more than Brahma:
   

   But there is another realm that you don’t know or see.
   Atthi kho, brahme, añño kāyo, taṃ tvaṃ na jānāsi na passasi;
   But I know it and see it.
   tamahaṃ jānāmi passāmi.

   Buddha claims Buddha cognizes Radiant Brahma:
   

   the gods of streaming radiance …
   ābhassare kho ahaṃ, brahme … pe …
   the gods replete with glory (than above brahma) …
   subhakiṇhe kho ahaṃ, brahme …

   Buddha claims Buddha cognizes Nibbāna:
   

   Having directly known earth as earth, and having directly known that which does not fall within the scope of experience based on earth, I did not identify with earth, I did not identify regarding earth, I did not identify as earth, I did not identify ‘earth is mine’, I did not enjoy earth.
   Pathaviṃ kho ahaṃ, brahme, pathavito abhiññāya yāvatā pathaviyā pathavattena ananubhūtaṃ tadabhiññāya pathaviṃ nāpahosiṃ, pathaviyā nāpahosiṃ, pathavito nāpahosiṃ, pathaviṃ meti nāpahosiṃ, pathaviṃ nābhivadiṃ.

   You can see that the contexts force to translate "viññāṇa" as "nibbāṇa".
   2.1. Below quote, Brahma is asking for "the thing" which is not within the scope of experience based on all (no one has known before, including this brahma) but viññāṇa (consciousness) is within the scope, so viññāṇa must is translated as adjective complement of "the thing (nibbāna) which is not within the scope of experience based on all" in above paragraph of it.
   2.2. Brahma acts like he has the best cognition, so the Buddha shows him what he never cognizes before, nibbāna which is cognizable, invisible, infinite, radiant all round below.
   2.3. You can see below translation has many words appearing in above quotes.
   2.4. "Viññāṇaṃ, anidassanaṃ, anantaṃ sabbato pabhaṃ" all are adjective complements, but the previous translation is a noun, so I wrote above "the translation is wrong". Viññāṇaṃ in this context is cognizable (adjective complement of the nibbāna noun), not consciousness (noun).
   2.5. Buddha claims the best cognizable thing is Nibbāna below quote.
   

   ‘Well, good sir, if you have directly known (the thing) which is not within the scope of experience based on all, may your words of (the thing) not turn out to be void and hollow! (Don't just say you know (the thing) because everybody can "say I know (the thing)" but they may don't really know anything! Describe it if it really is a true story!)
   ‘Sace kho, mārisa, sabbassa sabbattena ananubhūtaṃ, tadabhiññāya mā heva te rittakameva ahosi, tucchakameva ahosīti.
   (The thing[=nibbāna]) that is cognizable, invisible, infinite, radiant all round (nibbāna is invisible but similar to have radiant all round more than all Brahma-deva which appeared in many paragraphs above)—that’s what is not within the scope of experience based on earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Creator, Brahmā, the gods of streaming radiance, the gods replete with glory, the gods of abundant fruit, the Overlord, and the all.
   Viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ anantaṃ sabbato pabhaṃ, taṃ pathaviyā pathavattena ananubhūtaṃ, āpassa āpattena ananubhūtaṃ, tejassa tejattena ananubhūtaṃ, vāyassa vāyattena ananubhūtaṃ, bhūtānaṃ bhūtattena ananubhūtaṃ, devānaṃ devattena ananubhūtaṃ, pajāpatissa pajāpatittena ananubhūtaṃ, brahmānaṃ brahmattena ananubhūtaṃ, ābhassarānaṃ ābhassarattena ananubhūtaṃ, subhakiṇhānaṃ subhakiṇhattena ananubhūtaṃ, vehapphalānaṃ vehapphalattena ananubhūtaṃ, abhibhussa abhibhuttena ananubhūtaṃ, sabbassa sabbattena ananubhūtaṃ.

   Abhidhamma and Atthakathā comment some same thing to me: Nibbāna is cognizable and invisible. Visible thing has the end (paritta, little) but nibbāna is invisible (endless, ananta). "Radiant all round" is just the similitude that nibbāna is the best of the overall radiance.
3. The part of DN 11 Kevaṭṭasutta is the same case of above, MN 49 Brahmanimantanikasutta. It just added the rhetoric of "viññāṇa".
   A bhikkhu try to cognize the cessation of the Four Element, but the great Brahma says he doesn't know but the Buddha knows it:
   

   But I too do not know where these four primary elements cease with nothing left over.
   Ahampi kho, bhikkhu, na jānāmi yatthime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṃ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātūti.

   That bhikkhu's question is "where is Four Elements ceased?", so the answer should be the cessation state, Nirodha (nibbāna). Nibbāna is where the Four Elements ceased, where is cognizable, and where is invisible.
   So, it is the same case of above, MN 49, Buddha claims the best cognizable thing is Nibbāna below quote.
   

   This is how the question should be asked:
   Evañca kho eso, bhikkhu, pañho pucchitabbo:
   

   “Where do water and earth,
   ‘Kattha āpo ca pathavī,
   fire and air find no footing;
   tejo vāyo na gādhati;
   where do long and short,
   Kattha dīghañca rassañca,
   fine and coarse, beautiful and ugly;
   aṇuṃ thūlaṃ subhāsubhaṃ;
   where do mentality and matterity
   Kattha nāmañca rūpañca,
   cease with nothing left over?”
   asesaṃ uparujjhatī’ti.

   And the answer to that is:
   Tatra veyyākaraṇaṃ bhavati:
   

   Where is cognizable, invisible,
   ‘Viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ,
   infinite, radiant all round.
   anantaṃ sabbatopabhaṃ;
   Here’s where water and earth,
   Ettha āpo ca pathavī,
   fire and air find no footing;
   tejo vāyo na gādhati.
   here’s where long and short,
   Ettha dīghañca rassañca,
   fine and coarse, beautiful and ugly;
   aṇuṃ thūlaṃ subhāsubhaṃ;

   This is the additional more than DN 11, the rhetoric of "viññāṇa".
   Because Buddha uses Viññāṇa as an adjective complement of nibbāna, above, but Buddha uses Viññāṇa again below quote from DN 11 as a noun, which is ceased by nibbāna in the cessation of dependent origination.
   

   here’s where mentality and matterity
   Ettha nāmañca rūpañca,
   cease with nothing left over—
   asesaṃ uparujjhati;
   with the cessation (nirodha,nibbāna) of consciousness (viññāṇa),
   Viññāṇassa nirodhena,
   that’s where this ceases.”’”
   etthetaṃ uparujjhatī’”ti.

4. It is important to understand MN 1 mūlapariyāyasuttaṃ with its commentary first before reading MN 49.

Question 2:

This answer implies that this invisible consciousness or consciousness without surface is the re-linking consciousness (patisandhi-viññana) that connects one lifetime to the next. This also implies that the re-linking consciousness (patisandhi-viññana) which is the invisible consciousness or consciousness without surface (viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ) is the consciousness that descends into the womb causing materiality-mentality (nāmarūpa) to arise (from DN 15). Is this right?

As I described DN 11 above, the first Viññāṇa is an adjective complement of nibbāna, but the second Viññāṇa is noun, which is ceased by nibbāna.
Therefore, the first Viññāṇa in DN 11 is Nibbāna, not re-linking consciousness. The second Viññāṇa is cresed re-linking consciousness by nirodha (nibbāna), not nibbāna.

Question 3:

Also, the description of "invisible, infinite and radiant all round" sounds very similar to the "luminous mind" (pabhassara citta) from AN 1.51-52. The same word "pabham" (luminosity) or "pabhassara" (luminous) is used in both MN 49 and AN 1.51-52. How is the invisible consciousness or consciousness without surface related to the luminous mind?

It definitely is different, just a bit of it refer to each other.
It is Nibbāna, not luminous mind. I already described in above MN 49:

(The thing[=nibbāna]) that is cognizable, invisible, infinite, radiant all round (nibbāna is invisible but similar to have radiant all round more than all Brahma-deva which appeared in many paragraphs above)

"Radiant all round" is just the similitude that nibbāna is the best of the overall radiance of below:

Buddha claims in MN 49 Buddha cognizes Radiant Brahma:

the gods of streaming radiance …
ābhassare kho ahaṃ, brahme … pe …
the gods replete with glory (than above brahma) …
subhakiṇhe kho ahaṃ, brahme …

Pabhassara Citta in AN 5.23 is wholesome mind, not nibbāna.

In the same way, there are these five corruptions of the mind. When the mind is corrupted by these it’s not pliable, workable, or radiant. It’s brittle, and not completely immersed in samādhi for the ending of defilements.
Evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, pañcime cittassa upakkilesā, yehi upakkilesehi upakkiliṭṭhaṃ cittaṃ na ceva mudu hoti na ca kammaniyaṃ na ca pabhassaraṃ pabhaṅgu ca na ca sammā samādhiyati āsavānaṃ khayāya.
What five?
Katame pañca?
Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
Kāmacchando, byāpādo, thinamiddhaṃ, uddhaccakukkuccaṃ, vicikicchā—

Pabhassara Citta of AN1.41-48 are the same, but Pabhassara Citta of AN1.49-50 is different because the contexts are not talking about the wholesome or unwholesome mental factors of current arising mind (AN 5.23), but AN1.49-50 talk about normal mind, bhavaṅga (the factor of keeping current becoming). It is sleeping mind, which looks like dirty when the unwholesome mental factors, external defilements, arising instead. We cannot do unwholesome or unwholesome karma while we sleep, so before the defilement mind factors arise instead, that slēping mind looks like effulgent.

49. Bhikkhus, the mind is effulgent, it is defiled by external defilements.
50. Bhikkhus. the mind is effulgent, when released from external defilelment.

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The answer is very clear for me, but it can make the reader confuse because of many references, many pali term, many words referring to each other, and my English skill lacking. That's why I wrote:

However to understand it, the reader must recite and memorize Pali, first, then learn it with the inherited Tipitaka Memorizer, such as Pa-Auk because the proficiency is definitely required to understand the whole detail of each sutta. Even you can read Pali, Atthakathā, or ṭīkā, the proficiency still required.

What is meant by statement “the one who sees Dhamma sees dependent origination”?

Dhamma in this clause is fourth Noble truth in meditating minds, the fold-eight-paths-noble-truth of the ordinary practitioner, lokiya-khandha.  Because the sutta conclusion is 'you have to comprehend your meditation-minds as well, because your comprehending-minds are grasping-aggregates in paṭiccasamuppāda, too.Then you will giving up and getting rid of desire and greed for these five grasping aggregates is the cessation of suffering.'
The readers have to connect this sutta with KN paṭisambhidāmagga, especially bhaṅgañāṇaniddesa, because both place are the same sāriputta's teaching. You can see in the same chapter of the path of purification as well.
The introduction part of this sutta said "all skillful qualities-all kusala-dhamma":

“The footprints of all creatures that walk (such as paṭiccasamuppāda, catudhātu, ) can fit inside an elephant’s footprint, so an elephant’s footprint is said to be the biggest of them all.
“Seyyathāpi, āvuso, yāni kānici jaṅgalānaṃ pāṇānaṃ padajātāni sabbāni tāni hatthipade samodhānaṃ gacchanti, hatthipadaṃ tesaṃ aggamakkhāyati yadidaṃ mahantattena;
In the same way, ...all skillful qualities... can be included in the four noble truths.
evameva kho, āvuso, ...ye keci kusalā dhammā... sabbete catūsu ariyasaccesu saṅgahaṃ gacchanti.

And what you asking is answered already in the explanation of that introduction.

But the Buddha has said:
Vuttaṃ kho panetaṃ bhagavatā:
“One who sees dependent origination sees the teaching.
“yo paṭiccasamuppādaṃ passati so dhammaṃ passati;
One who sees the teaching sees dependent origination.”
yo dhammaṃ passati so paṭiccasamuppādaṃ passatī”ti.
And these five grasping aggregates are indeed dependently originated.
Paṭiccasamuppannā kho panime yadidaṃ pañcupādānakkhandhā.
The desire, clinging, attraction, and attachment for these five grasping aggregates is the origin of suffering.

And this part showing "all ..skillful **qualities..." is the fold-eight-paths-noble-truth which enlightening the cessation-noble-truth:**

Yo imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu chando ālayo anunayo ajjhosānaṃ so dukkhasamudayo.
Giving up and getting rid of desire and greed for these five grasping aggregates is the cessation of suffering.’
Yo imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṃ, so dukkhanirodho’ti.
At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.
Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno bahukataṃ hoti.

---

The long sutta often already included the answer, because "svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo-buddha's teaching was the best teaching (because buddha [and his ariya students] connects these 4 subjects of genius [4 paṭisambhidā] together for each listener personally when he taught everything: causes & effects & linguistics of causes+effect & talents of these 4)".
So, when your question is appear almost at the end of Sutta Pitaka Vol 4 : Sutta. Ma. Mū. Mahāhatthipadopamasuttaṃ, you have to search for the answer at the previous paragraphs first. It is a proving tool you understand or not of each sutta, then you can search for the reference with the other sutta/part/nikāya/piṭaka. By this way, I can connects whole tipitaka together without conflicts.

A person of integrity (Sappurisa Sutta)

This sutta is about bluster. If you reveal or omissions to bluster by māna, you are no integrity.
Commentary commented like this, too.
There are the same sutta that have an example at the end that compare between fresh bride and senior bride doing with her husband's family:

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vadhukā yaññadeva rattiṃ vā divaṃ vā ānītā hoti, tāvadevassā tibbaṃ hirottappaṃ paccupaṭṭhitaṃ hoti sassuyāpi sasurepi sāmikepi antamaso dāsakam­ma­ka­ra­pori­sesu. Sā aparena samayena saṃvāsamanvāya vissāsamanvāya sassumpi sasurampi sāmikampi evamāha: ‘apetha, kiṃ pana tumhe jānāthā’ti. Evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu yaññadeva rattiṃ vā divaṃ vā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajito hoti, tāvadevassa tibbaṃ hirottappaṃ paccupaṭṭhitaṃ hoti bhikkhūsu bhikkhunīsu upāsakesu upāsikāsu antamaso ārāmi­ka­sama­ṇud­desesu. So aparena samayena saṃvāsamanvāya vissāsamanvāya ācariyampi upajjhāyampi evamāha: ‘apetha, kiṃ pana tumhe jānāthā’ti. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṃ sikkhitabbaṃ: ‘adhunā­gata­vadhu­kā­samena cetasā viharissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

There's a translation of that here:

Bhikkhus, from the night or day, that a young wife is brought along, her shame and remorse should be well established towards the father-in-law, mother-in-law, her husband and even towards slaves and workmen. -In the meantime, living together and won over their confidence, she would tell the father-in-law, the mother-in-law or her husband, -leave that alone, what do you know about that.
In the same manner bhikkhus, from the night or day a certain bhikkhu left the household and became homeless, his shame and remorse should be well established towards bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, lay disciples male and female and as far as the novices in the monastery -In the meantime, living together and won over their confidence, he would tell, his teacher, or even his preceptor, -leave that alone, what do you know about that.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: We should abide with the mind of a recently brought young wife.

Why did Buddha praise the vedic Agnihotra as the foremost sacrifice?

Why Buddha praises the vedic Agnihotra as the foremost sacrifice and the Gayatri mantra as the foremost meter in the Pali Canon?

aggihuttamukhā yaññā sāvittī chandaso mukham.
Sacrifices have the agnihotra as foremost; of meter the foremost is the Sāvitrī

"On the Buddha's Use of Some Brahmanical Motifs in Pali Texts"

Above quoted text is from M.N. Sela-Sutta, that buddha taught to selabrahmaṇa:

aggihuttamukhā yaññā sāvittī chandaso mukham.
Sacrifices have the agnihotra as foremost; of meter the foremost is the Sāvitrī

So, buddha didn't taught veda. Buddha just use selabrahmaṇa's knowledge, veda, to teach him the last line:

puññaṃ ākaṅkhamānānaṃ, saṅgho ve yajataṃ mukha’’nti
Saṅgha is the best foremost of wholesome-mind developers.

This last line is the real buddha's teaching. Your quoted line, veda, was used by buddha just as alike as a tool to make selabrahmmaṇa understand the last line.

How can you taught new language for a foreigners? You use their knew-language to teach them new language, right? That is what buddha did.

Why talaputta sutta wrote actors will go to hell?

In Talaputta Sutta:

When an actor on the stage, [he thinks that] after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing devas,' that is his wrong view. Now, there are two destinations for a person with wrong view, I tell you: either hell or the animal womb.

An actor is a mijjhā-ājīva in 8-mijjhā-magga, akusala-kammapatha-offense career that buddha said "reborn in hell", because it is 7th of 10 akusala kammapatha, that is micchā-jāca, samphappalāla-akusalakammapatha. And that mijjhā-ājīva is wrong livelihood in vanijjasutta (english translation).

The actor/singer career is direct hindrance career for the meditations, because 8 fold path require right speech and right action of right career first as adhi-sīla (observe-practice that is an important base of meditation-practice, higher level practice).

The last giving in Dana Mahapphala Sutta

Dana Sutta:

" — but with the thought, 'This is an ornament for the mind, a support for the mind' — on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of Brahma's Retinue. Then, having exhausted that action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a non-returner. He does not come back to this world.

At the end of sutta, said that the last dāna-method, your quote, is dāna of anāgāmi-ariya:

with the body’s breaking up, after death, he reappears in the company of Brahma’s Retinue. Then, having exhausted that karma, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a non-returner. He does not come back to this world.

So, in this sutta's commentary said:

"an adornment for the mind, a support for the mind" means a support for concentration-meditation-mind and insight-meditation-mind.

Because, anāgāmi-ariya completely & perfectly escaped five strands of sensuality, kāma-attachment, so his attachment in his gift can't arise anymore, too, because gift is five strands. So, dāna in the last method are the best, because it is giving as alike as anāgāmi-ariya's and arahanta-ariya's giving. These two ariya just give for meditation, mind development.

To understand tipitaka deeply, reciting & memorizing tipitaka are strongly required.

Paccayasutta Comment About Definition of dhātu, dhammaṭṭhitatā, dhammaniyāmatā, idappaccayatā

translated text of some part of paccayasutta:

Uppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ, ṭhitāva sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappaccayatā.
whether there is an arising of Tathagatas or no arising of Tathagatas, that element(=cause) still persists, the stableness-cause (cause of dhamma being) of the Dhamma(=result), the adjudger of the Dhamma (result will being or not is up to cause), specific conditionality.

"Commentary of Paccayasutta" wrote:

uppādā vā tathāgatānanti tathāgatānaṃ uppādepi, buddhesu uppannesu anuppannesupi jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ, jātiyeva jarāmaraṇassa paccayoฯ ṭhitāva sā dhātūti ṭhitova so paccayasabhāvo, na kadāci jāti jarāmaraṇassa paccayo na hotiฯ dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatāti imehipi dvīhi paccayameva kathetiฯ paccayena hi paccayuppannā dhammā tiṭṭhanti, tasmā paccayova dhammaṭṭhitatāti vuccatiฯ paccayo dhamme niyameti, tasmā dhammaniyāmatāti vuccatiฯ idappaccayatāti imesaṃ jarāmaraṇādīnaṃ paccayā idappaccayā, idappaccayāva idappaccayatāฯ tanti taṃ paccayaṃฯ
ftp://ftp1.puremind.org.tw/01%20%E5%8D%97%E5%82%B3%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99%E5%BA%AB/01%20%E5%8D%97%E5%82%B3%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99%E5%9C%96%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8/001%20Chattha%20Sangayana/48s0302a/s0302a-13.html

Translation:

uppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ="From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death" always going on. No matter what happens, nether universe having this buddha and another buddhas, nor don't having.
ṭhitāva sā dhātu=Cause (paccaya of paccayasamuppanna [result]) still be cause. No time, that birth will not be as a requisite condition of aging & death.
Cause is meaning, of this both words (paccaya): "dhammaṭṭhitatā (cause of result's being) dhammaniyāmatā (adjudger of result's being)". Because paccayuppannadhamma (result) stable (=being) by paccaya (cause), so buddha call paccaya (cause) as "dhammaṭṭhitatā". Because cause [paccaya] adjudge [being of] result (paccayuppanna), so buddha call paccaya (cause) as dhammaniyāmatā.
idappaccayatā=cause(paccaya) of this(=ida=imesaṃ) aging & death. Paccayatā is synonym of paccaya.
taṃ=that paccaya.

More explanation by me:

"Uppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ" = adjective of "dhātu".
"dhātu" = "attano sabhāvaṃ dhārentīti dhātuyoฯ (definition of dhātu is  'thing keep it's own condition[causes and result]. So in this sutta, dhatu refer to 'cause[paccaya]', because it keep it own 'result[paccayasamuppanna]')"
"sa dhātu"="sa paticca" because paticca keep it own paccayasamuppanna.
Example: 'birth' keep it own 'aging & death'. Have not  'birth', have not 'aging & death'.
So buddha said "[u]ṭhitāva sā dhātu[/u] [b]dhamma[/b][u]ṭṭhitatā[/u] [b]dhamma[/b][u]niyāmatā[/u] [b]idap[/b][u]paccayatā[/u]. "
Bold is cause(paticca). Underline is result (paticcasamuppanna).

For the definition about dhamma-word, see:
http://unmixedtheravada.blogspot.com/2016/12/more-than-11-different-definitions-of.html