Hi, Derek,
DC> Well, I think my idea of producing something that would be useful to people
DC> who don't know Pali was a bit ambitious. Still, for what it's worth, I've
DC> put the end results of our work in the "Files" section of the Pali list:
DC>
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pali/files/an07-07-08.htm
Thank you, indeed it had benefited at least one person who doesn't
know Pali, i.e. me :) , and hopefully our electronic listeners.
DC> Though I hope I've got now got the translation right, I suspect that I
DC> haven't, so I've provided a link on that page for posting on-list
DC> corrections.
I mostly agree with the translation, except for Tasmaatiha ...
sentence in the end. Maybe some Pali expert will be kind enough to
clarify this sentence, or even so generous to clean up the whole
translation?
Or is there Pali Text Society translation to compare it with?
DC> And what next?
DC> For me, I'd like to do something from any of the following:
DC> Udaana
DC> Itivuttaka
DC> Suttanipaata
Interesting choice. Would you elaborate your reasons?
What about Suttanipaata 2.11 Rahula Sutta with Atthakatha commentary?
The sutta itself is quite precise, early, practical and laconic.
Commentary adds dimensions to it, revealing links and hidden meanings.
The sutta has been translated and is available at Access to Insight,
so we'll have something to rely on, and the Commentary sentences are
quite simple, being mostly definitions.
I discovered Atthakatha on Chattha Sangayana CD and it recently gave
me some long sought answers about meanings of words and suttas,
relationships between suttas, etc.
The end result - sutta with first-hand commentary - would indeed be
valuable and will have deep implications for actual practice.
We can translate them simultaneously, having opportunity to clarify
exact meanings of the words along the way.
Or if it is verses that you are looking for, there is less explored
land - Apadana in Khuddaka Nikaya 1.26, with short biography of Rahula in
18 verses. It is rare to learn an overall biographical account of
arahant's life, especially such one as Ven. Rahula has been. Concise
Atthakatha commentary is also available for it.
If you'd like to look first at commentaries before making decision, I
can send them to you at any time in convenient MS Word format.
Metta,
Dimitry