Re: Pile of Fire Simile

Hi, Dimitry,

Excellent approach -- find the same word elsewhere! I guess your CSCD
can do that? What a wonderful tool for study and research!


PALI

Pañcimaani, bhikkhave, anaagatabhayaani sampassamaanena alameva
aaraññikena bhikkhunaa appamattena aataapinaa pahitattena viharitu.m
appattassa pattiyaa anadhigatassa adhigamaaya asacchikatassa
sacchikiriyaaya.

THANISSARO BHIKKHU TRANSLATION

Monks, these five future dangers are just enough, when considered,
for a monk living in the wilderness - heedful, ardent, and resolute -
to live for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of
the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized.

VOCABULARY

Pañcimaani = these five
bhikkhave = O monks (vocative)
anaagatabhayaani = not-yet-come-dangers (i.e., future dangers)
sampassamaanena = (TO BE DECIDED!) (instrumental)
alameva = ala.m + eva = it is right
aaraññikena = by a forest-dwelling or living in seclusion
(instrumental)
bhikkhunaa = by a monk (instrumental)
appamattena = heedful (instrumental)
aataapinaa = zealous, striving, ardent (instrumental)
pahitattena = resolute, energetic (instrumental)
viharitu.m = to live, abide, dwell (infintive; related to
ala.m)
appattassa = unattained (dative or genitive)
pattiyaa = obtaining, unattaining (dative or genitive)
anadhigatassa = unreached (genitive or dative)
adhigamaaya = acquisition, attaining (can ONLY be dative of
purpose)
asacchikatassa = unrealized (genitive or dative)
sacchikiriyaaya = realizing (genitive or dative)

So ... I note that all that great string of instrumentals agree with
the instrumental monk (bhikhhunaa).

At the risk of making a fool of myself by trying to correct the
venerable Ajahn, I think that "thoroughly seeing" (i.e., thoroughly
seeing the five future dangers) is a better translation than "having
considered," although the syntax of the Pali makes the sentence a bit
hard to render in English (for me, anyway!).


As for our sentence ...

IN PALI

'attattha.m vaa, bhikkhave, sampassamaanena alameva appamaadena
sampaadetu.m; parattha.m vaa, bhikkhave, sampassamaanena alameva
appamaadena sampaadetu.m; ubhayattha.m vaa, bhikkhave,
sampassamaanena alameva appamaadena sampaadetu.m'

IN ENGLISH -- PREVIOUS VERSION

For your own benefit, monks, it is right to strive with vigilance and
heedfulness; for the benefit of others, monks, it is
right to strive with vigilance and heedfulness; for the benefit of
both, monks, it is right to strive with vigilance and heedfulness."

IN ENGLISH -- POSSIBLE NEW VERSION

Throughly seeing [what is to] your own benefit, monks, it is right to
strive with heedfulness; throughly seeing [what is to] the benefit of
others, monks, it is right to strive with heedfulness; [and]
throughly seeing [what is to] the benefit of both, monks, it is right
to strive with heedfulness."


Well, at this point, I'd like to invite one of our experienced
translators to comment!


Derek.