Viharatha/ The conjugation "atha" signifies "verb, 2nd person plural"?
Attadiipaa/ Then the declension "aa" signifies " plural."
(nominative?)
If so does this make "atta" and "Diipa" both plural?
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Mrs. Rhys Davids, founder of the Pali Text Society, says: "We
are here up against the difficulty of equating Indian with European
idiom. The former uses no possessive pronoun with the reflexive
pronoun... 'Yourselves' is then wrong" (_What Was the Original
Gospel in "Buddhism"_, 1938).
Any Idea's?, seems most translations use something like "Be
island/lamps onto yourselves"?
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The Pali Text Society's Dictionary states the Dipa can according to
it context be either an island,a lamp or that which illuminates.
Walpola Rahula in "What the Buddha taught" states -
The Digha Nikaya ancient commentary commenting on the word dipa
says,"Mahasamuddagatam dipam viya attam dipam patittham katva
viharatha" "Dwell making yourselves an island,a support, even as an
island in the great ocean"
Samsara is often compared to an ocean,Samsarasagara, and what is
required in the ocean for saftey/refuge is an island.
Anyone have any other ideas on why Island or lamp is used?
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