Flavio, Dimitri,
I can't bring much linguistic or etymological
expertise to this discussion, other than the fact that
the Pali noun "pakkhii" translates as "bird", but I do
know that the term "Wings to Awakening" is far more
expressive and poetic in English than the more literal
alternative translations that have been suggested.
Also the term "wings" to me carries beautifully the
sense of "freedom" associated with enlightenment.
Thus I think it's an excellent translation of the
term.

Mettaa,
John
--- "������� ��������� (Dimitry Ivakhnenko)"
<sangha@...> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> FC> bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma is usually translated as
> Wings to Awakening,
> FC> making the word dhamma somewhat implicit. I've
> found that pakkha
> FC> means "wing" or "adherent, associated with",
> among other meanings.
>
> In the PED 'pakkhiya' means strictly 'siding with,
> associating with';
> 'part, side'.
>
> In Monier-Williams dictionary we read:
> 'pak.siiya' - taking the side or party of, siding
> with (comp.).
>
> Whence are those 'wings'?
>
> In Anguttara Nikaya 9.1. there is a term
> 'sambodhipakkhikaana.m
> dhammaana.m', however 'pakkhika' means the same
> 'contributing to,
> leading to, associated with, siding with'.
>
> Monier-Williams:
> 'pak.sya' - siding or taking part with.
>
> FC> Considering that it is a list of "the Buddha's
> own list of his
> FC> most important teachings" and taking this second
> meaning of
> FC> pakkha, I think bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma would
> rather be translated
> FC> as something like "teachings associated with
> enlightment" or
> FC> "awakening-related teachings".
>
> I would suggest 'mental qualities siding with
> enlightenment'.
>
> FC> However, I have never found this rendering
> before. Is there any
> FC> simile where these teachings are explicitly
> refered to as wings,
> FC> or maybe the common rendering is something not
> really meant in the
> FC> original expression?
>
> 'Pakkhiya' and 'pakkhika' are adjectives, and can't
> represent a noun.
>
> Will we translate 'muugapakkhikaa' or even
> 'muugapakkho' as 'wing of
> deafness?
>
> The term 'bodhipakkha' is found four times in three
> late commentarial
> works. 'Ta.nhaapakkha' and 'di.t.thipakkha' are also
> a later
> invention.
>
> Mettaa,
> Dimitry
>
>

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