Dear Michel Henri DUFOUR

Welcome to the world of Paali, Sammaabhaasaa, The Right Language.

Even though you may not aim to be a Paali scholar, there is no harm
in studying Paali.

In ancient Pagan, in Myanmar, it was said that even village girls,
while they were doing household chores such as fetching water
carrying water pots on their heads, or pounding rice, or looking
after the fields, or minding children, learnt Paali and recited
whatever learnt wherever they happened to be - in the fields, in the
village meeting places, near the village well and the like.

Hope this story inspired you ( and all Pali List members ) to study
Paali more deeply.

With kind regards,

Suan Lu Zaw

http://www.bodhiology.org

--- In Pali@..., Michel Henri DUFOUR <mhd-abt@...> wrote:


Greetings to all Dhamma friends
I am Michel Henri Dufour, born in 1947, married, with 4 children, and
presently living in France.
I read my first Buddhist book when 16 years old and never stopped
being
involved in the Dhamma since then, beginning within the Zen tradition
(owing
to my practice of martial arts at that time) but soon leaving for
Theravaada. I spent quite a lot of time in the monasteries in England
and in
Thailand where I met Ajahn Chah and the Thai forest tradition with
which I
have been related since 1974.
I started studying Paali with Venerable Saddhatissa when he was
incumbent of
the (Sri Lankan) London Buddhist Vihaara, almost 30 years ago, and
the monks
residing at Vat Buddhapadiipa in London. I am nevertheless definitely
not a
scholar in Paali (and don't feel like becoming one), Paali being for
me just
a tool to help improving my pratice by getting in touch with the very
roots
of the Buddha's teachings.
In my native town I run a meditation group within an Association
whose main
aim is the creation of a Vihaara in South Burgundy.
I regularly write articles in the French magazine «Samsaara» and other
bulletins or reviews.

I do hope our web contacts will prove fruitful for everybody.
Best wishes.