In ~Naa.namoli's "Path of Purification", section on mindfulness of
breathing, there is the following:
"Or alternatively, this mindfulness of breathing as a meditation subject -
*which is foremost among the various meditation subjects of all Buddhas,
[some] Pacceka Buddhas and [some] Buddhas' disciples* as a basis for
attaining distinction and abiding in bliss here and now - is not easy to
develop without leaving the neighbourhood of villages...noise being a thorn
to jhaana."
(Path of Purification VIII 155)
It seems to me that the passage I have placed within asterisks is a
mistranslation.
The Pali phrase (in the Burmese 6th Council edition) is
"kamma.t.thaanappabhede muddhabhuuta.m
sabba~n~nubuddha-paccekabuddha-buddhasaavakaana.m", which should surely be
rendered:
"foremost among the various meditation subjects of omniscient Buddhas,
paccekaabuddhas and Buddhas' disciples."
That is to say, it is the foremost meditation subject not only for
Sammaasambuddhas but for every type of Aryan.
As far as I can see the word "some" in ~Naa.namoli's rendering is neither
found nor even implied in the Pali. The word "all" (sabba) is found,
but it qualifies a~n~nuu, "the knowing one", hence meaning "of the Buddhas
who know all" not "of all Buddhas who know".
I find this mistranslation puzzling. Though ~Naa.namoli wasn't infallible,
he was certainly very careful and the above mistake is a most elementary
one -- especially the fact that he has ignored the word "a~n~nuu"
altogether. This makes me wonder if he was translating from a manuscript
with a different reading from that of the 6th Council edition. If anyone
has a copy of the PTS edition of the Visuddhimagga (or any other for that
matter) I would appreciate it if you would check the reading for the
passage above. It should be found somewhere near the beginning of the
aanaapaanassatikathaa (on page 269 in the PTS edition).