Dear Rodney,
I am glad you appreciate commentaries. See below.
op 15-10-2003 22:36 schreef ryhorikawa op ryhorikawa@...:

Just a minor footnote from the Chinese

> translation of the Mahaparinirvana-sutra (Dirghagama): For
> sukkaramaddava the Chinese text in Taisho Shinshu Daizokyo
> Vol1, pg 18b reads "mei t'an shu erh" ( a type of tree fungus?).

N: I had read that Chinese sources interprete sukkaramaddava as fungus. This
subject has been much discussed. The Theravada Co. interprete it as tender
pork. Here is another text:
The ³Clarifier of the Sweet Meaning², the Commentary to the ³Chronicle of
Buddhas², in the Exposition of ³The Differences between the Buddhas²,
relates what is the regulation for all Buddhas. Among the thirty
regulations, we read about the twentyninth:
³Partaking of the flavour of meat on the day of the final nibbana.²
This clearly states that the ³súkaramaddava² the Buddha consumed on the day
of his final passing away was meat.
This is one issue. The other issue is: did the Buddha become ill because
of, or after the meal? On account of the second issue, Suan helps us to look
at the grammar, because this is of assistance to interprete suttas.
Therefore I found Suan's posts helpful for this list. These can exhort us to
study grammar, not to neglect it. It also demonstrates that the commentators
were most careful.
We learn now that the genitive case can also used as insrtumental (kaaraka).
Now, see Warder, lesson 10. Warder is very short, but still, it indicates
this. Very interesting.
Ms. Horner, in her intro to The ³Clarifier of the Sweet Meaning², has one
section on grammar and explains that changes of cases occur. The accusative
case (second one) can also have the
sense of the instrumental (the third, kara.na). The instrumental can have
the meaning of locative (the seventh). There can be changes of tenses
(kaalavipariyaaya), change of gender, li"ngavipariyaasa.
Ms Horner states: <Though case changes appear to be considered to merit
commentarial mention it is never said that the case used was an error,
merely that it was to be understood in the sense of another case.>
Nina.
P.S. I would greatly appreciate additional remarks from experts like Suan
and Dimitri!