(The editied version of the off-list letter To Thomas Law)

Dear Thomas Law and all

How are you?

Thomas Law asked:

"How do you know that the Pali verb was actually spoken by the
Buddha?"

Abhidhamma Pi.taka is within Khuddaka Nikaaya. Nikaaya Pali texts
embody the words of the Buddha and his disciples who are Arahants.

What the Arahants teach are the same as those taught by the Buddha
in the sense that they are either the exact words or restatements of
the words of the Buddha.

This uniformity in words and meanings between the teachings of the
Buddha and his Arahant disciples is made possible by the Noble
Eightfold Path being followed and practiced exactly by them to
perfection.

Now, if you are questioning if Pali is the original language used by
the Buddha and his Arahant disciples, my answer is yes. How do I
know this? I know this because it is stated by the ancient Buddhist
masters in Pali texts. I believe them because I do not see any
reason why they would tell lies. Telling lies is against the Vinaya
rules, and Theravada ascetics follow the Pali Vinaya rules.

I hope that I have answered your question.

Suan Lu Zaw


PS - Are you a relative of BC Law, the great translator of Pali
texts published by the Pali Text Society?

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "thomaslaw03" <thomaslaw03@...> wrote:


> Suan
>
> > Please also note how the Buddha repeated the verb 'hoti' for
each
> > menal associate.
> >
>
> How do you know that the Pali verb was actually spoken by the
Buddha?
>
> Thomas Law
>
> --- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "abhidhammika" <suanluzaw@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Dear Dimitry, Nina, Jim and all
> >
> > Dimitry wrote:
> >
> > "Though all models are a matter of conventionality, I find the
> > ramified model more exact. It also better agrees with the
findings
> > of modern neurophysiology that the input signals are
simultaneously
> > processed by several subsystems of neural systems. Thus the
> > processing of the signals by vedanaa and sa~n~naa is better
> > described as not sequential but parallel, though these processes
> are
> > of course interrelated."
> >
> > Please read the following from
> >
> > Dhammasanganii, Abhidhaamma
> > Pi.taka.
> >
> > 1. Cittuppaadaka.n.dam
> >
> > Kaamaavacarakusalam
> >
> > Padabhaajanii
> >
> > 1. Katame dhammaa kusalaa? Yasmim samaye kaamaavacaram
> > kusalam cittam uppannam hoti somanassasahagatam
ñaa.nasampayuttam
> > ruupaaramma.nam vaa saddaaramma.nam vaa gandhaaramma.nam vaa
> > rasaaramma.nam vaa pho.t.thabbaaramma.nam vaa dhammaaramma.nam
> vaa
> > yam yam vaa panaarabbha, tasmim samaye phasso hoti, vedanaa
> > hoti, saññaa hoti, cetanaa hoti, cittam hoti, vitakko hoti, …"
> >
> > The above passage shows that when a mental event happens by
taking
> > one or another of the six stimuli, namely, the five sense
objects
> > and one mental object, relevant mental associates such as
contact,
> > feeling, memory, activation, thinking and the like also arise
> > simultaneously.
> >
> > Please note the clause "cittam hoti" which the Buddha
intentionally
> > included to indicate the mind and its mental associates
(cetasikas)
> > arise simultaneously.
> >
> > Please also note how the Buddha repeated the verb 'hoti' for
each
> > menal associate.
> >
> > With regards,
> >
> > Suan
> >
> > http://www.bodhiology.org

> >