Bhante & Sutta friends,

I have consistently worked on the Sutta Discovery for over 2 years now.
I am pleasantly
surprised at the positive response to the Sutta Discovery classes when I
first
introduced it. However, these classes are still small compared to those
on "popular"
Buddhism. However, my main motivation is a great curiosity to understand
the profound
meanings of the Dharma in the Suttas. For me the Pali Suttas (and
Sanskrit Sutras)
are like ancient hieroglyphics whose true meanings remains to be
discovered. So I am
like a child in a mystery shop when I am translating the Suttas.

My meeting with Bhante Sujato has significantly broadened and deepened
the scope of
my work. He has especially resurrected my interests in finding the links
of the
Nikayas with the Agamas, learning the early Chinese Buddhists texts (a
slow and
tedious task, but not impossible), and generally trying to get closer to
the Buddha.

VISION OF THE SUTTA DISCOVERY SERIES

Current scholars are doing a great job of interpreting the Suttas on the
level of the
letter, and I summarize, paraphrase and critique them where I find them
relevant for
our learning purposes. It is good to know there are more and more
Buddhist
"theologians," as those intrepid scholars who openly lion-roar their
faith in
Buddhism can be called--especially after the ground-breaking book
entitled "Buddhist
Theology" (2000).

There is a growing grassroots support for the Sutta Discovery, but I
hope more
"higher-level" Buddhist workers would respond to make the Sutta
Discovery series
better known, or rather better used. My aim is not to re-translate the 4
Nikayas,
much less the Tipitaka, although I might just do that if I live lucidly
long enough.
My real purpose is to encourage other non-academic Buddhist researchers
and teachers
to be undividedly accurate and consistent in their writings, teaching
and references
to the Buddhist texts. (Many of us, for example, have read excellent
Burmese books on
the Dharma in English, but their English and referencing system leaves
much to be
desired.)

With an international standards in our research and study style, we can
have a more
effective and accurate transmission of the Dharma in the written
tradition. I hope
also to bridge a gap in the Buddhist community, especially here in
Singapore (and
hopefully in Malaysia, too), that is, those who have gone beyond the
popular assembly
hall Buddhism but are not academic scholars or experts. For that reason
I have tried
to use simple language, paragraphing, subtitling, footnotes and
illustrations, and at
the same time maintain a reasonably good level of English and
comparative critique.
This way, the academic scholars, too, may find the Sutta Discovery
series useful. In
fact, younger students of Buddhism are beginning to use these Sutta
Discovery
materials in their theses, besides other Buddhist communities and
retreat centres in
the USA and Australia.

WHY I HAVE NOT PUBLISHED

Publishing the Sutta Discovery series on a commercial scale is a
difficult task for
me as I prefer to focus on the research, writing and teaching of the
Suttas, a task
quite formidable since I am working practically alone while looking
after my own
nuclear family (2 sons and a wife). Partly also it is because of their
emotional
support that I am able to live this wonderful adventure of Nikaya
detective work,
soon to include Agamas, too.

The Sutta Discovery series began as teaching notes, and still remain so.
I have
freely used illustrations, cartoons and other media (mostly downloaded
from the Net)
where I find them helpful. As such, to publish the SD series means
either these
sections have to seek special licensing or approval, or they have to be
simply
removed from the texts. The way they are now, anyone can easily use them
for learning
and teaching purposes.

>From what I learn from other published scholars (I can hear Stephen Hodge acquescing,

but not he alone) who have remarked on how publishers often take
advantage of
writers. Besides, this is also an experiment in Right Livelihood, to see
how the
Buddhist Community at large would support me (morally and economically)
through using
my materials. However, my priority, as I have said, is to be a part of
the learning
network, seeking to discover the common roots of our spiritual
traditions. We are all
veritable Tripitakas in the living version of Journey West!

I have worked on the Sutta Discovery series as part of my self-education
in the Dharma,
but it would be great to have fellow seekers. Please publicise the SD
series if you
find it useful, which would help to improve its quality even more.

May this Indra's net of Pali jewels grow brighter and wider.

Sukhi

Piya Tan

-------------------


Bhante Sujato wrote:

> Hi Piya tan
>
> --- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Piya Tan <libris@...> wrote:
> > Bhante,
> >
> > Is it possible to resolve the compound as
> >
> > eka y anvaaya
> >
> > However, this does not explains the lengthening in the first
> terminal vowel of eka.
> >
> Right. But the phrase 'dhammanvaayam' (dhamm-anvaayam, 'inference or
> entailment of the dhamma) occurs elsewhere in the Satipatthana
> Samyutta, and i wonder whether the reading ekaayanvaaya was resolved
> to avoid confusion.
>
> Yes, some copies of your files would be great. But my dial-up
> connection is woefully slow, so if they're big it might be best to
> wait till next i come to Singapore.
>
> We're still working through your sutta discovery series. It's a
> great shame these are not more widely available!
>
> in Dhamma
>
> bhante Sujato
>
> > >
> >
> > Bhante Sujato wrote:
> >
> > > Thanks Jim
> > >
> > > So it seems the com and Tika are right, and ekaayanvaaya.m is the
> > > authentic reading of the samyutta tradition.
> > >
> > > peace
> > >
> > > Bhante Sujato
> > >
> > > > I found that 'ekaayanvaaya.m' occurs in the Thai Budsir IV
> version
> > > of
> > > > the sutta and, furthermore, it occurs a total of 10 times in
> the
> > > same
> > > > Mahaavagga volume of the Sa.myuttanikaaya according to the
> search
> > > > results (not counting the possibility of more in the peyyala
> > > > sections). The PTS reading in the sutta also has 'ekaayano
> ayam'
> > > but
> > > > there is a footnote for a reading in a Burmese ms in Paris: -
> > > nvaayam.
> > > >
> > > > The .tiikaa comments on the sandhi:
> > > >
> > > > 367. Ekaayanvaayanti sandhivasena vutta.m o-kaarassa va-
> kaara.m
> > > > a-kaarassa diigha.m katvaa. Aya.m kira sa.myuttaabhilaapo, ...
> > > >
> > > > 'Aya.m kira sa.myuttaabhilaapo,' (?? this, it seems, is the
> > > Sa.myutta
> > > > wording) as if the commentator thought the sandhi-form unusual.
> > > >
> > > > Best wishes,
> > > > Jim
> > >
> > >
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> > >
>
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