Hi Anthony,

The Merriam Webster 3rd International defines ridgepole as
"the highest horizontal timber in a roof and the receiver of the upper ends of the
rafters."

The ridgepole is like the spine, and the rafters like the rib-bones (if the skeleton
were lying down on his stomach, that is).

Sukhi

Piya

Nina van Gorkom wrote:

> Dear Anthony,
> op 10-01-2005 03:22 schreef Antony Woods op antony272b@...:
>
> > "Through many a birth in Samsara wandered I,
> > seeking but not finding the builder of the house.
> > Sorrowful is birth again and again.
> > O housebuilder, thou art seen!
> > Thou shall build no house again.
> > All thy rafters are broken;
> > the ridge-pole is shattered.
> > My mind has attained the unconditioned.
> > Achieved is the end of suffering."
> >
> > Dhammapada (vv. 153-154) According to the commentary, these verses are the
> > Buddha's "Song of Victory," his first utterance after his Enlightenment. The
> > house is individualized existence in samsara, the house-builder craving, the
> > rafters the passions and the ridge-pole ignorance.
> > http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/dpnotes.htm
> >
> > He would like to know which is the original pali word for "ridge-pole"
> > and the original literal meaning. Do you think you are able to find it?
> N: ridge pole or peak of a house: gahakuu.ta.m. Gaha is house. Kuu.ta.m:
> horn, prominent point, top, pinnacle.
> Rafter: phaasuka: rib, flank. Here translated as rafter.
> sabbaa te phaasuka bhaggaa,
> gahakuu.ta.m visa.nkhita.m
>
> Nina.
>
>
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