From: Piya Tan
Message: 6136
Date: 2005-01-13
> I think I owe the members of this forum as well as Ong
> Yong Peng amd Piya Tan a more detailed aplogy as to
> how is it that I came to misread/misunderstand the
> statement on Ven. Nyanatiloka's passing away.
>
> I bought the Buddhist Dicrtionary about two months ago
> and read all the prefaces. The crucial paragraph
> which I misunderstood was as below:
>
> <<<The present revised and enlarged Third Edition was
> intended to be issued in commemoration of the tenth
> anniversary of the Venerable Author's passing away on
> the 28th May 1957. But due to unavoidable
> circumstances the publication had to be delayed.>>>
>
> The phrase from the above paragraph which made the
> heaviest impresion upon me was "in commemoration of
> the tenth anniversary". And according to this
> impression, two months ago, I made a little note by
> the side of the paragraph saying "The author passed
> away in 1947".
>
> Obviously I thought that the year 1957 was the tenth
> aniversay of the passing of the Ven.
>
> Which actually means that it was the dictionary that
> was published ten years after his passsing, that is in
> the year 1967, and not that the author passed away ten
> years earlier, that is in the year 1947.
>
> Actually there is nothing in this dictionary to
> indicate that it was published in the year 1967, not
> even in the page where one may find the lists of
> "first print, second print, third print" and so on.
>
> This is just my inference based on that crucial
> paragraph above.
>
> And next, how is it that I came to realise this
> mistake.
>
> This morning, for the first time, I turned to look at
> the back cover, and there staring right in front of me
> below the name of "German Monk-scholar Ven.
> Nyanatiloka" were the dates (1879 - 1957).
>
> Again my most humble apologies, and I thank the forum
> for being there, otherwise I would have gone on
> thinking that Ven. Nyanatiloka passed away in the year
> 1947.
>
> regards
>
> Sukhdev Singh
>
> --- Sukhdev Singh <sukh2val@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Hi Piya,
> >
> > I know that, Piya, as a matter of fact there is
> > nothing in my post that indicates that Ven.
> > Nyanaponika is the compiler. Ven. Nyanaponika is
> > definitely the editor of the revised and enlarged
> > version.
> >
> > This is the statement from my post:
> >
> > <<< The most poignant matter that I learnt was about
> > how Ven. Nyanatiloka completed this dictionary and
> > other publications while at the "Central Internment
> > Camp" in Dehra-Dun, India. >>>
> >
> > Anyway, I am not surprised that you mixed up the
> > situation. Differentiating between these two
> > venerable
> > personalities within the same post, I have found
> > out,
> > is a rather "subtle skill" and it cant be
> > acomplished
> > with just one reading, or worst, with just a quick
> > browse.
> >
> > Possibly because of their similiar sounding names,
> > both beginning with the "preffix", if I may borrow
> > that term, "Nyana".
> >
> > But the dates are still a question mark..., doesnt
> > really matter though. I have already learnt what
> > there was to learn from that post for my needs.
> > Thanks
> > for your response.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Sukhdev
> > --- Piya Tan <libris@...> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Sukhdev,
> > >
> > > If you check the Buddhist Dictionary again, you
> > will
> > > notice that the compiler is Ven
> > > Nyanatiloka (1878-1957), and not Nyanaponika.
> > >
> > > Sukhi
> > >
> > > Piya
> > >
> > > Sukhdev Singh wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Ong Yong Peng,
> > > >
> > > > I might be using your Pali forum for my learning
> > > in a little
> > > > different way. I visited your `genesis' and it
> > > was very
> > > > interesting to find out how the reigns of this
> > > forum were placed in
> > > > your hands way back in the year 2001 and how
> > you,
> > > with the help of
> > > > other members, have progressed from there.
> > > >
> > > > However, it was msg #9 that got this response
> > > going because I
> > > > recognised the name of Ven. Nyanaponika
> > Mahathera
> > > as the person who
> > > > edited the third and enlarged revised version
> > of
> > > the "Buddhist
> > > > Dictionary" authored by his beloved teacher and
> > > mentor Ven.
> > > > Nyanatiloka. I happen to own a copy of this
> > > wonderful dictionary,
> > > > mine, having been published by the Buddhist
> > > Missionary Soceity, based
> > > > at the Buddhist Maha Vihara, here in Kuala
> > Lumpur,
> > > Malaysia.
> > > >
> > > > The most poignant matter that I learnt was about
> > > how Ven. Nyanatiloka
> > > > completed this dictionary and other
> > publications
> > > while at
> > > > the "Central Internment Camp" in Dehra-Dun,
> > > India. This
> > > > matter appears in the "Preface to the First
> > > Edition" dated
> > > > 28-8-1946, from the the premises of the "Central
> > > Internment Camp".
> > > >
> > > > All that you have posted in your post helped to
> > > fill in the gap and
> > > > the "mystery" of the "Central Internment Camp".
> > > >
> > > > However, I would also like to take this
> > > opporuinity to hightlight
> > > > possible discrepancies in your dates about the
> > > passing away of Ven.
> > > > Nyanatiloka.
> > > >
> > > > The date given in the "Editor's (Ven.
> > Nyanaponika
> > > Mahathera)
> > > > Preface to the Third Edition" is 28th May 1947
> > and
> > > not May 1957 as you
> > > > have mentined in your post.
> > > >
> > > > Actually, it is not directly mentioned like this
> > > but here is the
> > > > statement :
> > > >
> > > > <<<The present revised and enlarged Third
> > Edition
> > > was intended to be
> > > > issued in commemoration of the tenth anniversary
> > > of the Venerable
> > > > Author's passing away on the 28th May 1957.>>>
> > > >
> > > > Your two statements are as follows:
> > > >
> > > > <<< Like his teacher, Ven. Nyanatiloka
> > > (1878-1957), also from
> > > > Germany,... >>>
> > > >
> > > > And
> > > >
> > > > <<<In May 1957 Ven. Nyanatiloka passed away
> > after
> > > a long illness.>>>
> > > >
> > > > Anyway, your post about the good Venerable and
> > > some information about
> > > > his mentor is rather long and I need more time
> > to
> > > study it after I
> > > > have printed a hard copy of it.
> > > >
> > > > Let me also join some other early members, some
> > of
> > > whose posts I
> > > > have read, in congratulating you on your good
> > work
> > > on this forum
> > > > which has brought benefit to many students of
> > the
> > > Dhamma.
> > > >
> > > > Regards
> > > >
> > > > Sukhdev Singh
> > > >
> > > > --- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Ong Yong Peng"
> > > <ypong001@...> wrote:
> > > > > Ven. Nyanaponika Mahathera a hundred years
> > from
> > > birth
> > > > >
> > > > > Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
> > > > > President and Editor-in-Chief, Buddhist
> > > Publication Society
> > > > >
> > > > > Introduction
> > > > >
> > > > > July 21st this year marks the hundredth birth
> > > anniversary of the
> > > > late Ven. Nyanaponika Mahathera and on this
> > > occasion I wish to offer
> > > > some reflections on the significance of his life
> > > and work. Ven.
> > > > Nyanaponika was a colossal bridge-builder in
> > > understanding who
> > > > through his writings helped to shape the
> > > contemporary expression of
> > > > Theravada Buddhism. A thinker with deep insight
> > > into the human
> > > > condition, a gifted communicator and masterly
> > > stylist, he sought in
> > > > his writings to relate the Buddha's teachings to
> > > the momentous
> > > > existential problems that face humankind in the
> > > modern age. Like his
> > > > teacher, Ven. Nyanatiloka (1878-1957), also from
> > > Germany, he
> > > > possessed a thorough and profound grasp of the
> > > essential principles
> > > > of the Dhamma. But as a creative thinker he went
> > > far beyond the
> > > > exposition of orthodox Buddhist doctrine and
> > > clarification of
> > > > technical terms to forge a distinctive vision of
> > > Dhamma which is at
> > > > once uniquely his own yet true to the authentic
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
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