Dear Sukhdev,

Please think nothing of this. It is a common error that even accomplished scholars
(significantly often, too) who make such errors. Often you will find wrong
bibliographical entries (wrong dates, references, etc). Sometimes I think this is out
of simple carelessness or the great minds do not care for such small details
important to the less adept student or reader.

Sukhi

Piya

Sukhdev Singh wrote:

> 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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