Dear Yifer,

> In Verse 799,

> Ditthim pi lokasmim na kappayeyya nane na va silavate,
> Na vapi samoti attanam anupaneyya hino na mannetha visesi
> vapi.

di.t.thimpi lokasmi.m na kappayeyya, ~naa.nena vaa siilavatena vaapi,
samoti attaanamanuupaneyya, hiino na ma~n~netha visesi vaapi.

> Norman's translation is:

> Nor should he form a view in the world because of knowledge
> or virtuous conduct and vows. He should not represent
> himself as equal, nor should he think of himself as
> inferior, nor as superior.

> According to "Concise P-E dictionary" by Mahaathera
> Buddhadatta, "ditthi" means belief and "dittha" means views
> and vision. Norman translated it as view instead of belief.
> Is there a conflict between these two explanations?

My copy gives 'seen' and 'vision' for di.t.tha, and 'dogma',
'theory' and 'belief' for di.t.thi. This seems about right,
though it is much more common nowadays for di.t.thi to be
translated as 'view'. But Buddhadatta's dictionary is really
little more than a word-list and not at all adequate for
serious study. For looking up Pali words it would be better
to use either the old _Pali English Dictionary_ by Rhys
Davids and Stead, or the new one by Cones. The former is now
available online if you cannot afford to buy a copy. (Does
anyone know the url?). In it you will find half a page on
'di.t.tha' and nearly a whole page on 'di.t.thi'.

The main meaning of di.t.tha as an adjective is 'visible',
'seen'; and as a noun it most often means 'that which is
seen' or 'that which is present now' (either right at this
moment, or else in the present life). As for di.t.thi, this
would encompass views, opinions, dogmas, and also beliefs
(at least in some senses of the word 'belief'). But perhaps
it will easier if I just paste in part of the PED's entry for
di.t.thi, minus the textual references:

Di.t.thi (f.) [Sk. d.r.s.ti; cp. dassana] view, belief,
dogma, theory, speculation, esp. false theory, groundless or
unfounded opinion. (a) The latter is rejected by the Buddha
as paapadi.t.thi and paapikaa di.t.thi (opp. bhaddikaa);
whereas the right, the true, the best doctrine is as sammaa
di.t.thi the first condition to be complied with by anyone
entering the Path. As such the sammaa di.t.thi is opposed to
micchaa di.t.thi, wrong views or heresy (see b). Equivalent
with micchaa di.t.thi is kudi.t.thi.

(b) Characterized more especially as: -- (a) sammaa di.t.thi
right doctrine, right philosophy. See magga. -- (b) micchaa
di.t.thi wrong theory, false doctrine (caused by avijjaa).

The following theories are to be considered as varieties of
micchaa di.t.thi, viz. (in limited enumeration)
akiriyavaada; a~n~na.m a~n~nena; antaggaahikaa;
antaanantikaa; assaadadi.t.thi; ahetukavaadaa;
ucchedavaadaa; bhavadi.t.thi; sakkaayadi.t.thi (20 fold, as
di.t.thilepa); sassatavaadaa.

-- (c) Various theories & doctrines are mentioned &
discussed at ... [snip]

-- (d) Miscellaneous: 4 di.t.thiyo (sakkaayadi.t.thi,
ucchedadi.t.thi, sassatadi.t.thi, akiriyadi.t.thi); see
under sakkaayadi.t.thi; 62 under di.t.thigata.

-- In series di.t.thi khanti ruci laddhi characterizing
"di.t.thadhamma". Di.t.thiyaa sutiyaa ~naa.nena in def. of a
theory of cognition as complementing ta.nhaa: see ta.nhaa B
3. Coupled with vaacaa & citta in formula (ta.m) vaaca.m
appahaaya citta.m appahaaya di.t.thi.m appa.tinissajjitvaa .
. . (nikkhitto eva.m niraye); combined with (& opposed to)
siila (as paapaka & bhaddaka).

-- di.t.thi.m aasevati to hold a view; di.t.thi.m bhindati
to give up a view. di.t.thaanugati a sign of speculation.
di.t.thaanusaya inclination to speculation; di.t.thaasava
the intoxicant of speculation, the 3rd of four aasavaa, viz.
kaamaasava, bhavaasava, di.t.thaasava, avijjaasava; cp.
di.t.thogha; di.t.thupadaanaa taking up or adhering to false
doctrines, the 2nd of the four upaadaanaani or attachments,
viz. kaama-upaadaana, di.t.thi-upaadaana,
siilabbata-upaadaana, attavaada-upaadaana; di.t.thogha the
flood of false doctrine, in set of four ogha's as under
di.t.thaasava; di.t.thikantaara the wilderness of groundless
speculation; see di.t.thigata; di.t.thiga.n.thi the web or
tangle of sophisticism; cp. di.t.thisanghaa.ta; di.t.thigata
(nt.) "resorting to views," theory, groundless opinion,
false doctrine, often followed by series of characterizing
epithets: di.t.thigahana, di.t.thikantaara, di.t.thivisuuka,
di.t.thivipphandita, di.t.thisa~n~nojana .......

[The remainder of the entry is mostly about di.t.thi in
compound words]

> Also, Shall I treat both "loke" and "lokasmi.m." as
> locative, is there any difference between these two words?

No, they are both locative singular of loka (though the form
'loke' can also be accusative plural). In Pali verse one form
might be preferred to the other for metrical reasons, but
there is no difference between them in meaning.

Best wishes,

Dhammanando