Dear Jayarava,

You are right. The older translations tend to read a bit of Protestantism
into it.

I noticed this "problem" when I was translating it some time back.

However, I have used "confession" as a subtitle in a contemporary
non-techical
sense just to ease reading a long text that has repetitive passages.

You will find my translation at:

http://dharmafarer.googlepages.com/10SamannaphalaSd2piya.doc

With metta,

Piya Tan

On Jan 19, 2008 8:12 PM, jayarava <jayarava@...> wrote:

> At the end of the Saama~n~naphala Sutta (DN 2) King Ajaatasattu tells
> the Buddha that he has killed his father. (PTS D i.85) The buddha
> accepts his "confession" - according to Rhys Davids and Walsh. Only,
> when I look at the Pali there is no word that can be construed as
> meaning confession.
>
> The king : accaya.m accayo disvaa
> - sees his trangression as a transgression, and he
> yathaadhamma.m pa.tikarosi
> - makes amends according to the dhamma.
> Dhamma can be interpreted in various ways but the context suggests
> that it simply in this case means whatever rules apply - ie the local
> morality.
>
> It seems as though both RD and Walsh are reading pa.tikaroti as
> meaning "confession" but PED suggests: to redress, repair, make amends
> for a sin [sic, but presumably meaning accayo], expiate. Buddhadatta
> agrees.
>
> Thanissaro follows PED and reads it as "making amends". Did Rhys
> Davids and Walsh just get this wrong do you think?
>
> Any comments greatly appreciated
> Jayarava
>
>
>



--
The Minding Centre
Blk 644 Bukit Batok Central #01-68 (2nd flr)
Singapore 650644
Website: dharmafarer.googlepages.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]