Dear Nina;

> Maybe you can share something you learn from Ven.
> Bodhi about this subject.

I think it is his general approach to teaching, glossing or
translating Pali to English **phrase by phrase** that is most
interesting (and can also be turned into flash cards for self-testing
and drilling maybe).

Early Burmese books often have large parts of them that are called
"Nissaya" Burmese which are essentially teaching Burmese readers Pali
phrase by phrase in the same manner as Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi's lectures.

This is almost 500 years ago, for example in the historical chronicle
that I've been studying for several years U Kala's Maha-yaza-win-gyi
was written in the early 1700s and has many parts where it glosses
phrase for phrase Pali like this.

You could almost say that written Burmese might have been bootstrapped
off of Pali via Nissaya Burmese, at least it seems like that. The
ideas in Burmese literature also go back to Pali.

Anyway, Ven. Bhiikhu Bodhi's lectures are great. If and when I turn
his phrase by phrase glosses into flash cards, I'll be sure to share them.

Sincerely,

Jon Fernquest