Decades back, as a monk, I remember reading the Pali Bible, and feeling
deeply
joyful at the Pali, but not what is thrusted upon it. It's like pasting a
copy of Hieronymus
Bosch onto a beautiful Chinese nature line-painting, or blowing a trumpet in
a
sensitve rendition of sitar music!

In a sense, we can say that a language is heavily influenced by the message
it
habitually carries. Pali, being a language specially put together to pass on
the
Dharma, is thoroughly coloured by it.

Similarly English is often deeply coloured by Christianity, but since
English is a
living language, it is constantly evolving. Pali has attained nirvana as it
were, so
it is unlike to undergo much change, if any! (Anyone still thinking of
conversing in
Pali :) But, no, we still could.

The upadhi-struck minds of some Christians never cease to amaze me. They are
as appropriative as ever. In Singapore, it is not uncommon to see permanent
banners outside churches, shouting: "Jesus is Lord" and there is a "City
Harvest
Church" promising prosperity to believers. So we are sheep to the Shepherd,
fishes for the Fisher of men.

The Buddha: "let go, and you will be free!"

With metta and mudita,

Piya Tan

On Feb 2, 2008 10:13 PM, Gunnar Gällmo <gunnargallmo@...> wrote:

> --- George Bedell <gdbedell@... <gdbedell%40yahoo.com>> skrev:
>
>
> > Gunnar,
> >
> > In your Paliforum post of 1/27, you mentioned 'the
> > Pali Bible'. After some investigation online, I
> > found reference to a New Testament in Burmese script
> > attributed to Tolfrey and de Thomas and published in
> > Colombo in 1835. Is this the one you were referring
> > to? Whether it is or not, do you have any idea how
> > to obtain a copy? I would appreciate any
> > information.
>
> Actually, I don't know any details; I have heard
> several times that either the Bible, or perhaps only
> the New Testament, have been translated into Pali to
> convert bhikkhus. I have also heard that this
> translation have given some knowledgeable bhikkhus a
> great joy, but of a quite different kind than the one
> intended.
>
> I have heard similar stories about other Bible
> translations (such a choosing the wrong synonym for
> "love"...)
>
> Some Christians tend to boast about how many languages
> the Bible has been translated into. I always wished to
> know how many of these translations are of an
> acceptable quality - but I suppose there's no-one who
> could check that.
>
> Gunnar
>
> http://metrobloggen.se/esperanto
>
>
>
>
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>



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