Dear Mahipaliha,

Op 11-mrt-2008, om 0:57 heeft mahipaliha het volgende geschreven:

> In a
> well-proclaimed (i.e. good) religious dispensation (dhamma-vinaya),
> the `recipients' (the monks and nuns) should "know the measure".
> They should know the donor's wish to give; if the religious need
> much, but the donor wants to give little, they should follow the
> donor's wish. They also should know how much is available to be
> given: if that is little and donor wants to give much, they should
> go by the quantity available. Then they should also know their own
> physical capacity: if the available quantity is much and the donor
> also likes to give much, they should go by how much they can put to
> good use. These considerations do not occur in the case of a bad
> religious dispensation. Therefore the donor should "know the
> measure" and give accordingly. (AN Commentary I, Simon Hewavitharne
> Bequest ed, Colombo 1923, p. 261 f.).
>
> I personally think this sort of comment reflects the spirit of the
> time when the Buddha's teachings became enmeshed in
> organized `Buddhism". Even in the Nikaya texts, there may be much
> that derives from that spirit (and therefore not `original'). I
> don't see how we can separate what is original from what is not.

-------
N: I find the Co. very clear. It reflects the spirit of being
contented with little, fewness of wishes. I do not see any problem,
of having to think of what is not original.
Nina.



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