Re: sutta geyya veyyakara

Dear Thomas,

>> In MN vol. III, p. 115:
>>
>> '' Na kho, AAnanda, arahati saavako satthaara.m anubandhitu.m
>> yadida.m sutta.m geyya.m veyyakara.nassa hetu''

Instead of "veyyakara.nassa hetu", the CSCD version reads "veyyaakara.na.m
tassa hetu". I think the latter is the correct one.

>> Horner's translation, p. 159: ''Ananda, it is not fit that a disciple
>> should follow after a teacher if it is for the sake of an exposition
>> of the Discourses that are in prose and in prose and verse''
>>
>> Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation, p. 976: '' Ananda,
>> a disciple should not seek the teacher's company for the sake of
>> discourses, stanzas, and expositions.''
>>
>> My questions are:
>>
>> '' ... for the sake of an exposition of the Discourses that are in
>> prose and in prose and verse.'' and '' ... for the sake of
>> discourses, stanzas, and expositions.''
>>
>> Which translation is correct? How do other Pali and Chinese versions
>> record the original words?

I think the two readings as noted above account for the main difference in
the two translations. I would choose the second one as being more accurate,
though not necessarily correct, than the first one. The sentence translates
literally as: "Indeed, Ananda, the disciple is not fit to follow the teacher
on account of this, that is to say, prose, prose and verse, and exposition."
The sutta continues on with an explanation of the reason for this statement
and concludes that the disciple is fit to follow the teacher on account of
such kinds of talks as enumerated --- in addition to the sutta, geyya, etc.

Best wishes,
Jim