Wow, Dr. van Gorkom, thank you for the amazingly detailed and helpful
response. I very much appreciate the sharing of Ven. Soma Thera's
translation of the commentaries.

If I may attempt to break it down further for my Pali-language
beginner's mind, it sounds like "panassa" could be parsed as "pana" plus
"assa," where "assa" could be translated as "for him." Is this
correct? (If not, I apologize for my extended display of ignorance.)

Thank you so much!
Larry

On 1/24/2011 9:03 AM, Nina van Gorkom wrote:
>
> Dear Larry,
> Op 24-jan-2011, om 2:50 heeft Larry Rosenfeld het volgende geschreven:
>
> > Atthi kāyoti [/or /vedanāti /or /cittanti /or /dhammāti] vā
> > panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti ....
> >
> > What is the best way to translate "panassa"? For instant, is it a
> > dative or genitive form of (what I thought was the indeclinable)
> > "pana,"
> > or a compound of "pana" and "assa," or something else?
> --------
> N: Panassa: for him mindfulness is established, or: his mindfulness
> is established.
> Soma Thera (the Way of MIndfulness) renders the commentary (at end of
> mindfulness of breathing):
> <Atthi kayoti va panassa sati paccupatthita hoti = "Or, indeed, his
> mindfulness is established, with the thought: 'The body exists.'"
> Mindfulness is established for the yogi through careful scrutiny. He
> thinks: There is the body, but there is no being, no person, no
> woman, no man, no soul, nothing pertaining to a soul, no "I," nothing
> that is mine, no one, and nothing belonging to anyone [kayoti ca
> attli, na satto, na puggalo, na itthi, na puriso, na atta, na
> attaniyam naham, na mama, na koci, na kassaciti evam assa sati
> paccupatthita hoti].
>
> Yavadeva = "To the extent necessary." It denotes purpose.
>
> This is said: The mindfulness established is not for another purpose.
> What is the purpose for which it is established?
>
> Nanamattaya patissatimattaya = "For just knowledge and remembrance."
> That is just for the sake of a wider and wider, or further and
> further measure of knowledge and of mindfulness [aparaparam
> uttaruttari ñanapamanatthaya ceva satipamanattha-yaca]. For the
> increase of mindfulness and clear comprehension is the meaning.
>
> For the purpose of reaching the knowledge of body-contemplation to
> the highest extent [kayanupassana ñanam param pamanam papanatthaya]
> is the meaning of: To the extent necessary for just knowledge
> [yavadeva ñanamattaya].
> ---------
> Nina.
>


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