Dear Bhante Kumara,

I really don't think there is a single English word that sounds fluent in all the situations in the sutta. You might drive yourself crazy trying to find something. I suggest the following:
People are to be associated with ...
Things are to be used ...
Places are to be resorted to ...

With metta,
John

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Kumara Bhikkhu <kumara.bhikkhu@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Bryan, Lennart and everyone else,
>
> Yes, I do see that "sevati" is variously translated, and "to associate with" is probably the best known meaning for it, since in Mangala Sutta, there's "asevanaa ca baalaana.m, pa.n.ditaana~nca sevanaa".
>
> I'm trying to find a word that would someone fit into every context in Sevibbaasevitabba Sutta. If you have to choose only ONE English word to be used in EVERY instance in that sutta (and stick with it for the rest of your life!) which one would it be?
>
> kb
>
> Lennart Lopin wrote thus at 21:14 23/04/2011:
> >Dear Bhante Kumara,
> >
> >In German its being translated sometimes as "Umgang pflegen" which is
> >translated into English as "to associate/interact with someone/something".
> >Great sutta btw,
> >
> >metta,
> >Lennart
> >
> >On Sat, Apr 23, 2011 at 2:48 AM, Kumara Bhikkhu <kumara.bhikkhu@...>wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> Dear friends,
> >>
> >> How would you translated sevitabba?
> >>
> >> Before you reply, I suggest you have a look at Sevibbaasevitabba Sutta
> >> (MN114), where it's probably used the most often in all of Pali texts. Ven
> >> Bhikkhu Bodhi have it as to be cultivated, but it's rather odd to speak of
> >> robes, almsfood, villages and towns that are to be cultivated!
> >>
> >> kb
>