Re: bhaavetabbanti

Hi Dan,

<< Hi Jim and Robert,
The reason I came across this passage from Vin. Mv. 1:6 is that I was
looking for canonical description and understanding of what 'path'
means. Ñm's translation of this passage had a different feel to it
than other passages I'd seen about the 4th noble truth (as truth to
be penetrated rather than standards to try to live up to).

Summary:
Regarding the 4th noble truth, the phrase: "ta.m kho panida.m
dukkhanirodhagaaminii pa.tipadaa ariyasacca.m bhaavetabbanti me"
appears in Vin. Mv. 1:6, S 56:11, and Ps XVI.

Translations:
'This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering is
to be developed' (BB in "Connected Discourses...")
'This noble actuality of the way leading to the cessation of
suffering must be developed' (Ñm in "Path of Discrimation")
'This noble truth must be penetrated to by maintaining in being the
way leading to the cessation of suffering'(Ñm in "Life of the Buddha")

Comment:
To me, Ñm's "Life" translation gives a stronger sense of the 8fnp as
a set of rules to get really good at following so that they
are "maintained in being" than do the other two translations. Then
again, I don't rightly know what "maintain in being" means -- at
first I thought it must be a somewhat stilted, literal translation of
some complicated Pali word. Now, it just seems more like an
invention.

Questions:
Why such an invention? In order to portray the sense of meaning I got
from the translation? Does anyone else get the same sense when
reading that translation? How else can that translation be understood
in English? >>

Jim:
I think of ~Naa.namoli's translation of "bhaavetabba.m" as being an
interpretation according to his understanding at the time he wrote it. Your
next two questions are too hard for me to answer since you've indicated in
your comments that you don't rightly know what "maintaining in being" means.
I myself have a hard time understanding "by maintaining in being" but it
would be more intelligible if it were replaced by "by developing" as in:
'This noble truth must be penetrated to by developing the way leading to the
cessation of suffering'. But "bhaavetabba.m" could be studied further for
other possible and perhaps better translations instead of the ones with
"developed". As to your last question, I don't know. You ask tough
questions.

Jim



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