Re: Pali grammatical terms & abbreviations

rett writes:
> The pañcamiivibhatti (5mi, imperative) is a set of inflexional
> endings. But if we translate as 'imperative' it is easy to confuse
> the set of endings with the function of 'ordering' 'commanding'.
> 'Ordering' is one common use of the imperative-endings but not the
> only one.

According to Narada Thera, the reflexive-imperative is Pali's equivalent to
the benedictive (there's a jargon-heavy statement!).  Thus, commanding
oneself to do something is really equivalent to wishing one could do
something ... so to speak.  The example he uses is along the lines of
wishing one could become a Buddha.  This issue makes it into a footnote of
the textbook I'm writing.



--
A saying of the Buddha from http://metta.lk/
Get your Dhamma Books from http://books.metta.lk/
Those who always earnestly practise "mindfulness of the body", who follow
not what should not be done, and constantly do what should be done, of those
mindful and reflective ones the corruptions come to an end.
Random Dhammapada Verse 293