Re: Romanization, East vs. West

Dear E.M

Sorry that I have confused you with my message.

>Bhante, while the 6th council edition from Burma is legendary, it is *not* the only critical edition to be produced in Asia:
>
What I mean is that Cha.t.thasa~ngaayanaa edition was the last critical
edition in *Burma*. I can't speak for other editions, which I know
little of.

>the Royal editions of Thailand described in my last message, and various editions of Sri Lanka, India (Maha Bodhi Society, etc.), all meet these criteria as "critical
>editions".
>
Do those editions give explanations why they choose a particular reading
over others? I have seen PTS editions but they never seem to explain
their choices.

>The intellectual isolation that has been forced upon monks in Burma is indeed very unfortunate (although, I believe, these are even more desperate times to be a layperson in Burma)
>
Yes, indeed! I agree. The intellectual isolation, or starvation (I think
this word would be better) in Burma is really very acute. Some local
scholars are even thinking of "exporting" the learning in Buddhist
Studies (which we have managed to maintain to date) to other lands
before it is too late.

>--when/if the country opens up again, I think Westerners will find that Ledi Sayadaw (one of the few Burmese masters published and known in English) was not the only
>intellectual monk of his generation.
> 
>
I agree. Ledi Sayadaw was only one of the many luminaries in his time.
But others were entirely unknown outside Burma.

>>The real editorial work was done in */nissaya/s*. It was up to/ nissaya/
>>authors to seek out various sources, to collate them, to pick up the
>>best readings out of v ariant ones, and to explain how and why a
>>particular reading was better than others.
>>   
>>
>
>Yes indeed --and these Nissayas are only available as manuscripts. 
>
It is different in Burma. In the monastic education system of Burma,
nissayas still remain as main resources. Therefore, all classic nissayas
popularly used have been printed again and again. Moreover, Ashin
Janakaabhiva.msa, the original author of Abhidhamma in Daily Life, has
written nissayas (with extensive footnotes) on almost all texts covered
by the extensive curriculum of monastic education. These works have also
been printed.

with metta

Ven. Pandita


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