SV: Ubon R. Wat Nanasat / Nanachat

Dear E.M.,

What a travesty of learning! Many monks all over South East Asia are, to the
best of my knowledge, in need of a modern and adequate education in the
language of the early Buddhist canon. I have for some years contemplated
writing a new Paali Grammar, i.e., a real grammar with a comprehensive
section on syntax, followed by a reader with references to the grammar,
somewhat along the lines of Lanman's excellent Sanskrit Reader. As it is,
linguists, who take a look at what MI scholars produce, will inevitably get
the impression from reading modern Paali grammars that Paali is a language
without syntax! As it appears, most of them describe Paali as an assemblage
of phonological peculiarities, generally treated atomistically and ad hoc. I
think that it is absolutely necessary to modernize, i.e., to bring the
description of the language of the early Buddhist canon up to the standards
of modern linguistics. I have, to tell the truth, become wary of confronting
all the avatars of Pischel's catastrophic Prakrit grammar. Something has to
be done for the sake of Pali studies! Anyway, for the purpose I contemplate
something like the recent Oxford Grammar of Classical Greek, Oxford 2001. I
is both adequate and not too complex. It is intended for schools and
universities as well as for the increasing number of people who learn
classical Greek (sic!)in adult education. Why not learn Paali in adult
education?


With best wishes for a safe journey from

Ole Holten Pind



-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: palistudy@yahoogroups.com [mailto:palistudy@yahoogroups.com] På vegne
af navako
Sendt: 27. september 2005 15:00
Til: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
Emne: [palistudy] Re: Ubon R. Wat Nanasat / Nanachat


After bicycling 20 km in the rain, it was determined that nobody at Ubon's
famous Wat Nanachat is studying Pali; and, apparently, the "Book Store" is
an error in translation (i.e., the sign reading "Book Store" merely
indicates a place of storage for some of their books).

One monk told me that there had been two monks who were "quite keen" on
learning Pali, but they had left Nanachat at the start of this rains retreat
(I can't imagine why...) --one was said to be German, the other English. 
They may return to Nanacat after the rains retreat (this is undetermined).

I appreciate the candour of both the monk and the layperson I spoke to (they
both affirmed that nothing relating to Pali occurs on the premises, aside
from ritual chanting in the morning).

I had to wait for some time to solicit a comment from a monk; about ten
monks passed me by (two separate groups of about five each), ignoring my
wish to talk to them, before one seemed to stop out of interest to see what
I was there for.  Frankly, I've been more warmly received at Laotian
military checkpoints.

E.M.


--
A saying of the Buddha from http://metta.lk/ View Streaming Dhamma Video
http://dharmavahini.tv/ In whom are truth, virtue, harmlessness, restraint
and control, that wise man who is purged of impurities, is, indeed, called
an Elder.
Random Dhammapada Verse 261


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