Guide to the Tipitaka; Visit to White Lotus Press

I just returned from visiting the (new) offices of White Lotus Press --a
Thai publisher with a very long list of publications in the related fields
of Asian linguistics, cultures, religions, and social history.

As I must travel by bicycle, I only picked up a few books for myself.  Of
note is the anonymously authored _GUIDE TO THE TIPITAKA_ (a book vague in
title, and vague in content).  This will be of special interest to members
of the group as it provides short comments on the major texts of the
Tipitaka (similar in format to Hinuber's _Handbook_) from the orthodox
perspective of a (modern) Burmese monastic council.

As with the comparable material to be found (listed under book titles) in
Malalasekera's _Pali Proper Names_, the summaries of the books are not
always so well informed by the primary source --but they are always
indicative of the attitudes of the monks toward the sources in question
(i.e., one might read it with a sociological rather than philological eye!).

I cannot say that I was surprised when I found they utterly mis-translated
the title of the _Bhaddekaratta_ sutta; similarly, I can't say that I'm
surprised that the entry on the _Dasuttara_ sutta is extremely vague (i.e.,
shows no specific knowledge of the text).  However, just as much as Hinuber
provides a summary of these texts from a western academic perspecitve, this
book provides a ready reference for orthodox opinion --including opinions as
to the relative importance of various texts.  I will be especially
interested to see how the Burmese "gloss" the material on the caste system
(if at all).

E.M.


--
A saying of the Buddha from http://metta.lk/
View Streaming Dhamma Video http://dharmavahini.tv/
  From craving arises grief, from craving arises fear; for him who is free
from craving there is no grief, whence fear?
Random Dhammapada Verse 216