To Nyanatusita, 1. MS research in Sri Lanka, 2. Duroiselle's Grammar

Bhante,

Before discussing the introduction:

   (1) Bhante, I've just spoken to David Wharton (again) concerning the
possibility of our forming a "team" of specialists in mainland
manuscripts to visit Sri Lanka, and make a study of Khmer, Thai,
Burmese, Arakanese and other non-Sinhalese MS that are scattered
around the island.  Wharton and Koret are very interested, and they
are now talking to Dr. Dr. Harald Hundius about his joining such a
project in some capacity.
        This project would begin a minimum of 3 years into the future
--possibly 5 years into the future --but I think it would be the
perfect solution to the problem that you posed in your draft paper
about un-catalogued "mainland" MS in Sri Lanka.  The big advantage of
having these men on the project would be that they could read
colophons in the old vernacular and Pseudo-Pali mixed with the
vernacular --and, of course, if there are any real vernacular MS (such
as historical/va'ngsa lit.?) that were sent by kings along with the
Pali, they would be invaluable.
        In any case, my ceaseless advertising for this possibility is
now raising some interest, and it seems that a team of at least two or
three scholars could secure funding for a mixed project of MS survey,
digitization, etc., doubtless including the collection at the
Maha-Mula temple, etc.

   (2) Pursuant to issue #1, Bhante, did you complete the draft article
on mainland MS in Sri Lanka?  The digital copy I have says "Do not
distribute wihtout permission ... incomplete", etc.; if the essay has
been advanced or completed, it would be advisable for me to share some
part of it with some of these other "mainland" scholars.

> Can you give quotations and/or references from D Alwis' or Mason's works in
> which they explicitly or implicitly state these fears?

Yes, I can; Mason's introduction talks about this at some length --I
suppose I could include a quotation as you suggest.  I was
disappointed that Mason's autobiography contains very little on this
subject, viz., his hunt for Kacc. MS in obscure parts of Burma.
Presumably his collected MS ended up back in the United States with
his relatives and benefactors, as did certain looted works of Burmese
art?  That would be an odd research project: finding Mason's MS!

> It would be good if you would write a separate, detailed essay or book on
> the effects of Anglo and French colonialism, the Vietnam war, and Communism,
> etc, on Pali Buddhism in Ceylon and Burma and SE Asia. You seem to be keen
> to draw attention to these terrible happenings in introductions to Pali
> grammars, but a more appropriate place would be a separate work.

I think this is a fair point, but I do disagree with it.  In the
instance of my introduction to Mason's book, I decided to agree with
you, and removed the historical information to an appendix, as you
complained that it was exceedingly political.  In this case, I think
it is a brief and salient point, that does not require an entire book
to explain, nor does it even merit an appendix.  If I were writing an
introduction to a book on the Aboriginal Languages of Australia
(written in the same period) would it be so strange to make a passing
mention of the politics of the period?  Only because of the trappings
of Buddhism as an eremitic religion are mentions of political context
of this kind so feared; but this is not a "Buddhist" book --it is a
secular work, written by a Christian missionary, who was teaching at a
colonial college.  And, I think, the political context here helps to
explain something about the origin and nature of the work.

> As above, it would be good to give quotations/references, however it would
> be better to do this in a separate work.

I agree that to further belabour the point with quotations would
belong to a separate work; however, you're correct that I could
provide citations ... I recall a lengthy screed against Muller by the
title of "Lifelong Charade...".

> It would be useful to make a (separate) list of these other articles and
> works too.

However, I live in the Lao P.D.R.!  I have no access to any academic library!

> In fact, according to Duroiselle's own introduction the work was
> specifically written for his college students ...
> So I don't think that there was a context of academic competition in
> this case. Maybe it is better to talk about a lively environment.

No, it's pretty well clear from his introduction to the second edition
that there was competition --although this word does not have such
negative connotations in English as you might suppose.  It is very
clear that Duroiselle was rankled by his international critics, and he
mentions the complaints he received about his "unorthodox" approach
(which is, in some respects, at the same time very orthodox!).  Each
of the names in the list of authors given were aware of (and drew
upon) the earlier work, and I do indeed beleive that Duroiselle was in
competition with the other English texts on Pali published in Burma
(e.g.) James Grey's and Mason's --both of which he basically damns out
of all proportion to their merit (e.g., note his very competitive
claim that none of the other authors treat Syntax sufficiently (and
that he is the first to do so!), but, in fact, page for page, Mason
probably has as much material on this as Duroiselle).

E.M.