Re: Kc 2

Dear Ma Vajira,

Thank-you for your response. I just want to respond to the following for
now:

<< Mahāgandhāyone Sayadaw [Ashin Janakābhivaṃsa] remarks that he doesn't
think this is a saññā sutta, but that it serves to identify the set of
characters or sounds used by Pāḷi, because terms such as "akkhara" and
vaṇṇa" were in use and recognized as meaning the sounds or letters of a
language.  He points out as evidence of this that the word nāma is not found
in the vutti, and thinks "tena kvattho" and so on is a later addition not
reflecting Venerable Kaccāyano's intent. >>

Apparently other commentators do think that Kc 2 is a saññāsutta (see
Kaccāyanasuttaniddesa, Kaccāyanavaṇṇanā, and Kaccāyanatthadīpanī) and offer
no other alternative sutta type. The Nyāsa commentary on this sutta is
about 8 pages long and I haven't seen any explicit mention by the author of
this sutta being a saññāsutta although he does treat akkhara as a technical
term (saññā). My understanding of such matters is rather limited so I'm in
no postion to say whether or not AJ is mistaken. He does make some good
points though. Much of the Nyāsa addresses codanā (critical questions) with
parihāra (answers). I agree that Kaccāyana and its commentaries should be
critically examined and have questions asked or faults pointed out.

An example of a codanā question in the Nyāsa is:

kasmā akārova tesaṃ ādīti codanā || -- p. 10

A question: why is the letter 'a' the first among them?

The answer is a long one where the commentator sets out to explain the order
of all the letters which I find quite informative.

Incidentally, the Nyāsa takes Kc 2 as the first sutta (ādisutta) and refers
to Kc 1 as a "pubbavākyaṃ" (an a priori statement perhaps?).

Best wishes,
Jim