Re: Standards in Sutta numbering

Dear Ven Yuttadhammo,

You raise a very good question.  It's unfortunate the PTS numbering is so
confused.  For the Nikayas, clearly there is no issue for DN and MN. It is SN
and AN that are problematic.  The problem arises because the original Pali has
no numbers and the various editions of the Pali (Be, Ce, and so on) use
differing numbering schemes based on how their editors choose to separate the
suttas.

I suggest DPR adopt the numbering system used by Sutta Central
(suttacentral.net).  I have been involved in this project and we have based our
numbering on that used in the modern English translations by Bhikkhu Bodhi.  For
SN we use the numbering in his Wisdom Publications translation "The Connected
Discourses of the Buddha", and for AN in his forthcoming translation "The
Incremental Discourses of the Buddha", also to be published by Wisdom.

Sutta Central has all these numbers on its website and wherever a sutta number
differs from that shown by PTS, the PTS number is shown in square brackets.

With metta,
John





________________________________
From: Noah Yuttadhammo <yuttadhammo@...>
To: palistudy@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, 31 January, 2011 1:24:14 PM
Subject: [palistudy] Standards in Sutta numbering

  
Dear Friends,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on the numbering systems used in the
various versions of the tipitaka out there. I just found out that
accesstoinsight.org uses the PTS system, which is causing problems for
the DPR, since, well, to put it simply, the PTS system is silly.  Take,
for example:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.100.01-10.than.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.100.11-15.than.html

Clearly these are two different suttas, but Woodward has them as one.
This is not the only example; it looks like other versions are united
against the PTS's mistakes.  So, I guess my question is, is there any
rationale for favouring one system over another?  Any good reason for
Woodward's decision?

It would be nice to have a webpage somewhere with a standard system we
could refer to.

Best wishes,

Yuttadhammo



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