Learn Pali Language

For those wishing a bit more of a challenge the Atthaka-vagga, of the Sutta Nipata, according to scholars, may well be the oldest portion of the entire canon. It is composed mostly in verse, and includes some lovely imagery. In this guide I've chosen the Attadaṇḍā Sutta (Snp 4.15) which, according to tradition, was taught by the Buddha when he went to settle a quarrel. The title of the sutta, translated here as "arming oneself," conveys the image of a person taking up a stick, (daṇḍa) - the stick being a common symbol in Indian literature for both violence and punishment. This then sets out the basic problem of confrontation  - people hurting each other. The sutta continues by outlining the cause  - the misplaced wish for security driven by desire - and finally, its solution - letting go of the ego.

Continuing my look at the Sutta Nipata, - which contains some of the oldest portion of the canon. This translation guide analyses the Mettā Sutta (Snp 1.8) which, is perhaps the most popular discourse for reciting. It is a poem on the virtues of mettā, loving-kindness. It is a brief set of ten verse which lays out the ethical foundations for good will, and shows how to develop it in meditation. The word “Metta” is derived from the Pali word “Mitta” meaning “friend”. In the English, it has been translated as kindness, loving kindness, love and goodwill. Verse composition can throw up challenges to the amateur translator as it often employs alternate forms of words according to the needs of the metre. As such, we may find some unusual archaic endings in verse, or instances where words have been altered (vowel lengths, dropping of a niggahãta etc.) in order to meet the metre. And several examples of these can be found in the verses below.

This the final section of the Satipatthāna sutta deals with dhamma which literally translates as: 'to hold , bear (also bring forth)'.  As to what this term represents, whole books have been written! Here, in common with I think most translators, I take it in it's technical sense as the object to 'manas'; the constituents of mind, or knowable things; what is available to inner observation; in a word: phenomena. Note: Bhikkhu Ānandajoti points out: in other versions of this teaching it appears that the original structure of this section only included the hindrances (nīvaraṇa) and the factors of awakening (bojjhaṅga), which are both lists of ethical qualities of mind. I believe dhamma in this original context probably meant ethical states, a well-attested meaning for dhamma, but one no longer useable once the additions of the constituents (khandha), sense-spheres (āyatana) and truths (sacca) have been included. I'm switching to MN10 for this final sec

This post continues the translation of the Satipatthāna Sutta and expounds the sections on Vedanā & Citta . Much of the translation hinges on how these two terms are themselves interpreted. Vedanā is generally seen as the sensations/feelings aroused by perception and is understood as feelings of pleasant, unpleasant, or neither. This is the bare affective quality of an experience, or valence which is the subjective positive-negative evaluation. It is generally associated with one’s attachment (positive or negative) to people, objects, ideas, etc This in turn leads to motivation; the intensity or strength of urge to move toward or away from a particular stimulus. The Pali-English Dictionary suggests citta as heart / mind, emphasizing the more emotive side of mind, as opposed to the intellect. Motivation is what directs behaviour, or what causes a person to want to repeat a behaviour, a set of forces that acts behind our rational exterior. In this way Vedanā & Citta ca

The Satipatthāna Sutta can be found in two forms: Majjhima Nikaya 10 (MN 10), & Digha Nikaya 22 (DN 22) There are also, I believe, versions in the Chinese āgama: Madhyama Āgama No. 26 & Ekottarika Āgama 12.1 The term satipaṭṭhāna is a compound of sati, (mindfulness) and either paṭṭhāna, (foundation) or upaṭṭhāna, (presence). The compound term could thus be interpreted as sati-paṭṭhāna ("foundation of mindfulness" : preferred by Buddhaghosa's commentary) or sati-upaṭṭhāna, "presence of mindfulness". According to Anālayo, "presence of mindfulness," is a more etymologically correct (cf. smṛty-upasthāna in BHS). Upaṭṭhāna is derived from the verb upaṭṭhāti (itself a variant of upatiṭṭhati), and literally means standing near, and by extension, attending on, serving. The word sati is a feminine action noun derived from the past participle of sarati the basic meaning of which is to remember. It is cognate with Vedic smṛti：memory, recogn

The Samyutta Nikaya, the third division of the Sutta Pitaka, contains a couple of thousand, mainly short suttas, grouped by topic into five sections (vaggas). In this, the Pheṇapiṇḍūpama sutta, the Buddha invokes a series of vivid similes to illustrate the core-less-ness of the five aggregates. As Bhikkhu Bodhi points out: The sutta is one of the most radical discourses on the empty nature of conditioned phenomena; its imagery (especially the similes of the mirage and the magic illusion) has been taken up by later Buddhist thinkers, most persistently by the Madhyamikas... In the context of early Buddhist thought these similes have to be handled with care. They are not intended to suggest an illusionist view of the world but to show that our conceptions of the world, and of our own existence, are largely distorted by the process of cognition... Instead of being seen as transient and selfless, they appear as substantial and as a self You can find more of

The Aṅguttara Nikāya, the fourth division of the Sutta Piṭaka, consists of several thousand suttas arranged in eleven books (nipatas). The first nipata — the Book of the Ones — contains suttas concerning a single topic. I have chosen the Aṅguttara Nikāya for my first attempt at translation as it's grammar is fairly straightforward and shows the same sentence pattern repeatedly. I publish it here as an aid to other students attempting the same thing. You can find more of my sutta translation exercises here. I must stress that I myself am just a student of Pali and make mistakes. For the sake of example, the translations are very literal and of course could be phrased differently.