Buddha Dhyana Dana Review Volume 12 No.3
Editorial
Our Ref:LAN 2 :I:bddred3.rtf
The major content of this special edition contains many translations from Pali Buddha Dhamma Suttas into English by Sister Uppalawanna.
Previously, these were available for viewing at: www.companyontheweb.com/buddhatext, hosted in the USA.
This free web site opened on 3 October 2000 and closed 2 years later.
We have had over 550 visitors over the operating duration at this buddhatext site.
The company running this web site has now dissolved and the web site will disappear within a month or two.
Also two other web sites www.companyontheweb.com/buddhamap and www.skybusiness.com/j.d.hughes have closed.
What we have done, is to copy the content of this buddhatext web site onto this special edition of Buddha Dhyana Dana Review.
We thank the proprietors of the web site for the use of free space on Internet and wish them well.
By contrast, our web site bddronline.net.au has had over 600 visitors since its opening date on the 22 June 2001.
It is important for persons to have access to the Pali Canon good information.
In the patthana method are 24 conditions ( in Pali, paccayas).
The recitation of the 24 conditions form a Pali-gatha which is useful for demarcating a place of sanctuary to protect oneself from the attack of wicked persons, wild beasts and ghosts.
In Pali (without diacritical marks) these are:
1.Hetu-paccayo – Root condition
2.Arammana-pacayo = Object condition
3.Adshipati-paccaya = Predominance condition
4.Anantara-paccayo = Contiguity condition
5.Samanantara-paccayo = Immediacy condition
6.Sahajata-paccayo =- Co-nascence condition
7.Annamanna-paccayo = mutuality condition
8.Nissaya-paccayo = mutuality condition
9.Upanisaya-paccayo = Powerful Dependence condition
10.Purejata-paccayo = Pre-nascence condition
11.Pacchajata-paccayo = Post nascence condition
12.Asevana-paccayo = Repetition condition
13.Kamma-paccayo = Kamma condition
14.Vipaka-paccayo = Kamma-result condition
15.Ahara-paccayo = Nutriment condition
16.Indriya-paccayo = Faculty condition
17.Jhana-paccayo = Jhana condition
18.Magga-paccayo = Path condition
19.Sampayutta-paccayo = Association condition
20.Vippayutta-paccayo = Dissociation condition
21.Atthi-paccayo = Presence condition
22.Natthi-paccayo = Absence condition
23.Vigata-paccayo = Disappearance condition
24.Avigata-paccayo = Non-disappearance condition
The twelfth condition, the asevana-paccaya is translated as “ repetition condition”. As Dr. Mehm Tin Mon of Myanmar has explained (“The Essence of Buddha Dhamma”) that when we read a difficult passage we may not understand it at first.
But if we keep on reading it again and again we may understand it. Also by learning it by heart, through constant repetition, the latter recitation becomes gradually easier and easier.
We have omitted the diacritical marks on the Pali words.
So, we may say that earlier learning aids latter learning by means of repetition condition.
When the author visited mainland Chinese monasteries many years ago, just after the end of the Cultural revolution, the learned Abbot of one of these great monasteries explained that the training of the Monks went through stages and one of these stages was the preparation of food for the other Monks.
The novice Monks were taught to recite one of the Sutras over and over as they prepared the food.
No explanation was given to the novice Monks of the meaning of the Sutra at that time.
After some time they learnt the Sutra by heart through constant repetition and at a future time in their practice they gained insight in what appeared to be a spontaneous manner, into the profound meaning of the Sutra.
Within this powerful tradition we recommend readers read and re-read each of the Sutras listed here :
Majjhima Nikaaja (1-25),
Majjhima Nikaaja (26 – 50),
Majjhima Nikaaja (51 – 75)
Majjhima Nikaaja (75 – 101)
Majjhima III(4. 10)
Dhaatuvibha.ngasutta.m. (140)
Classification of Elements,
Anguttara Nikaaya I – Ruupaadii – Ekaka Vagga I.
With certainty, just as a well preserved seed, when placed in a well watered ground gives rise to an off-shoot, over time layers of the meaning of the Nikaaja will come to the mind bringing many blessings.
Please note how the Sister avoids the conventional use of diacritical marks in the romanisation of the Pali by the use of double letters to indicate a macron.
We welcome more persons to use our technical material in this manner in future.
Permission is given to make reprints of our publication for free distribution only.
May persons find the Buddha Dhamma references they are looking for.
May all beings be well and happy.
John D. Hughes Dip. App. Chem. T.T.T.C. GDAIE and Anita M. Hughes RN Division 1.