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The Ten Fundamental Attachments
And
The Four Pairs of Powerful Individuals
Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, Chapter VII: Writing -- The Beginnings
Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, Chapter VIII: Writing -- It's Development
Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, Chapter IX: Literature: General View
Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, Chapter X: Literature: The Pali Books
Chronology Of The Pali Canon, B.C. Law, History of Pali Literature. An investigation of the likely dates for the formation of the various books of the Pali Buddhist Canon.
ASCII version of diacritical marks for Pali as used by the Pali Text Society
The Patimokkha (The Rules of the Order)
From:PTS, Woodward, trans.; The Book of the Gradual Sayings, The Book of the Threes, pp 185ff
"This translation is reproduced by permission of the Pali Text Society which owns the copyright."
Thus have I heard: On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi, in East Park, in the terraced house of Migara’s mother. Now Visakha, Migara’s mother, on the Sabbath day came to visit the Exalted One. On coming to him she saluted him and sat down at one side. As she thus sat the Exalted One said this to Visakha, Migara’s mother:
‘Well, Visakha! How is it that you come at noon?’
‘Lord, today I am keeping the Sabbath.’
‘Well, there are these three Sabbaths, Visakha. What are the three?
There is the herdsman’s Sabbath, that of the naked ascetics [Niganthas], and that of the Ariyans.
Now what, Visakha, is the herdsman’s Sabbath?
Suppose, Visakha, the herdsman at eventide restores the kine [that’s cattle to you city folks] to their owners. Then he thus reflects: Today the kine grazed at such and such a spot, and drank at such and such a spot. Tomorrow they will graze and drink at such and such a spot. In the same way some Sabbath-keeper here thus reflects: Tomorrow I shall eat such and such food, both hard and soft. And he spends the day engrossed in that covetous desire. Such, Visakha, is the herdsman’s Sabbath. This Sabbath of the herdsman thus spent is not of great fruit or profit. It is not very brilliant. It is not of great radiance.
And what, Visakha, is the naked ascetic’s Sabbath?
There is a sect of naked ascetics, so called, a sort of recluses, who exhort a disciple thus: "Now, my good fellow, lay aside the stick as regards all creatures that exist eastwards [for as far as] a hundred yojanas: likewise westward, northwards and to the south!" Thus they exhort them to kindness and compassion towards some creatures only, but not to others.
Then again on the Sabbath they exhort a disciple thus:
"Now, good fellow! Off with all your clothes and say: ‘I have no part in anything anywhere, and herein for me there is no attachment to anything.’" Yet for all that his parents know him for their son and he knows them for his parents. His children and wife know him for father and husband, and he knows them for children and wife. Yet for all that his slaves and workmen know him for their master and he in turn knows them for his slaves and workmen. Thus at a time when one and all should be exhorted (to keep the Sabbath), it is in falsehood that they exhort them. This I declare is as good as telling lies. Then, as soon as that night has passed he resumes the use of his belongings, which had not been given back to him really. This I declare is as good as stealing. Such, Visakha, is the Sabbath of the naked ascetics. A Sabbath of the naked ascetics thus spent is not of great fruit or profit. It is not very brilliant. It is not of great radiance.
And what, Visakha, is the Ariyan Sabbath?
It is the purification of a soiled mind by a proper process. And how is it done, Visakha?
In this matter the Ariyan disciple calls to mind the Tathagata, thus: He it is, the Exalted One, the Arahant, who is a Fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowledge and practice, a Wellfarer, World-Knower, unsurpassed charioteer of beings to be tamed, Teacher of Devas and mankind, a Buddha is the Exalted One. As he thus bethinks him of the Tathagata, his mind is calmed, delight arises, the soilure of the mind is abandoned. It is just like cleansing the head when it is dirty, Visakha.
And how, Visakha, is the cleansing of the soiled head done by a proper process? By means of cosmetic paste and clay, by means of water and the appropriate effort of the person (using them). That is how the cleansing of the soiled head is done by a proper process.
And how is the cleansing of the soiled mind done by a proper process?
Herein, Visakha, the Ariyan disciple bethinks him of the Tathagata, thus: He it is, that Exalted One . . . As he calls to mind the Tathagata, his mind is calmed: the soilure of the mind is abandoned. This Ariyan disciple, Visakha, is said to keep the Brahma-Sabbath. He dwells with Brahma. It is owing to Brahma that his mind is calmed, that delight arises, that the soilure of his mind is abandoned. That is how the cleansing of the soiled mind is done by a proper process. [Note: this is not making the statement that the Buddha or Tathagata is Brahma. The term Brahma is likened by the Buddha to the terms for Mother and Father, from which I believe the word is derived = PA MA; in any case the term is also used for "Best."]
Again, Visakha, the cleansing of the soiled mind is done by a proper process. How is it done?
Herein the Ariyan disciple calls to mind Dhamma, thus: Well proclaimed by the Exalted One is Dhamma. It is a real thing, not a matter of time. It invites one to come and see it. It leads one onwards. It is to be understood by the intelligent for themselves. As he thus bethinks him of Dhamma his mind is calmed . . . the soilure of his mind is abandoned, just like cleansing the body when it is dirty.
And how, Visakha, is the cleansing of the dirty body done by a proper process? It is by means of shell, toilet powder, water and the appropriate effort of a person. That is how it is done. In like manner the cleansing of the soiled mind is done, and how?
Herein, Visakha, the Ariyan disciple calls to mind Dhamma, thus: Well proclaimed by the Exalted One is Dhamma . . . As he bethinks him of Dhamma his mind is calmed . . . the soilure of the mind is abandoned. This Ariyan disciple, Visakha, is said to keep the Sabbath of Dhamma. He dwells with Dhamma. It is owing to Dhamma that his mind is calmed, that delight arises, that the soilure of the mind is abandoned. That is how the cleansing of the mind is done...
Again, Visakha, the cleansing of the soiled mind is done by a proper process. How is it done?
Herein the Ariyan disciple calls to mind the Order, thus: Well conducted is the Exalted One’s Order of disciples, who walk uprightly . . . walk in the right way . . . walk dutifully . . . to wit, the four pairs of human beings, the eight sorts of human beings: that Order of disciples of the Exalted One is worthy of respect, offerings and gifts, worthy of being saluted with clasped hands, a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.
As he calls to mind the Order, his mind is calmed, delight arises, the soilure of the mind is abandoned, just like the cleansing of a filthy garment by a proper process. And how is a filthy garment so cleaned?
By means of salt-earth, lye, cow dung and water, and the appropriate effort of a person. That is how it is done, and in like manner is the cleansing of the soiled mind done by a proper process. What is that process?
Herein, Visakha, the Ariyan disciple calls to mind the Order . . . As he thus reflects his mind is calmed . . . This Ariyan disciple is said to keep the Sabbath of the Order. He dwells with the Order. It is owing to the Order that his mind is calmed, that delight arises, that the soilure of his mind is abandoned. That is how it is done. . .
Again, Visakha, the cleansing of the soiled mind is done by a proper process. How is it done?
Herein the Ariyan disciple calls to mind his own virtues, virtues that are unbroken and whole, unspotted, untarnished, giving liberty, praised by the intelligent, virtues untainted by (craving or delusion), which lead to concentration of mind. As he bethinks him of his own virtues . . . the soilure of mind is abandoned, just like the cleansing of a mirror by a proper process. And what is that process, Visakha?
By means of oil, ashes and a brush of hair, and the appropriate effort of a person. That is how it is done; and in like manner is done the cleansing of the soiled mind . . . What is that proper process?
Herein, Visakha, the Ariyan disciple calls to mind his own virtues . . . This Ariyan disciple is said to keep the Sabbath of the virtues. He dwells with virtue, and it is owing to virtue that his mind is calmed . . . That is how it is done.
Again, Visakha, the cleansing of the soiled mind is done by a proper process. How is it done?
Herein the Ariyan disciple calls to mind the Devas, thus: There are the Devas of the Four Great Kings, the Devas of the Thirty-Three, the Devas of Yama’s realm, the Happy Devas, those that delight in creation, those that control the creations of others, those of Brahma’s company, and those who are still beyond that. Such faith exists in me as the faith blessed with which those devata deceased from this world and were reborn in that world. Such virtue as theirs exists in me, such religious knowledge as theirs exists in me. Such is my liberality and my insight. As he thus calls to mind the faith, virtue, religious knowledge, liberality and insight of himself and of those devata, his mind is calmed: delight arises in him: the soilure of his mind is abandoned, just as, Visakha, in the refining of sterling gold that is impure by a proper process. What is that process?
By means of a furnace, salt-earth, red chalk, a blow-pipe, tongs and the appropriate effort of a person. That is how the refining of sterling gold that is impure is done by a proper process. Just so, Visakha, the purification of a soiled mind is done by a proper process. What is that process?
Herein, Visakha, the Ariyan disciple calls to mind the Devas . . . As he thus calls to mind the faith, virtue, religious knowledge., liberality and insight of himself and of those devata, his mind is calmed: delight arises in him: the soilure of his mind is abandoned. This Ariyan disciple is said to keep the Deva-Sabbath: he dwells with the Devas: it is owing to the Devas that his mind is calmed, that delight arises, that the soilure of his mind is abandoned. That is how.
Then that Ariyan disciple thus ponders: As long as they live, the Arahants, by abandoning the slaying of creatures, are abstainers from the slaying of creatures, have laid aside the rod; they are modest, show kindness, they abide friendly and compassionate to all creatures, to all beings. So also do I abide this night and day . . . abstaining from such actions . . . showing kindness to all beings. By this observance I too imitate the Arahants and I shall have kept the Sabbath.
As long as they live the Arahants, by abandoning the taking of things not given, abstain from stealing: they take only what is given, they wait for a gift, they abide in purity free from theft. So also do I myself abide . . . observance I too imitate the Arahants and I shall have kept the Sabbath.
As long as they live the Arahants, by abandoning impurity of life, dwell observing chastity, abstaining from unchastity, from sexual intercourse, dealings with women [the Buddha’s choice of words is more modern that Woodward: he says "dealings with family matters". So also do I abide this night and day . . . By this observance . . . I shall have kept the Sabbath.
As long as they live the Arahants, by abandoning falsehood, dwell abstaining from falsehood, speaking the truth, joiners of truth to truth, unswerving, reliable, no deceivers of the world. So also do I myself abide this night and day . . . By this observance . . . I shall have kept the Sabbath.
As long as they live the Arahants, by abandoning indulgence in liquor fermented and distilled which gives occasion to sloth, are abstainers therefrom. So doing I also abide this night and day. By this observance . . . I shall have kept the Sabbath.
So long as they live the Arahants live on one meal a day, abstaining from food at night, refraining from food at unseasonable hours. So also do I myself this night and day. . . By this observance . . . I shall have kept the Sabbath.
As long as they live the Arahants refrain from going to the exhibitions of nautch-dancing and singing. I also by so doing . . . shall have dept the Sabbath.
As long as they live the Arahants, by abandoning the use of high, wide couches, abstain therefrom: they make their bed lowly, on a pallet or on a spread of rushes. I also this night and day do likewise. By this observance I imitate the Arahants . . . and I shall have kept the Sabbath.
Such, Visakha, is the Ariyan Sabbath. A Sabbath thus observed is of great fruit, of great profit. It is brilliant. It is of great radiance. How so?
Just as if, Visakha, one should exercise lordship, rule and sovereignty over these sixteen great provinces, replete with the seven gems, to wit: The Angas, Magadhas, Kasis, Kosalans, Vajjians, Mallas, Cetis, Vansas, Kurus, Pancalas, Macchas, Surasenas, Assakas, Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboja, -- yet would such sovereignty not be worth one-sixteenth part of a Sabbath observed in all its eightfold parts. What is the cause of that ? A poor thing, Visakha, is human sovereignty to set beside heavenly bliss.
Now, Visakha, fifty years of human life are a single night and day to the Devas of the Four Great Kings. Thirty such days and nights make a month. Twelve of such months make a year. Five hundred of such years make up the life period of the Devas of the Four Great Kings. [50X30X12X500 = 9,000,000 human years]
But there is the possibility, Visakha, that some woman or man, by observing the Sabbath in all its eight parts, when body breaks up after death may be reborn in the company of the Devas of the Four Great Kings. It was in this connection that I said: "A poor thing is human sovereignty to set beside heavenly bliss.’
Again, Visakha, a hundred years of human life are but a single night and day to the Devas of the Thirty-Three. Thirty such nights and days make a month. Twelve of such months make a year. A thousand such heavenly years make the life-period of the Devas of the Thirty-Three. [100X30X12X1000 = 36,000,000 human years]
But there is the possibility, Visakha, that some woman or man . . . may be reborn in the company of the Devas of the Thirty-Three. It was in this connection that I said . . .
Two hundred years of human life are but a single night and day to the Yama Devas. Thirty such days . . .Two thousand such heavenly years make up the life-period of the Yama Devas. [200X30X12X2000 = 144,000,000 human years]
But there is the possibility, Visakha, that some woman or man. . . may be reborn in the company of the Yama Devas. It was in this connection that I said . . .
Four hundred years of human life make one night and day of the Happy Devas . . . Four thousand such years make up the life-period of the Happy Devas. [400X30X12X4000 = 576,000,000 human years]
But there is the possibility, Visakha, that some woman or man. . . may be reborn in the company of the Happy Devas. It was in this connection that I said. . .
Eight hundred years of human life make one night and day of the Devas that delight in creation . . . eight thousand such heavenly years make up the life-period of these Devas. [800X30X12X8000 = 2,304,000,000 human years]
But there is the possibility, Visakha, that some woman or man . . . may be reborn in the company of the Devas that delight in creation. It was in this connection that I said . . .
Sixteen hundred years of human life make one night and day of the Devas that delight in other’s creations . . . Sixteen thousand such years make up the life-period of these Devas. [1600X30X12X16000 = 9,216,000,000 human years]
But there is the possibility, Visakha, that some woman or man, by observing the Sabbath in all its eight parts, when body breaks up after death may be reborn in the company of these Devas. It was in this connection that I said: " A poor thing is human sovereignty to set beside heavenly bliss."
[Note: Ask yourself, if this be true, how exalted can be the beings that (given that it is true at all) are channeled through mediums for long periods of time or frequently. Some of these Devas do, indeed, visit this realm, but when they do so it is with tremendous effort (at pinpointing a certain place and time) and for exceedingly brief periods. Note also, this is by no means the complete list of places beings, at the break up of the elements may find consciousness again. This list is limited to certain major (lower) "lokas" (locations) where beings keeping the Sabbath as described have the possibility of finding consciousness relocated. Other realms are attained by other means such as by great good deeds and by proficiency in the Jhanas. And, of course, keep in mind that rebirth is not the goal of the Buddhist: it is often put like this; "Failing the goal, he finds rebirth in . . . such and such Deva World."]
Let him not kill, nor take what is not given,
Nor utter lies, nor of strong drink partake:
But from unchastity let him abstain,
Nor eat at night, nor at unfitting times,
Nor wear a garland, nor use scents, but stay
On a mat spread on the ground. This is the Sabbath
Great, eightfold, of a kind to make an end
Of Ill, by the Enlightened One proclaimed.
The moon and sun, the sight of which is sweet,
Move to and fro, shed radiance where they move,
Scatter the gloom and, gliding thro’ the sky,
Make the clouds lustrous, lighting every quarter.
Within this space all manner of wealth is found, --
Pearl, crystal, beryl, luck-stone, nugget-gold,
And lustrous gold and that called hataka [ant made].
Yet are they all not worth one-sixteenth part
Of a Sabbath with its precepts eight complete;
Nor is the bright moon with its host of stars.
Therefore the woman and the man devout
Who keep this Sabbath with its precepts eight,
Performing merit fruitful of results,
In the heaven-world are born without reproach.’
Link to the Uposatha (Sabbath) day calendar on BuddhaDust:
http://www.buddhadust.org/dhammatalk/uposatha/calendar.htm
Link to Uposatha (Sabbath) day calendar at Access to Insight:
www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html
(The "N" in SAN is an N-G 'say "N, G"' , and, in PALI they hate the sound AE as we make the A, so say AH, so: SAHNG-YO-JA-NA)
SAN=one’s own; YOJA=yoga, yoke; JANA=burning to live
The Yokes to Rebirth
1. SAKKAYADITTI: One-Truth View
Holding the view that any one way of seeing the self is the one true way and that all other ways are false
2. VICIKICCHA: Doubt
Re-What?-What?-Stuff (C-Cha = K-Kha, except it is Human K-Kha) Formally, in the Pali: Doubt about DUKKHA, doubt about the origin of DUKKHA, doubt about the ending of DUKKHA, and doubt about the Way to the ending of DUKKHA
3. SILABBATAPARAMASO: Foolish Beliefs
Holding to the belief that Ethical Culture, Good Deeds, Ritual or Ceremony will bring an end to DUKKHA, Pain, or will free one from the effects of KAMMA
4. KAMACCHANDO: Pleasure Wanting
Attachment to wanting, wishing for pleasure, greed, lust, wanting to give pleasure, seeking one’s own good, not being Satisfied with things the way they are
5. VYAPADO: Wrath, Anger, Malevolance
6. RUPARAGO: RUPA=Material, RAGA=Rage (as in it’s all the rage), Lust
Materialism, attachment to things with form, shape: The eye and sigh ta it, The ear ana soun’a loveallaroun, the nose and scenta mula, the tongue and tastitree, the body ana toucha evera Eve ana Anna anna Ava ana Ona n On for Eva
7. ARUPARAGO: (A=not) Unworldly desire
Attachment to the Incorporeal, Ideas, Nibbana (I’ve always been especially attached to the sphere that isn’t there)
8. MAN0: Gone Mental, Pride
Pride of Birth, Family Wealth, Health, Youth, Life. Conceit. Arrogance
9. UDDHACCAN: Shuddering C-Ca. Overexcitement
Attachment to detachment producing excitement, flurry, anxiety, worry, fear and trembling and loosing ya grip
10. AVIJJA: Blindness
No Vision. Not seeing j-ja as it really is.
As a Group, known as The SAMGHA: The Gang, The Brotherhood, The Blood, The Congregashona
Most commonly known as The Streamwinner. One with an Ear (SOTA) for the Patter of Pat (Pajapati: The Creator of the Created, the Creator of Language, Patois, Patter, Pali, Parla, Spracha, Talka, Habla, Bla, Bla, Bla. . . Kha). In the Pali Streamwinners range from those with unshakable faith that the Buddha has found the way to the End of DUKKHA to those who have attained the DHAMMACAKKHU: The Eye of DHAMMA: seeing for one’s self that whatsoever has come to be, all that is destined to come to an end.
1. An individual headed straight toward becoming such or
2.One who is such
Start up the PALI Way by aiming for this one. At the least the guarantee is that attaining this one is safe from rebirth in Hell or as an animal or daemon. In the PALI, as one would expect, this is not a promise made out of thin air, but is based on the logic of the condition, which is:
The SOTAPATTI is an Individual who has broken through the TINI SANYOJANANI:
1. SAKKAYADITTHI: One Self View
2. VICIKICCHA: Doubts
3. SILABBATAPARAMASO: Clinging to Virtue and Good Deeds, Rites and Rituals
The TINI SANYOJANANI are capable of yoking (downbinding) one to rebirth in Hells, as an animal, as a ghost or as a daemon (as well as to good rebirths). Conversely, being detached in these ways prevents thereafter the possibility of rebirth in these Woeful Ways.
Additionally, the nature of the vision (wisdom, knowledge, insight) developed to break through these attachments is such as will, after a time, eat through all the other attachments . . . so it is said that one who has got this far is assured of attaining utter Detachment, UPEKKHA, NIBBANA. Some say this is accomplished in seven births, but the word for seven, "SATTA," is also 100, 1000, 10,000, and a very large number, so it is, I believe, better to say a "limited" number of rebirths.
For the qualities of the streamwinner and the fruits of streamwinning, see: http://www.buddhadust.org/dhammatalk/beginners_questions/good_example.htm#fn9
and also see: The Four Characteristics of the Streamwinner
The Just-One-More-Timer, or more commonly called The Once Returner
3. An Individual headed straight toward becoming such or
4. One who is such
This is a SOTAPATTI who has gone a long way toward breaking through Pleasure Seeking and Anger.
The No-Turning-Backer, or The Never-Againer, or, more commonly known as The Non-Returner
5. An Individual headed straight toward becoming such or
6. One who is such
One who has broken, or will break at death of the body, or before rebirth in a new existence, or shortly after rebirth in a new existence, or in the new existence, the ORAMBHAGIYANI SANYOJANA: The Yokes to the Downbound.
1. SAKKAYADITTHI: One Self View
2. VICIKICCHA: Doubt
3. SILABBATAPARAMASO: Belief in Virtue, Good Deeds, Rites and Rituals (Note: this means "as a way to end DUKKHA or escape Kamma". Good deeds are certaily a good thing that one can believe creates good kamma.)
4. KAMACCHANDO: Pleasure Wishing
5. VYAPADO: Anger
This individual is most commonly said to be reborn in the SUBHAKINNA Realms, LOKA or locations which are especially conducive toward solving the problem of DUKKHA. There are five such realms:
AVIHA (The Harmless),
ATAPPA (No Self Torture, or No Burning),
SUDASSA and
SUDASSI (beats me, something to do with being Pure),
and AKANITTHA (No Youngsters Here).
A Chinese school of Buddhism, (The Pure Land Buddhists), make it their objective not to attain NIBBANA, but to be reborn in these realms. These are the only five places of rebirth where even you will not have been born at one time or another in the long distant past (you will have been born in every other single condition of any sort whatsoever, excepting up to the state of SOTAPATTI--some will have attained this and even higher conditions prior to this life). Individuals reborn in these realms always finish up attaining NIBBANA. Non-Returners can be reborn elsewhere than these realms, and rebirth takes place through spontaneous reappearance in a male individuality aged about 15. Such beings are on record as having made brief appearances back in this world after being reborn in one of those realms. The laws of relativity appear to apply to heavenly births, in spite of what channels and mediums would have us believe. Not only are the rebirths in higher realms of extraordinary length (millions of years), but they are experienced, subjectively much as we experience time here, so a visit to a lower realm must be timed extraordinarily accurately and will appear to such a being to last but a finger snap. [remember to snap fingers]. Aside from matters of Time, beings from higher realms seldom visit earth for the reason that it is said to stink for a distance upward toward the heavens of about 200,000 miles. When they do make it here, they stand, they would never sit in it.
7. An Individual headed straight toward becoming such or
8. One who is such
One who has broken through all Ten Attachments.
Five things that are impossible for an ARAHATTA:
1. Telling an intentional lie
2. Intentionally killing a living creature
3. Theft
4. Sexual Intercourse
5. Saving up for future enjoyment of Sense Pleasures
Of ARAHATTA two are ranked as The Most Powerful:
A SAMMASAMBUDDHA: The Buddha. One, who after an enormous period of training, alone in the world (unassisted) attains UPEKKHA, Detachment, ARAHANTship, NIBBANA, AKALIKA (Living Outside Time), and is then able to teach and lead a large following (Gotama had a following in the many millions in his own time).
And
A PACCAKABUDDHA: Usually called a Silent buddha; one who attains ARAHANTship unassisted, but who generally declines to teach.
Odd Miscellaneous Bit of Information:The Karmic rebound off a SOTAPATTI is said to be a hundred thousand times a boundless number of huge heaps. So they say: "Up passed SOTAPATTI, what can you say?" In trying to figure out how to work very effective good deeds, one should also be aware that as well as the above mentioned very powerful men, there is a type of receiver of action that is not graded as an individual: An act done toward an individual who legitimately stands in as the representative of a group. A gift given to The SAMGHA, through a Beggar who is an initiated member of The SAMGHA is considered to be more potent in it’s rebound than even a gift to a living Buddha. Additionally, of course, receivers of action may be ordinary common men of poor moral behavior (rebound 1000 X), ordinary common men of good moral behavior (rebound 100,000 X), and there are animals (100 X) and ghosts too who are possible sources of rebounds. For more on the topic of Kamma, see DhammaTalk:Advantage Giver. |
Languages known to have evolved from Pali: [There is a debate as to whether Pali was earlier or later or contemporaneous with forms of Sanskrit and other closely related languages such as Magadhese: This will serve to introduce my stand on the debate (from a public discussion):
MO: I hold that Pali, the Language (no matter what the written historical records show or don't show) is the original language, the most fundamental form of speech. It's simple form is the sound "A" with stops (what we call consonants). I am not alone in this belief, although I did not arrive at it as a consequence of relying on authority.
H: Are you saying with the above lines that Pali was the first language within the history of humanity?, please explain.
MO: Not exactly that, since I buy the continuous evolution/devolution of the world view. Within this structure humanity actually "devolves" from higher conditions. I do not see Cave Man, grunting the A and evolving language. I see the Creator (Pajapati if you like), uttering the first sound, "A" as a simultaneous occurrence with the beginning of his creation. From there, one or two major syllables evolve: Pa (Father and Pass) and Ma (Mother and Make) and Da (That and Father) and Ta (This and That) and then Ka and Ca (disagreeable sounds, the first relating to non human KaKa, and the second relating to human CaCa) [Edited addition: and Sa and Ra (the sun and it's rays) and Ja (fire and birth illumination and knowledge) and Na (no to no-no! and not to understand?)]. What you might call a DNA of language. There is no doubt in my mind that all the IndoEuropean languages evolve from this initial set. Since I am not familiar with the Asian, Semitic and African Languages, I cannot say I know, but I would guess they were variations. The Polynesian languages appear closely related to the IndoEuropean languages, although they clearly evolved differently. Different past evolutions of the world have begun with a sound other than the "A."
Two things are important in this view: that those who were speaking before were using a simpler language, and that they, as a consequence, had a clearer view of the meanings of the words they were using than do we. The fewer words they used were more encompassing. They were also more directly in contact with the root meanings (the individual syllables) they were using when inventing new words and hearing the older ones. The word, as we know it, appeared more like our sentence.]
[More recently I have evolved this position, and now hold that what we have in the Pali is the original set of sound-elements and compounds (words) used to form language. I am saying that these were present in the language of the Buddha's day (no matter what it may have been called), and were deliberately chosen by the Buddha for their unique ability to convey information across cultures, and down through time. So the original statement that begins this section should be: "Languages known to have evolved from the root sounds found in Pali."]
Germanic Languages
Old Norse
Icelandic
Faeroese
Norwegian
Swedish
Danish
Old High German
Middle High German
German
Yiddish
Old Saxon
Middle Low German
Middle Dutch
Dutch
Afrikaans
Middle Flemish
Flemish
Frisian
Old English
Middle English
English
Celtic
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And, Possibly:
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Hieroglyphic Hittite
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Long vowels are doubled: aa, ii, uu.
Other diacritics precede the letters marked by them, so:
vowels: .r .l
retroflex consonants: .t .th .d .dh .n
retroflex sibilant: .s
palatal sibilant: "s
palatal nasal: ~n
gutturalnasal: "n
anusvara: .m
visarga: .h
Examples: nirvaa.na, vi~n~naa.na.
For the orthadox list of books included in the Theravada Cannon, see Access to Insight
The list below is what I would call the "strict" cannon. Books we can be very sure are of the oldest strata of the collection process; highly likely to be reflecting an accurate picture of what the Buddha taught
See also the Sutta Index where in all cases where suttas have titles, the complete list of suttas is given with reference to location in the Pali Text Society Texts and Translations, the Wisdom Publication Translations, the suttas in Pali and Translation on line on BuddhaDust and Access to Insight, and various other locations.
Vinaya Pitaka / The Book of the Discipline
Sutta Pitaka
Digha Nikaya / Dialogues of the Buddha
Majjhima Nikaya / Middle Length Sayings
Samyutta Nikaya / The Book of Kindred Sayings
Anguttara Nikaya / The Book of Gradual Sayings
Doubtful but not problematic in terms of Dhamma:
Udana / Verses of Uplift
Theragatha / Elders’ Verses Vol I: Psalms of the Brethren
Therigatha / Elders’ Verses Vol II: Psalms of the Sisters
Jataka / Birth Stories
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