"I am going to England for the purpose of studying a standard English and academic writing. I will be coming back when I feel myself satisfied with the knowledge of English I have learnt."
There are two discourses on the foundation of mindfulness (Mahæsatipa¥¥hænasutta), one is found in the Døghanikæya (long discourse of the Buddha) and the other is found in the Majjimanikæya (middle length discourse of the Buddha). Both discourses offer precise procedures which are required in establishing mindfulness. The former discourse, which is contained in the Døghanikæya, has a supplementary component on the development of four noble truths, which is not found in the Majjimanikæya. There are two commentaries on these discourses written by the Buddhaghosa around fifth century and subsequently developed two sub-commentaries written by Dhammapæla, around sixth/seventh century. The commentary to Døghanikæya is known as Suma³galavisæsinø and its sub-commentary as Lønatthapakæsinø. Similarly, the commentary to Majjimanikæya is known as Papañcasþdanø and its sub-commentary Lønatthapakæsinø.
No scholar has been translated on any part of these commentaries into English. I have translated about five pages from Mahæsatipa¥¥hænasutta va¼¼anæ, a commentary on the Mahæsatipa¥¥hænasutta of of Døghanikæya. I was not aware of the predicament of this translation in the beginning. As I work on the translation, I found many compound and even complex words together, which are not possible to translate without additional information, for example Æramma¼ædhipatisahajætabhþmikammavipækakiriyædinæ- nattabhedænaµ(by means of the diversities of senses, masters, togetherness, realms, actions, results, functions and so on). This additional information is really not clearly explained. A reader without basic knowledge on such a concept is unlikely to understand by merely reading the commentary.
There are also many plural terms, for examples when the text explains about the six senses, only eyes sensation is mentioned and the remaining five senses are concluded with ‘ædi=etc’. The commentator means to include the remaining senses. This is completely different from the original pæli discourse where we find each name of sensation.
There are a number of passages of similes used in this commentary in which the Buddha compared with a bamboo-plaiter, and geologist; a meditating bhikkhu with leopard; mind with a calf; mindfulness with a rope.
There are many verses in this commentary quoted from another texts and treaties. Among them the verses “Just as the man (cowherd) willing to tame a calf may tie it to a post; even so one’s mind should be tied firmly to a post of meditative sense in this Sæsanæ” and“Just as a leopard hiding himself in the forest seizes beasts, even so the bhikkhu, the son of Buddha, who has meditation practised and observes several phenomena, having entered the forest, seizes four noble fruitions”are merely quoted from unidentified authors what they are called “Ancient teachers”. These verses can also be found in different commentaries such as Pæræjikaka¼ðaa¥¥hakathæ (vol.2. p-12,), Visuddhimaggaa¥¥hakathæ (vol. 1, p-217) and pa¥isambhidæmaggaa¥¥hakathæ (vol.2. p-163). However, it is still not clear who exactly composed these verses.
All in all, the explanation of Mahæsatipa¥¥hænasuttava¼¼anæ is acceptable to all of the Dhamma seekers due to its practical level of quality and meditative techniques.
There are thousands of theravæda monasteries not only in rural but also urban areas throughout Burma; depending on time and circumstances, a few monasteries are without monk, some with only monk, some with a small number of monks, some with thousands of monks; but uposatha is rarely performed in some of the monasteries owing to incomplete monks or not recognizing the uposatha day. That is just an unreasonable excuse because even one single monk can practise it in terms of adhi¥¥hæna uposatha (a determined observance), and also according to Burmese tradition when New Year comes and lunar calendars are published, at first the Buddhist people usually remember to offer the calendar to the monastery. Two or three or more calendars, hanging on the wall and posts, are in accessibility in each and every monastic building. On the other hand, a number of lay devotees generally gather in monastery in order to observe eight or nine precepts every uposatha day. Therefore it is impossible to fail to remember the days. The majority of monasteries in Burma are, however, still following the custom of uposatha formal act every full and new moon day. When the time falls, a big bell is struck several times, then hearing the bell-ring monks immediately come together in a sømæ carrying their own sitting clothes, after that uposatha is done by all members of monks harmoniously. Either the way of doing is in brief or in details, it is to be appreciated in modern time surrounded by plenty of sensual pleasures. In some monasteries two monks involve in pætimokkha recitation with a model of question and answer; the answerer, who is commonly a junior, usually recites it, when only a competent and experienced monk generally does it. On the other hand, in some monasteries it is taken alternately.
As vinaya says; “Vinayonæma sæsanassa æyu; vinaye ¥hite sæsanaµ ¥hitaµ hoti. “The disciplinary rule is the existence of the dispensation of the Buddha; if the disciplinary rule subsists, the dispensation of the Buddha will subsist”, the rule is a main root of every religion and society. No religion can last long without rules as a simile of scattering flowers without making a garland with a strong string. Even a minor rule should not be let break because the mind of men indulges in bad thing. If a small offence is allowed to commit, then a greater offence would be committed sooner or later similar to a snake catching a frog from the tip of a leg, then it swallows all the entire body of the frog. Uposatha practice is one of the thousands of disciplines for the order. If it does not take place fortnightly, it is sinful for the monks known as dukka¥a offence. Even though it is curable, it should not be ignored as it might pull the offenders down to the woeful states after death. Doing uposatha is showing the unity and purity of Buddhist order. The machine of Buddhism is still running with momentum along its way to peacefulness without letting its tiny part of equipment take off. As far as Burmese monks keep carrying out the uposatha practice duly, the theravæda Buddhism will never disappear from the land of Burma in the long future.
-----
Selected bibliography
The sources of pæ¹i cannon (texts)
- Cþ¹avagga pæ¹i, 3rd Ed (1999) Yangon: Win Light Mate Press House
- Mahævagga (Vinaya) pæ¹i, 5th Ed (1991) Yangon: Religious Affairs House
- Pariværa pæ¹i, 8th Ed (1997) Yangon: Religious Affairs Press House
- Pæcittiya pæ¹i, 8th Ed (1997) (eighth edition), Yangon: Religious Affairs Press House
- Pæræjika pæ¹i 5th Ed (1979) Yangon: Religious Affairs Press House
The sources of A¥¥hakathæ (commentaries)
- Mahæbuddhaghosa, Bhaddanta (1986) Cþ¹avaggædi A¥¥hakathæ,Yangon: Religious
Affairs Press House
- Mahæbuddhaghosa, Bhaddanta (1986) Ka³khævira¼ø a¥¥hakathæ,Yangon: Religious
Affairs Press House
- Mahæbuddhaghosa, Bhaddanta (1986) Pæcityædi A¥¥hakathæ, Yangon: Religious
Affair Press House,
-Særiputta thera (1991) Vinaysa³gaha a¥¥hakathæ,Yangon: Religious Affair Press
The sources of ¿økæ (Sub-commentaries) and Ganthantara (treatises)
-Co¹iyakassapathera, Bhaddanta (1960) Vimativinodanø ¥økæ,Vol 2,Yangon: Religious
Affairs Press House,
-Dhammasiri mahæthera and Mahæsæmi mahæthera (1962) Khuddasikkhæ Mþlasikkhæ
¥økæ, Yangon: Religious Affair Press House
- Taungphila, Sayadaw (1962) Vinayæla³kæra ¥økæ,Vol 1,Yangon: Religious Affairs
Press House
- Særiputtathera, Bhaddanta (1977) Vinayavinicchaya ¥økæ, Vol 2,Yangon: Religious
Affairs Press House
General sources
-Goenka (1999) Cha¥¥hasa³gæyanæ CD (version 3) [it embodies all canonical texts,
commentaries, sub-commentaries and other treatises],India: Vipassanæ
research institute
-Gombrich. R.F (2006) Theravæda Buddhism (A social history form ancient Benares
to modern Colombo), 2nd edition, Abingdon: Routledge Press
- I.B. Horner (1942a) The book of the discipline, Vol 4,London: Humphrey milfor
oxfordUniversity Press Amen House
- I.B. Horner (1942b) The book of the discipline, Vol 5,London: Humphrey milford
oxfordUniversity Press Amen House
-Spiro, M. E (1982) Buddhism and Society, Los Angeles: University of California
Press
-Somdet Phra Mahæ (1973) The Entrance to the Vinaya, Vol 3,Bangkok: Sama¼a
Choa Mahæmakut Ræjavidyælaya Press
-Misra, G.S.P (1969) The Age of Vinaya,New Delhi: Rashtra Bharti Press
-Thanissaro Bhikkhu (1994) The Buddhist Monastic Code, vol 1, U.S.A: Valley
center (free distribution)
-Thanissaro Bhikkhu (2007) The Buddhist Monastic Code, vol 2, U.S.A:Valley center
(free distribution),
Burmese sources
- Janakæbhivaµsa Ashin (1959) Ka³khæbhæsæ¥økæ, vol.1, Amarapura: New Burma
Offset Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1959) Ka³khæbhæsæ¥økæ, vol.2, Amarapura: New Burma
Offset Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1973) Pariværabhæsæ¥økæ, Amarapura: New Burma Offset
Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1938) Pætimok bhæsæ¥økæ, Amarapura: New Burma Offset
Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1966) Mahævaggabhæsæ¥økæ, Amarapura: New Burma
Offset Press
-Sølænandæbhivaµsa, Ashin (2002) Sømæ training course (Burmese version), Yangon:
Khaing yee mon Press
- U Maung Maung, Dhammaghosaka (1981) The Buddha trusted in Saµgha (Burmese
