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Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:33 am
by pedro1985
I am currently studying the Sutta Pitaka.

The Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, and Samyutta Nikaya I was able to buy in book format. They together are more than 4500 pages. Then there is also Anguttara Nikaya and Khuddaka Nikaya.

Some of the teachings are very valuable to me, some of the teachings is less valuable to me. Therefore I am trying to make 1 big sutta containing all the teachings that are of interest to me.

I am trying to make a sutta for my own use that is a collection of many suttas in the form that it reads as if it were to be 1 big sutta. It will start with:

"Thus I have heard, the blessed one was sitting with a group of monks and the monks asked him about subject 1, then the blessed ones answers... Then after this the monks asked the blessed one about subject 2, then the blessed ones answers... etc..."

In this way I want to put all the subjects that are valuable to me found in many suttas combined into 1 big sutta. I think the sutta will be around 300 to 500 pages in total. So it will be an easy book for my personal use that I can consult.

Now my question is: how would you write in Pali a fitting sutta name for this:

I am thinking of something like "The big sutta" or "The sutta containing many teachings" or something in that direction. I hope someone can help me think of a good Pali name.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:41 am
by Cittasanto
Why would you remove valuble context?
the suttas have many layers of meaning and each is a special precious gift to be read and read again, even the ones which are not liked by oneself for whatever reason.

why not get a book and not down specific passages you like on each page?

it also wouldn't be a sutta not something which legitimately starts with Evam Me Sutam thus have I heard.

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:03 pm
by pedro1985
Its not a way of removing valuable information, I still have the Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, and Samyutta Nikaya in printed bookform on my bookshelf.

To me it will be an easy accessable book of about 300 - 500 pages that contains especially that parts of the suttas which I want to read often, so that it is easier to carry around, rather than carry 3 big, heavy books around.

See it as a summary, to be used for personal use.

The reason why I make it start with "Thus I have heard." Is because I like the style of how the suttas are written. I prefer to make a summary in that style, rather than to keep many notes.

I still hope someone can help me with a name...

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:06 pm
by Kim OHara
Cittasanto wrote:... it also wouldn't be a sutta not something which legitimately starts with Evam Me Sutam thus have I heard.
This is almost certainly the first time I have posted in this sub-forum, for the very good reason that I know almost no Pali :embarassed: but I agree with Cittasanto. The logical name for your collection would surely be 'pitaka' - 'basket'.
So how about something like 'little basket' or 'Pedro's basket'?

:namaste:
Kim

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:43 pm
by Cittasanto
it wouldn't be a pitaka and could confuse people if he shared it, Bhikkhu Bhodhi didn't call his 'in the Buddhas words' a pitaka, it would be better to just call it an anthology of excerpts.

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:14 pm
by DNS
I think it might be confusing and take away from the 'purity' of the names of the Suttas. But if I did give it a name, perhaps:

The Dhamma Sutta

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:02 pm
by daverupa
mahapedrosutta

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:55 pm
by pedro1985
What does "maha" in "mahapedrosutta" mean?

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:56 pm
by Cittasanto
Maha means Great or long

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:01 pm
by vitellius
Dear pedro1985,

I believe that calling it a "sutta" is not quite a good idea.

Suttas are texts that were passed unaltered through more than two thousand years.

Wouldn't it be somewhat disrespectful to this tradition to call your own compilation a "sutta"?

I would suggest that "compilation" or "anthology" or "collection" are better options.

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:10 am
by chownah
I agree with the sentiment that using the term "sutta" can have bad consequences. If it is just for yourself then no need for a title at all.......I suggest taking a look at your intentions....
chownah

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:53 am
by retrofuturist
Pedropada.

Metta,
Retro. :)

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:16 am
by Brizzy
Pedroyana?

Metta

:smile:

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:21 am
by Kare
retrofuturist wrote:Pedropada.

Metta,
Retro. :)
Well ... 'Pedro' should of course be Palified. The consonant cluster -dr- should be changed. The -r- falls away and the -d- is doubled, so we get 'Peddo'. But the -o looks like a nominative, so in a composite word it should be reduced to -a. Thus the Pali form of Pedro in a composite word would be Pedda-.

May I then suggest Peddapada? Or why not Mahapeddapada? 8-)

Re: Name for a new sutta

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:34 am
by pedro1985
I didnt expect to get such reactions that calling it a sutta is inappropriate, will have bad consequences, and is disrespectful.
chownah wrote:I suggest taking a look at your intentions....
My intentions are creating an easy accessable book that gives me a summary of everything that is of interest to me which I have found in the the Sutta Pitaka, for the purpose that I dont need to carry heavy books around when I want to read the parts of suttas that are of interest to me.

I will just leave it nameless..