Sutta Commentary Resources

Textual analysis and comparative discussion on early Buddhist sects and scriptures.
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mettafuture
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Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by mettafuture »

One of my favorite things is sutta commentary.

Is anyone familiar sutta commentary resources—past or present—like papers, books, audio, or perhaps translations of the original commentaries?

I know of a few: I want to get the SuttaNipata soon from Wisdom Publications for its extensive commentary, and I might eventually purchase a hardcopy of the Visuddhimagga.

Your suggestions would be appreciated.

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Dhammarakkhito
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by Dhammarakkhito »

the visuddhimagga is very late and contradicts the suttas in several places
"Just as the ocean has a single taste — that of salt — in the same way, this Dhamma-Vinaya has a single taste: that of release."
— Ud 5.5

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mettafuture
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by mettafuture »

Dhammarakkhito wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 7:15 pm the visuddhimagga is very late and contradicts the suttas in several places
It does? I didn't know this.

Do you have any examples on hand?
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Dhammarakkhito
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by Dhammarakkhito »

yes, http://seeingthroughthenet.net/wp-conte ... ev_1.0.pdf
that is a pdf so depending on your browser settings it might automatically download. it is called 'the law of dependent arising' by bhikkhu ñāṇananda, and just looking at a few of your posts i think you would like his writing. like he says in 'concept and reality' i dont want to condemn the commentaries as a whole. i'd get the references specifically right now but am about to leave. name-and-form has five constituents in the suttas and four in vsm. and the commentarial method of dividing metta between oneself and friendly, neutral, and hostile is also disagreeable.
"Just as the ocean has a single taste — that of salt — in the same way, this Dhamma-Vinaya has a single taste: that of release."
— Ud 5.5

https://www.facebook.com/noblebuddhadha ... 34/?type=3

http://seeingthroughthenet.net/
https://sites.google.com/site/santipada ... allytaught
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Dhammarakkhito
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by Dhammarakkhito »

i meant name specifically, rather than name and form
page 103 in the above edition, see screenshot attached
pages 88-92 roughly deal with the three-life interpretation of paṭiccasamuppāda
the self-metta and metta divided according to neutral, hostile and friendly is addressed in deliverance of the heart, i believe i linked it for you the other day
as for the full sutta nipāta you can get that here https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Wri ... 160803.pdf
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"Just as the ocean has a single taste — that of salt — in the same way, this Dhamma-Vinaya has a single taste: that of release."
— Ud 5.5

https://www.facebook.com/noblebuddhadha ... 34/?type=3

http://seeingthroughthenet.net/
https://sites.google.com/site/santipada ... allytaught
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mettafuture
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by mettafuture »

Dhammarakkhito wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 7:54 pmname-and-form has five constituents in the suttas and four in vsm. and the commentarial method of dividing metta between oneself and friendly, neutral, and hostile is also disagreeable.
Interesting. You've given me something to think over. I've downloaded the PDF.

I mainly wanted the Visuddhimagga for chapter 7 on the six recollections. But I probably don't absolutely need to buy this book. In the meantime, I have the PDF, and other resources, particularly volume 15 of the Piya Tan's Sutta Discovery series, for these recollections.
Dhammarakkhito wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 9:52 pmas for the full sutta nipāta you can get that here https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Wri ... 160803.pdf
I actually have a PDF and physical copy of that exact book. It's an excellent translation. Though, I think I'll still get the Wisdom Publications one for the commentary.

Thank you.
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cjmacie
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by cjmacie »

Dhammarakkhito wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 7:15 pm the visuddhimagga is very late and contradicts the suttas in several places
This represents a party-line modern, largely Western revisionist viewpoint.

The tendency to characterize differing historical perspectives as "contradictions" being a hallmark of this trend, empowering the conceit that such a modern viewpoint is so superior to 50 generations or so of dedicated monastic practitioners and scholars, including most of the living lineages in Asian Theravada Buddhism. And manifests often with a rapid evangelical self-certainty, not unlike many biblical literalist "born-again" type Christian proponents.

These modern viewpoints are, after all, some 1500 years later than the Visuddhimagga, i.e. very, very much later, distant from the Buddha's time.

A broader historical view is likely to prove more worthwhile in the long run -- i.e. to observe the dlialectical developmental process of periods of interpretation with a more open mind, as unfashionable and subject to peer-group pressures as it may seem.
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Dhammarakkhito
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by Dhammarakkhito »

the vsm came well after the 500-year span of pure dhamma, so i think it deserves as much scrutiny as anything modern
"Just as the ocean has a single taste — that of salt — in the same way, this Dhamma-Vinaya has a single taste: that of release."
— Ud 5.5

https://www.facebook.com/noblebuddhadha ... 34/?type=3

http://seeingthroughthenet.net/
https://sites.google.com/site/santipada ... allytaught
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by mikenz66 »

Dhammarakkhito wrote: Tue May 29, 2018 3:16 am the vsm came well after the 500-year span of pure dhamma, so i think it deserves as much scrutiny as anything modern
There are, two me, two threads in the VM (and commentaries).

1. There is the project of constructing an Abhidhamma and Commentaries that is consistent with the entire Tipitaka. This is difficult, and does lead to some rather convoluted reasoning. Modern commentators don't really attempt anything so ambitious.

2. There is a collection of practical advice that reads to me like the combined wisdom of hundreds of expert practitioners. The practical advice is often extremely good, and often several different possibilities are given.


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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by Dhammarakkhito »

well, i wouldn't have presumed to criticize if it hadn't been in the early buddhism section.
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"Just as the ocean has a single taste — that of salt — in the same way, this Dhamma-Vinaya has a single taste: that of release."
— Ud 5.5

https://www.facebook.com/noblebuddhadha ... 34/?type=3

http://seeingthroughthenet.net/
https://sites.google.com/site/santipada ... allytaught
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Assaji
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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by Assaji »

Hi Mettafuture,
mettafuture wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 3:05 pm Is anyone familiar sutta commentary resources—past or present—like papers, books, audio, or perhaps translations of the original commentaries?
BODHI, BHIKKHU The discourse on the all-embracing net of views: the Brahmajāla Sutta and its commentaries. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1992

BODHI, BHIKKHU: The Great Discourse on Causation: The Mahānidāna Sutta and Its Commentaries: Buddhist Publication Society, 1995 — ISBN 9789552401176

BODHI, BHIKKHU: The Discourse on the Root of Existence - Mūlapariyāya-Sutta. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 2006

BODHI, BHIKKHU: The Sāmaññaphala Sutta The Discourse on the Fruits of Recluseship. Kandy: BPS, 2013

NYANAMOLI, BHIKKHU: The Discourse on Right View: The Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta and its Commentary, Wheel. Bd. 377-379. Kandy: Buddhist Publication, Society, 1991

NYANAMOLI, BHIKKHU: Raṭṭhapāla Sutta: A Discourse from the Majjhima Nikaya No. 82, Wheel. Bd. 110. Kandy: Buddhist Publication, Society, 1967

NYANAMOLI, THERA: Greater Discourse on Voidness: Mahasuññata Sutta with Commentary (MN 122), Wheel. Bd. 87. Kandy: Buddhist Publication, Society, 1965

NYANAMOLI, THERA: Mindfulness of Breathing (Ānāpānasati). Buddhist Texts from the Pāli Canon and Extracts from the Pāli Commentaries: Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1952

SOMA, THERA: The way of mindfulness. A translation of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya; its Commentary, the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta Vaṇṇanā of the Papañcasūdanī of Buddhaghosa Thera; and excerpts from the Līnatthapakāsanī Tīkā, Marginal Notes, of Dhammapala Thera on the Commentary. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1981

STORY, FRANCIS; VAJIRĀ, SISTER: Last Days of the Buddha The Mahaparinibbana Sutta, Wheel. Kandy: BPS, 2010

ARAHANT UPATISSA. The Path of Freedom: Vimuttimagga. Published by Dr. D. Roland Weerasuria, Balcombe House, Balcombe Place, Colombo 8, Ceylon, 1961

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Re: Sutta Commentary Resources

Post by paul »

To take one example from the extracts of Ven Nananda presented on this page and show the type of unsubstantiated claim he makes:

“The ‘noble norm’ is none other than the law of dependent arising.”

However Mrs Rhys- Davis’ book “A Study of the Buddhist Norm” contributes four chapters discussing different aspects of the norm:

The Norm as Theory of No-soul
The Norm as the Law of Causation
The Norm as Moral Law
The Norm as Ideal

Ven Nananda is discussing the qualities of a stream-enterer, and one of the well-known qualities is the attainment of the dhamma eye:

“To Upali the householder, as he was sitting right there, there arose the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation. Then — having seen the Dhamma, having reached the Dhamma, known the Dhamma, gained a footing in the Dhamma, having crossed over & beyond doubt, having had no more questioning — Upali the householder gained fearlessness and was independent of others with regard to the Teacher's message.”—-MN 56

The dhamma eye is simple knowledge of impermanence.
“This standard formula — it is repeated throughout the Canon — may not seem that remarkable an insight. However, the texts make clear that this insight is not a matter of belief or contemplation, but of direct seeing. As the following passages show, belief and contemplation may be conducive to the seeing — and an undefined level of belief and discernment may actually guarantee that someday in this lifetime the seeing will occur — but only with the actual seeing does there come a dramatic shift in the course of one's life and one's relationship to the Dhamma.”
—-“Into the Stream”, Thanissaro Bikkhu.
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