English canonical commentaries & subcommentaries

[Christopherxx]

Hi guys.

I was wondering if anyone had a source for english translations of Atthakatha and the Subcommentaries. Both for purchase or if any free online ebooks exist even better!

This could be a great topic as I am sure many people visiting this section would love to review the source material before posting comments/questions.

with lots of metta friends

[tiltbillings]

http://store.pariyatti.org/Great-Discou ... _1480.html

http://store.pariyatti.org/All-Embracin ... _1481.html

http://store.pariyatti.org/Discourse-on ... _1472.html

http://store.pariyatti.org/Way-of-Mindf ... _1490.html

http://store.pariyatti.org/Mindfulness- ... _1506.html

http://store.pariyatti.org/Masefield-Dr ... 4-3-1.html

[Christopherxx]

Thanks TB,

I was refering to the classical authors such as Buddhaghosa and Dhammapala. Along with the traditional writers of the Tika (Subcommentary).

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... guide.html

Apart from purchasing and or viewing online, are there any monasteries and or buddhist centres that are known as hosts of these texts (all) in english?

[tiltbillings]

Thanks TB,

I was refering to the classical authors such as Buddhaghosa and Dhammapala. Along with the traditional writers of the Tika (Subcommentary).

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... guide.html

Apart from purchasing and or viewing online, are there any monasteries and or buddhist centres that are known as hosts of these texts (all) in english?

Not that I am aware of. Commentarial Pali is different from sutta Pali and is rather dense and rather difficult, which is why, I would guess, so little has actually been translated.

Now, if you can find a good Pali teacher, ideally one also versed in Sanskrit, and if you have maybe five years to devote a fair amount of time to learning, you can probably start reading these texts on your own.

[Cittasanto]

There are some published by PTS
have a look at the comentaries section for the list of published ones
http://www.palitext.com/
although one is found in the canon (Paṭisambhidāmagga) which is translated by them also.

[tiltbillings]

There are some published by PTS
have a look at the comentaries section for the list of published ones
http://www.palitext.com/
although one is found in the canon (Paṭisambhidāmagga) which is translated by them also.

The amount in English -- including the PTS and other sources -- is really very, very small compared to what there is of the main commntaries, not mention the sub-commentaries. It is too bad, but translating this stuff is work that requires a fair amount of training, plus having the time and desire to do it.

We can be very appreciative of the scholars who done the translation work to date, not just the commentaries, but also the suttas.

[Christopherxx]

Agreed,

They have definitely done an invaluable service to the buddhist community as well as opening up the "practice" to scholarly debate/investigation.

Thanks Tilt and C.

I wonder if this community should start some kind of form in which to get public/governmental/believer awareness.

I can only imagine what could be accomplished in our tradition in the respect of academic secular study if the source materials where made availble in the language of investigation.

Maybe something we should look into as a community as to do our part where the monks and the other scholars have done theirs.

With metta

[Christopherxx]

Fundraising,

Creating an awareness project for these kind of objectives, etc.

Much like what the western faiths have done out of conviction.