Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

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Red Belly
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Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 2:07 pm

Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by Red Belly »

After hearing about the great Thai work Buddhadhamma from a number of sources, I decided to give it a go and ordered the most available edition translated by Grant Olsen. It arrived from Amazon last night. This morning I've been studying the first two sections and must say I'm finding it a bit of a slog. I'd like to think this isn't so much because of the material, but rather because it feels - how should I put it? - very translated. Clunky. The edition is also pretty sloppy: I've already come across, in the first five pages or so, a sentence that breaks on one page which is then rolled back to earlier in the paragraph on the next. This isn't the translator's fault, admittedly, it is careless editing, but it still doesn't add to the reading experience, to put it mildly.

After a little more research I see that there is a newer translation by Robin Moore. This seems to be the version listed on several monastery websites, which is promising, but there is precious little information that I can find on it, and it also comes in seven volumes instead of one, and will cost well over $100 compared to the $35 of the older edition. Which is slightly puckering. :thinking:

Do any of you have any experience with this work? Would it be worth my trying the Moore translation or should I suck it up an bull forward with the edition I've got? Any help or guidance or thoughts would be much appreciated!
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mikenz66
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Re: Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Red Belly,

Here are some links to discussions of that translation (which is available online):
https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/bu ... utto/21577
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=41284

:heart:
Mike
Red Belly
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Re: Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by Red Belly »

Thank you, Mike. Still wish there were a little more information out there!
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gavesako
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Re: Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by gavesako »

The new translation by Robin Moore is the only definitive and complete one. Previously also some individual chapters were translated in simplified form and published as separate volumes (on Kamma and Dependent Origination). However this new translation is the one to be recommended as it is very accurate and true to the original Thai. It is available for free distribution in some Western monasteries in one very heavy volume.

https://buddhistteachings.org/buddhadhamma-complete/
Bhikkhu Gavesako
Kiṃkusalagavesī anuttaraṃ santivarapadaṃ pariyesamāno... (MN 26)

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ssasny
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Re: Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by ssasny »

I placed this in a message, but in case you haven't seen it I put it here as well.

Hello,

I have the translation of Ven. Payutto's book in the one volume translation by Robin Moore, it's excellent.
Sorry to hear the version you obtained doesn't read very well, I wasn't aware of that older version.

I believe you can download the newer version here and compare it to what you have:
https://buddhadhamma.github.io/
Red Belly
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Re: Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by Red Belly »

gavesako wrote: Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:13 pm The new translation by Robin Moore is the only definitive and complete one. Previously also some individual chapters were translated in simplified form and published as separate volumes (on Kamma and Dependent Origination). However this new translation is the one to be recommended as it is very accurate and true to the original Thai. It is available for free distribution in some Western monasteries in one very heavy volume.

https://buddhistteachings.org/buddhadhamma-complete/
Ah, Bhante, thank you, thank you kindly. This is exactly the sort of information I was looking for!

:anjali:
Red Belly
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Re: Buddhadhamma by Payutto - Best Translation?

Post by Red Belly »

ssasny wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 12:25 am I placed this in a message, but in case you haven't seen it I put it here as well.

Hello,

I have the translation of Ven. Payutto's book in the one volume translation by Robin Moore, it's excellent.
Sorry to hear the version you obtained doesn't read very well, I wasn't aware of that older version.

I believe you can download the newer version here and compare it to what you have:
https://buddhadhamma.github.io/
I'm sorry, Ssany, I hadn't seen that you had messaged me. Thank you VERY much for this information!

:anjali:
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