Hi,
Ven. Sujato, Ven. Brahmali, Ven. Analayo, and many other monks, produce argued academic articles to research or demonstrate some of their theses on the Dhamma (among others).
I believe that the ideas they propose, regardless of whether they are true or not, can potentially have an extremely strong influence on the future of Buddhism. The reason for this thinking is that, for example, many of the ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Marx, etc., have had a great deal of influence on the world.
So I thought it might be a good thing for Pa-Auk scholars to produce argued academic articles to prove their theses (be it their epistemology - ; the authority of commentaries - their phenomenology, etc.). In this way, Pa-Auk’s ideas could have an even greater influence on the future of Buddhism.
But perhaps that already exists? If so, can you tell me where I can find Pa-Auk’s academic articles?
For example, I found articles by Ven. Ñāṇadassana, for example “The Place of Observing the Breath in Ānāpānassati Meditation” and “In What Language Should One Learn the Buddha’s Word?”. They are very interesting. I don’t know if you know of any others.
Thanks in advance.
May all beings fill the whole universe with benevolence.
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Ven Pa-Auk Sayadawgyi has a 5 volume book (2000 pages) called Big Nibbāna. It took some time (mostly for political reasons), but it was approved by the Buddhasāsana committee despite what some anonymous online adversaries claim… It has been in translation limbo for maybe more than 16 years. One monk “just did it” but the translation was not well received. The monk died of some liver complication five or six years later. He wrote the book Cascade Purification.
A monk who was previously an MD who was scheduled to become a Pa-Auk teacher was helping with the book, but he suddenly left the monastery during the pandemic times. He changed his sim card and nobody knows where he is. So the translation is still in limbo.
That was the last plan I heard of. Pa-Auk is quite finicky about translations and will sit on texts for years. .
In general, everything found in Big Nibbāna is backed up by other texts and peer reviewed by the national sāsana committee. I might have a copy somewhere, but I’m sworn to secrecy. It is not an easy book to read. It might be on the internet somewhere…
Here it is. I found it with a google search for “big nibbana 5 books”. I’m not sure if the two pages of errata were incorporated, nor would it make a difference in content. I think most people would want “past, present, & future” in that order. This set is not approved and highly criticized by Pa-Auk officials. The only approved copy is in Myanmar language.
What were the political reasons? Well, it criticized much of the other methods and the necessity for concentration and past lives knowledge as a precursor to enlightenment. It also criticized blank-out Nibbāna which is popular in Mahasi and derived methods. Those who were on the committee didn’t like that. Over time, some important people came to know the pa-auk method and defended it. It was later passed with some minor edits. Mostly on the word order of past present future verses the written past future present. There you will see that the complaints were political. 2 pages of fixes were made out of 2000 and mostly “past present future” from what I heard.
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Thank you very much Bhante!
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Bhante …as pa auk or suppose one tradition criticize other tradition in thervada…is that ok …
As a lay followers should we go with one tradition when it comes to practice…
Obviously when it comes to Dana we must donate to every bhikku…
But as times go may be only one tradition will recieve more and more donation…
Is Favouring one tradition wrong? Is it like making schism in sangha?..
Tell us…
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You can give where you feel the faith is and where the monks are practicing in the way you aspire. It is best to try to support the true teachings, but that can be “interpreted”.
Giving to all monks is good. However, make sure the donations are allowable and properly obtained.
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