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New Translations of the Pali Suttas
Glow
Veteran
I was wondering if anyone has seen this book: Sayings of the Buddha: New Translations from the Pali Nikayas
I found it recently at the bookstore and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these translations. They are not as stilted as some of the others I have read (the familiar but archaic "Thus have I heard" line is here rendered "This is what I have heard."), but still manage to convey some of the more subtle nuances of the dharma. One thing I found interesting is that Gethin follows some recent scholarship that posits that the word "sutta" itself is not as the Pali counterpart to the Sanskrit "sutra" (meaning "little threads") as was previously thought, but rather "sukta" (meaning "well-spoken"), which was the term used to refer to the Vedas. Little things like that which change the understanding of Buddhism among English-speakers.
I have only had the chance to read through a few of the sutta translations in their entirety, but they are very modern and accessible. There's an immediacy to them that's refreshing. Each sutta comes with a brief introduction as well as some very insightful endnotes.
Very much recommended.
I found it recently at the bookstore and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these translations. They are not as stilted as some of the others I have read (the familiar but archaic "Thus have I heard" line is here rendered "This is what I have heard."), but still manage to convey some of the more subtle nuances of the dharma. One thing I found interesting is that Gethin follows some recent scholarship that posits that the word "sutta" itself is not as the Pali counterpart to the Sanskrit "sutra" (meaning "little threads") as was previously thought, but rather "sukta" (meaning "well-spoken"), which was the term used to refer to the Vedas. Little things like that which change the understanding of Buddhism among English-speakers.
I have only had the chance to read through a few of the sutta translations in their entirety, but they are very modern and accessible. There's an immediacy to them that's refreshing. Each sutta comes with a brief introduction as well as some very insightful endnotes.
Very much recommended.
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