Dharma Records

A record of Ānandajoti’s publication work.

Menu
  • Notices
  • Talks
  • Texts
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Photos
  • Ecology
  • Culture
  • Archives
  • About
Menu

New Translation of the Thematic Discourses about Nuns

Posted on October 9, 2011November 7, 2011 by Ānandajoti

Thematic Discourses about Nuns

I have just published a text and translation of the Bhikhhunīsaṁyuttaṁ, which is one of the shortest of the Thematic collections. Despite its size – just 10 short discourses – it contains some very profound teachings.

The discourses are each framed in a similar way, with only minor variations: the Gracious One is at Sāvatthī, and a nun goes into town for alms and afterwards heads for the Blind Man’s Wood to spend the day.

There Māra approaches and tries to frighten and otherwise disturb their meditation with temptations and doubts.

The nuns, after cognising the fact that this is only Māra up to his tricks, all manage to give him a good rebuke, and he, realising that the nun had recognised him, vanishes on the spot.

Psychologically I find it interesting that as soon as Māra is recognised he is no longer able to sustain his presence, or cause any further disturbance.

It is indeed only when the origin of disturbing thoughts is unrecognised that we act on them, when we realise their unwholesome origin they loose their power.

The discourses contains some of the most famous verbal exchanges like this one in which Māra questions a woman’s ability to realise the highest attainments:

“Yaṁ taṁ isīhi pattabbaṁ ṭhānaṁ durabhisambhavaṁ,
“That place which has been attained by the seers is hard to obtain,

Na taṁ dvaṅgulapaññāya, sakkā pappotum-itthiyā.” ti
No woman, with her two-finger wisdom, is able to attain it.”

to which the Bhikkhunī Somā replies:

“Itthibhāvo kiṁ kayirā, cittamhi susamāhite?
“What is to be made of womenhood when my mind is well-composed?

Ñāṇamhi vattamānamhi, Sammā Dhammaṁ vipassato.
When knowledges exist, and Right Dhamma has been seen with insight.

Yassa nūna siyā evaṁ: Itthāhaṁ puriso ti vā,
For whomever thinks thus: I am a woman or a man,

Kiñci vā pana aññasmiṁ, taṁ Māro vattum-arahatī.” ti
Or I am something other, deserves to have Māra speak to her.”


The collection is available in various formats: the Text and Translation (as above); an English Only version; and the established Text. The three versions come in html and pdf, and the English Only version is also available in epub and mobi format for the eReader.

I have also recorded both the English and Pāḷi, and the recordings are available either from their respective pages, where they are embedded, or separately from the Audio Page, where there are also many other recordings available.

If anyone has any feedback on this work, please leave a comment either here, or on the page it concerns.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

QR code

SHORTLINK

RSS Feeds

  • All Posts
  • Texts
  • Photos

Donations

there are many expenses involved in the making of this website. Even a small donation really helps to maintain and expand the site.

choose amount:

Recent Posts

  • Two Innovative Temples in Petchabun
  • Two Photo Albums from Phimai Published
  • Photographs from Prasat Phanom Rung
  • Publication of the Introduction to the Jataka Stories
  • A Revised Presentation of the Jātaka Commentary
  • Comparative Dhammapada Table
  • Suttapitaka Index, with links to Pali Text and Translations
  • Karmavibhanga Stories Published in Hard Copy
  • Publication of The Theravāda Lineage (Nikāya Sangrahaya)
  • Paintings from the Thousand Buddhas Caves Published

Top 10 Tags

  • Books
  • Buddha
  • Dhamma
  • Ethics
  • India
  • Monks
  • Poetry
  • Sri Lanka
  • Temples
  • Wisdom

Recent Posts

  • Two Innovative Temples in Petchabun
  • Two Photo Albums from Phimai Published
  • Photographs from Prasat Phanom Rung
  • Publication of the Introduction to the Jataka Stories
  • A Revised Presentation of the Jātaka Commentary
  • Comparative Dhammapada Table
  • Suttapitaka Index, with links to Pali Text and Translations
  • Karmavibhanga Stories Published in Hard Copy
  • Publication of The Theravāda Lineage (Nikāya Sangrahaya)
  • Paintings from the Thousand Buddhas Caves Published

Other Posts

  • Ancient Buddhist Inscriptions in Malaysia
  • BWV 054: Gratefulness to Friends
  • Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: Recollecting Ven. Bhikkhu Sumedha
  • BWV 035: Three Roots of Evil
  • Photos and Descriptions of 80 Stone Sculptures from Pagan Published
  • Avalokiteshvara with a Thousand Arms Dance
  • Ajita questions the Buddha
  • Photographs of Two Chinese Temples
  • Success in the Urgent Appeal for Water Relief!
  • Ven Nyanamoli’s list of Grammatical Terms Published

Related Posts

  • The Stories of the Foremost Nuns published on Ancient Buddhist Texts
  • Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī attains Liberation
  • Bhante Anandajoti: 3. Asoka and the Missions
  • The Fourth Edition of the Comparative Dhammapada Published
  • Publication of the Patna version of the Dhammapada
  • The Bhiksuni Manimekhalai
  • A Summary of the Mahavastu Published
  • From the Living Fountains of Buddhism Published
  • Publication of the Pāli Prosody Vuttodaya on Ancient Buddhist Texts
  • Uposatha Calendars 2016
© 2021 Dharma Records | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme