Majjhima – Nikaya
VOLUME I
TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION
The Majjhima-Nikaya is the second “book” or Collection of Discourses in the Suttapitaka. It consists of 152 Discourses (sutta) and is divided into three Section (pannasa) of fifty Discourses each, the last Section, however, containing fifty-two. These Sections are further sub-divided into Divisions (vagga) of ten Discourses each, the penultimate Division containing the two extra Discourses, There are fifteen Divisions, live in each Section.
This present volume of translation covers the first Section and thus comprises the First Fifty Discourses. I hope to follow it with two more volumes for the Middle Fifty and the Last, or Further, Fifty (-two). My translation is based on the edition of the Majjhima published in three volumes for the Pali Text Society by V. Trenekner vol. i, 1888 and Lord Chalmers, vols. ii and iii, 1898, 1899 (all reprinted in 1949, 1951).
Two complete translation have already appeared, the one by E.K. Neumann: Die Reden Gotamo Buddho’s aus der mittleren Sammlung Majjhima-nikayo, three vols., Leipzig, 1896-1902; and the other bv Lord Chalmers: Further Dialogues of the Buddha, two vols., in the Sacred Books of the Buddhists Series, vols. v, vi, 1926, 1927. Both of these works are now unfortunately out of print. Translation of individual Discourses have also been made and still appear from time to time both in the East and the West. They are too numerous to catalogue; but Professor Rhys Davids’ translations of Suttas Nos. 2, 6 and 16, together with his masterly Introductions (Sacred Books of the East, vol. xi), should not be overlooked.
With this considerable amount of material available, I have found it best on the whole to take an independent course, while duly consulting my predecessors. I do not claim that my translation makes any advance, simply that it differs in some respects. It must be left to anyone interested to compare the various translations, for my footnotes would have become overburdened had I done so. As it is, they are chiefly concerned with noting parallel passages (a labour some day to be rendered superfluous by the publication of the Pali Tipitakan Concordance, at present in the course of appearing) and, with the help of the Majjhima Commnentary, the Papancasudani, trying to eclucidate perplexing or specially enteresting and unusual points in the text itself.
CONTENTS
Translation’s Introduction
THE FIRST FIFTY DISCOURSES (MULAPANNASA)
I.THE DIVISION OF THE SYNOPSIS OF FUNDAMENTALS (MULAPARIYAYAVAGGA)
II. THE DIVISION OF THE LION’S ROAR (SIHANADAVAGGA)
III. THE THIRD DIVISION (TATIYAVAGGA)
IV. THE GREATER DIVISION OF THE PAIRS (MAHAYAMAKAVAGGA)
V. THE LESSER DIVISION OF THE PAIRS (CULAYAMAKAVAGGA)
INDEXES