Sutta Pitakaya simplified in Sinhala

By Lakmal WELABADA

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The language the Buddha preached the Dhamma was in Pali, which was originated from `Shuddha Magadhi Bhasha’ (the language used in Magadha, the most powerful province in India during the Buddha’s time). People found it convenient to understand His preaching since it was the language used by a vast division of the common people in Dambadiva (India).

The Buddha’s word which was spread on unimpaired and fully intact, by His disciples (monks) for generations with the word of mouth, later submitted into written form. Hence The Buddhist Doctrine which consists of in three main forms - Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma was mainly written in Pali.

Later years, Buddhism spread all over the region and then to many parts of the world. Along with that the Dhamma was preached in the language mainly used in their own countries. This made the common people of such countries to understand the Dhamma much better and easier.

In Sri Lanka, Buddhism was well existed in Pali, and the monks who learnt them at the temples or monasteries studied it in its original form and then preached the Dhamma to the lay people in their own ancient Sinhala language. Unlike today the ancient Lankans had limited resources for entertainment. Village temple was the main place which provided recreation such as `Bana madu’, dramas and `Rukada’ (muppet shows) based on Buddhist Jathaka stories. All these channels were used to pass the message of Dhamma accordingly with the intelligent level of the people.

Listening to Buddhist talks refreshed the minds and lives of the local folks provided an immense assistance to lead their self sufficient, simple lifestyles. It was said that during the ancient time, not only the village folk, but even the great Sinhala kings, like Saddhatissa, (the younger brother of King Dutugemunu), used to listen to the Buddhist preaching throughout the whole night. When a `Bana’ session started in the evening it went on till the following morning. It was the only way people could learnt Dhamma, during when the literacy level of the society was in a lower level. Since it was an agricultural based simple society, physical strength force was needed more than of using brain power. Hence learning to write and read was not considered essential. People had no time to spend on it neither. Every minute was used to develop their cultivations. The need of gaining the Dhamma was fulfilled mainly (or only) by associating the Buddhist priests.

Along with the gradual economical, social and cultural changes that took place in the Lankan society, the importance of enhancing the literacy level of people was gradually propped up. As a result, a few Buddhist lay-scholars started to pay much interest in learning the Pali Dhamma inscription which was restricted only among the Buddhist monks till then. Simultaneously the interest among general public to learn the Dhamma also began to grow. Along with that, the necessity of translating the Dhamma from Pali to Sinhala came up. This gradual thirst to quench the Dhamma provoked a few Buddhist scholars to go ahead with the translations. A group of scholars including late Balangoda Ananda Maithree Thera did the first ever translation from Pali inscription into Sinhala during the Buddha Jayanthi period in the mid of 1950s.

With the demand that emerged from the common society, the requirement of simplifying the Dhamma to much better definition in Sinhala also came up with the idea even a common man could understand the Buddha’s word. To meet with this requirement, a Board of Buddhist scholars including Venerable Theras such as Balangoda Ananda Maithree, Labugama Lankananda, Madihe Pannasiha, Akuratiye Amarawansa and Welimitiyawe Kusaladhamma were appointed to the Board of Translators or `simplifiers’ in 1993, who laid a solid foundation to this weighty task.

Six to seven founder members and a few of those who joined the Board later, had passed away. At present the Ven. Weligama Gnanarathana Thera chairs the Board in which six other Venerable Theras including Davuldena Gnanissara, Theripehe Somananda, Ambalangoda Sumangala, Alubomulle Saddhananda, Balangoda Sobhitha and Thrikunamale Ananda hold the membership of this sacred service.

K. K. Sugathapala, retired Government Administrative Executive has been rendering his utmost service to this invaluable task as the Co-ordinator, right from the beginning. “We must also pay our gratitude to former Secretary of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, D. M. P. B. Dasanayaka, former Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs S. Kariyawasam, former State Secretary Abhaya Weerakoon, along with the great assistance given by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the present cadre including Religious Affairs Minister Pandu Bandaranayaka, Buddhist Affairs Secretary H. M. Herath and Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General Chandrapema Gamage for their unfailing contribution to this noble task,” says Sugathadasa.

The Pali Thripitakaya is divided into 45 volumes. Out of them 33 volumes are `Sutta Pitakaya’, seven `Vinaya Pitakaya’ and five ‘Abhidhamma Pitakaya’. “The first translation in Sinhala (done in 1950s) comprised 57 volumes where as the present set would be lesser than that,” says Sugathadasa. “In addition to this, the present Board of Translators (simplifiers) have been concentrating more on simplifying the Sutta Pitakaya which would come in 27 volumes. So far 14 volumes have been published. The rest will be completed and published within the next two years,” he says further.

Question: From where can the public get them?

Sugathadasa: Since it is done as a service to the society, the present Government has decided to make arrangements for the people to get it for nominal prices like Rs. 150, 275 or 750. The Government does not keep a commission, and cover only the cost. This simplified volumes are available at the Buddhist Affairs Department at T. B. Jayah Mawatha, Maradana and also from their two branches in Kandy (near Dalada Maligawa) and Ratnapura (near the Ratnapura District Secretariat).

Question: It has taken almost 15 years to simplify the Sutta Pitakaya which has not yet been completed. What’s the reason behind this?

Sugathadasa: We have to appreciate the special assistance and encouragement given by the State which made our work much easier and quicker. Without the support of the State we would have not been able to fulfil the task. But apart from that we have to emphasise on this as well. Buddha Dharma is a code of discipline which can be explained by dividing it step by step in gradual form, and that’s why it is called `Vibhajjavadi’. Hence, the Board of Translators would sometimes take days and days to define one particular word referring to Pela, Atuwa, Teeka, Tippani and Prakarana dictionaries and other inscriptions, in order to present the exact meaning of the Buddha’s word without allowing room to raise any argument over the facts in the final volume.

Question: Could you give a brief account of the Thripitakaya - Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma?

Sugathadasa: Sutta Pitakaya is a segment that signifies the general basic principles or the code of behaviourial pattern that a human being should follow in order to lead a virtual life. Sutta Pitakaya basically consists of queries forwarded to the Buddha by his disciples (monks), `Dayakayas’ (his followers) and opponents; and then the answers, solutions, suggestions and messages the Buddha gave to them. Hence, it is relevant both to the lay people as well as to the monks. In this, the Buddha has taught and showed the gravity of Samsara in which we’ve got caught in a circle that has neither a beginning nor an end. We just undergo a series of rebirths - either in three higher and happy realms of existence as Brahmas (the higher state of gods), Devas (the next stage of gods) and human beings, or relapses of lower states of miserable existence such as of the animal realm, `Pethas’ and the `Narakadiya’ (the hell with deep sorrow and suffering which cannot be explained by words).

The Buddha showed the path to escape from this miserable mundane in Samsara by reducing one’s Kamma with good deeds and acts. Lay people can lead a well disciplined life with virtual moral conduct by following at least the five basic precepts (Pansil) in Dhamma. The monks should follow much more higher precepts. After gaining a better birth in good realm as a human being or a god, we can ultimately fall into the path of `Chathurarya Sathya’, the four Noble Truths that opens the path to `Nibbana’, the extreme bliss of happiness. Hence the Sutta Pitakaya renders a basic code of moral principles one should adhere to.

The `Vinaya Pitakaya’ mainly consists with the code of monastic discipline preached mainly for Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis for them to mould their characters to conduct a modest behaviourial lifestyle. The `Abhidhamma’ in that case is preached step by step to realise the real state of Samsara, and how the `Sathvas’ (both humans and gods) are trapped in it through their never ending worldly desires which pushes them to the re-birth-circle. `Abhidhamma’ shows the procedure, a lay person or a monk should eradicate the desires while gaining the higher state of mind through practising meditation, and then keep a full stop to one’s re-birth (or suffering) by attaining the extreme bliss, the Nibbana. In `Abhidhamma’, there’s hardly anything to simplify as it consists with the word of Buddha in straight and frank factual mannerism. This is why the present Board of well learnered venerable translators have decided to concentrate more on simplifying the `Sutta Pitakaya’, as it gives more relevance to the lay life.

Question: What’s the main aim of this task?

Sugathadasa: The aim is to give more opportunity for the public to inculcate Dhamma in their lives through which we can expect a gradual better change in the society. Many other countries including Thailand and Myanmar can learn Dhamma in their own language. It’s really important to get a chance to grasp the Dhamma in one’s own mother tongue as you can understand it much better.

And as a result we can expect a better effect in it. Secondly, we’ve seen many simplified Dhamma books in the Lankan Dhamma book stalls which sometimes carry misinterpretations of the Sutta Pitakaya. Hence our task is to fill that gap as well.

Question: What about the idea of translating it into English?

Sugathadasa: The Thripitakaya was translated into English by Robert Caesar Childer through the Pali Text Society in 1872 in UK. The language used in it was Shakespearean English. But, from time to time many scholars have been translating some sections of Thripitakaya into their own languages including into English and other languages like French and German.

Once our task is over, anybody who wish to present the Sutta Pitakaya into simplified English could attend to it.

However, the Buddha Dharma is a code of discipline and there is no barricades for people of other communities, nationalities and religions to accept it and follow. It’s the universal truth and open to the whole world.