Philosophy

This article goes back to the beginnings of Buddhism, in fact to that ancient problem: What language or languages did the Buddha speak? It discusses Old Indo-Aryan and the origin of the Prakrit dialects, the language(s) of the Buddha and the Jina, Old Māgadhī, the migration of the Buddhist teachings, the writing down of the canon in Ceylon, anomalous forms in the Theravādin canon, anomalous forms and the Aśokan inscriptions, and why anomalies remain in the Pāli canon.  I want, then, to go back to the beginnings of Buddhism—in fact to that ancient problem: What language or languages did the Buddha speak? I might as well start by admitting that we do not know, but we can make some intelligent guesses. Having made those intelligent guesses, I should then like to say something about the relationship between that language or those languages and the language of the Theravādin canon which we call, traditionally if incorrectly, Pāli. Of the various dates which have been put forward, I star...

The Buddhist technical term was first translated as ‘mindfulness’ by T.W. Rhys Davids in 1881. Since then various authors, including Rhys Davids, have attempted definitions of what precisely is meant by mindfulness. Initially these were based on readings and interpretations of ancient Buddhist texts. Beginning in the 1950s some definitions of mindfulness became more informed by the actual practice of meditation. In particular, Nyanaponika’s definition appears to have had significant influence on the definition of mindfulness adopted by those who developed MBSR and MBCT(. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression). Turning to the various aspects of mindfulness brought out in traditional Therava¯da definitions, several of those highlighted are not initially apparent in the definitions current in the context of MBSR and MBCT. Moreover, the MBSR and MBCT notion of mindfulness as ‘non-judgmental’ needs careful consideration from a traditional Buddhist perspective. Nevertheless, the...

Overview of the nature, meaning, function, and practice of mindfulness in Therava¯da Buddhism While mindfulness (sati) itself is frequently emphasised in Therava¯da Buddhist philosophy and practice, the four primary Nika¯yas of the Pali Canon’s Sutta-pi_ taka offer little in the way of its definition, preferring to describe the practice of the ‘presencings of mindfulness’ (satipa_ t _ tha¯nas) that allows sati its fullest expression (Gethin 2001, 36). A more useful means to appreciating sati’s richness of meaning is with reference to its various categorisations within the 37 dhammas that contribute to awakening (bodhi-pakkhiya¯-dhamma¯), particularly the satipa_ t _ tha¯nas, and its relationship to other dhammas; for example, clear comprehension (sampajan˜n˜a), concentration (sama¯dhi), and wisdom ( pan˜n˜a¯). However, what should be clarified from the outset is Therava¯da Buddhism’s understanding of sati as occurring only in sobhana-citta, an Abhidhamma term that includes kammically w...