This week, I want to begin a series of blog posts that take a look at selections from the Dīrgha Āgama, both in their own light and that of parallels that exist. These posts won't be in-depth essays or particularly technical; rather, I'll introduce a particular sūtra and attempt to draw out a few issues … Continue reading A Look at DĀ 1: Buddhas, Brahmins—and Bodhisattvas
Heat Waves, Data Entry, and Meta-Editing
This summer has been quite an experience for much of the world. Floods, droughts, and a creeping suspicion turned sudden realization: The World is changing, and humans are but bits of flotsam when the raging currents of that change arrive. Yes, it's true: We aren't as collectively invulnerable and omnipotent as we imagined a couple … Continue reading Heat Waves, Data Entry, and Meta-Editing
July Update: Remainder of DĀ 30 Released
This month, I released the initial translations of DĀ 30's chapters 8-12. This would also complete the Dīrgha Āgama except for DĀ 19, which will be delayed another month before it's ready for release. With the completion of the rest of DĀ, I'll be taking two or three months to work on polishing existing translations, … Continue reading July Update: Remainder of DĀ 30 Released
June Update: First Half of DĀ 30 Released
The editing of the Description of the World Sūtra (DĀ 30) continues, but I've released Chapters 1-7 of this large, multi-chapter sūtra that collects Buddhist cosmology and mythology into a single large text. This version that's found in the Dīrgha Āgama (DĀ) is one of four Chinese translations of this sūtra which are dated between … Continue reading June Update: First Half of DĀ 30 Released
April/May Update: Parinirvāṇa Sūtra Released
This month's releases represent an important milestone for me as a translator. I've released translations of both the Mahāvadāna Sūtra (DĀ 1) and the Parinirvāṇa Sūtra (DĀ 2). I first read and considered translating these two large sūtras that begin the Dīrgha Āgama about 15 years ago when I first became seriously interesting in translating … Continue reading April/May Update: Parinirvāṇa Sūtra Released
March-April Update
I have great news. The Dīrgha Āgama is completely drafted, all 22 fascicles of it (which comes to about 235,000 words of English). The past few months have been non-stop drafting, and at times it’s been quite challenging, especially DĀ 19’s mysterious transliterations and the long tract in DĀ 30 about all the various Hells, which puts … Continue reading March-April Update
The Noble Fivefold Samadhi – A Parallel Sutra Quote to AN 5.28
An important sutta in modern discourse about the four jhānas in Theravāda Buddhism is AN 5.28, which contains material that appears to have been subsumed into the larger Mindfulness of the Body Sutta (MN 119). To date, no parallel has been found in the four Chinese Āgama collections; however, a full quote of a parallel to this … Continue reading The Noble Fivefold Samadhi – A Parallel Sutra Quote to AN 5.28
February Update: Two More DĀ Sutras Added
Wow, it's been three months since my last update! Yes, it's true, I'm still working my way through the Dīrgha Āgama. It's been quite a couple of months, drafting the Mahâvadāna (DA 1 ~ DN 14) and Parinirvāṇa (DA 2 ~ DN 16) sutras, which that I've been dreaming of translating for nearly 20 years. … Continue reading February Update: Two More DĀ Sutras Added
Four Cultivations of Samādhi: A Parallel to AN 4.41 Quoted in the Abhidharma Dharmaskandha
In the process of researching parallels to the four similes found in MN 119/MĀ 81 (the Mindfulness of the Body Sutra), I happened upon a quotation in the Sarvâstivāda’s Abhidharma Dharmaskandha that’s a direct parallel to AN 4.41. Below is a translation and comparison of the two texts. To give some background on the source of this quotation, … Continue reading Four Cultivations of Samādhi: A Parallel to AN 4.41 Quoted in the Abhidharma Dharmaskandha
September-October 2021 Update
Hello, everyone! It’s been a couple months since my last update. It seems like longer time than that! I traveled in September and visit family I hadn’t seen in over a year, which included an adventurous roadtrip as well as a less enjoyable time flying. It feels more like four or six months after going … Continue reading September-October 2021 Update
Dharma Pearls 