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INTRODUCTION
TO THE SABBÂSAVA SUTTA.
DR. MORRIS, who had borrowed the Phayre and Turnour MSS. of the Magghima Nikaya from the India Office Library, has been good enough to transcribe the text of this Sutta for me.
I had hoped from the Rev. David da Silva's analysis of the Sutta in the Ceylon Friend for 1872, that it would determine the exact meaning of the difficult word Åsava as used in the theory of Arahatship, and in the important passage (the Faith, Reason, and Works paragraph) repeated so often in the Mahaparinibbâna Sutta. It will be seen that this is scarcely the case, but as it does throw light on the ideas wrapped up in the word, and contains a very interesting passage on the especial value attached in Buddhism to the mental habit we should now call agnosticism, I have adhered to the intention of including it in this volume.
The word Asava seems in this Sutta to be used in a general sense, not confined only to the Asavas of sensuality, individuality, delusion, and ignorance, but including the more various defilements or imperfections of mind, out of which those especial defilements will proceed.
Incidentally reference is made to the well-known Buddhist doctrine, that the right thing is to seek after the Nirvana of a perfect life in Arahatship, and not to trouble and confuse oneself by the discussion of speculative questions as to past or future existence, or even as to the
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| SR No. | 007674 |
| Book Title | Dhammapada |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1881 |
| Total Pages | 2540 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 45 MB |