[Buddha-l] liturgical languages

[curt]

Don't be so sensitive. In the initial post I specifically mentioned Pali and
Theravadins. There is no reason, other than paranoia, to imply that this
thread is par of some evil Mahayanist plot to convince the world that
Theravadin Buddhism does not exist. Also, in the initial post, I was
responding to Richard's remarks which also specifically mentioned
chanting in Pali. Sheesh.
- Curt
P.S. And in my previous post let the record show that I also mentioned
the Chaldean Oracles.

F.K. Lehman (F.K.L. Chit Hlaing) wrote:

> Two things,if I may. (1) Let us not forget that Buddhism is from 
> India, and the Indic tradition, back to Vedic times apparently, 
> includes the idea that there is a sort of cosmic (magical?) power or, 
> if you want, ritual effectiveness to the very syllables of a Skt/Pali 
> chan, and to their correct pronunciation. This certainly is essential 
> background to the stuff being argued about here. (2) In Southeast 
> Asian Theravada, at least in Burma and Thailand, we do chant verses in 
> Pali, especially the Precepts (/panatipata vermani.../), BUT there are 
> endless sermons in which Monks expounbd at great and repetitive length 
> upon the detailed meaning of the words, phrases and utterances. And 
> there is a long and good tradition of/ nissaya/ texts involving such 
> chants and prayers; interlinear translation texts that are widely 
> used. I sometimes get p.o'd reading, as in this thread, about 'Asian 
> Buddhists', which turn out all to be exclusively Mahayanists in China, 
> Japan and, maybe marginally, Korea.
>
>-- 
>  
>
> F. K. Lehman (F. K. L. Chit Hlaing)
> Professor
> Department of Anthropology
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
>
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