Philosophy of language in the Five Nikayas
by K.T.S. Sarao | 2013 | 141,449 words
This page relates ‘Anguttara Nikaya (Numerical Discourses of the Buddha)� of the study of the Philosophy of language in the Five Nikayas, from the perspective of linguistics. The Five Nikayas, in Theravada Buddhism, refers to the five books of the Sutta Pitaka (“Basket of Sutra�), which itself is the second division of the Pali Tipitaka of the Buddhist Canon (literature).
2.5(e). ṅgܳٳٲ ⲹ (Numerical Discourses of the Buddha)
The ṅgܳٳٲ ⲹ ‘Numerical Discourses of the Buddha� is the fourth great Collection of the Buddha’s discourses following the ī ⲹ, Majjhima ⲹ, and Saṃyutta ⲹ in the Sutta Piṭaka of the Canon. This Collection of Discourses constitutes an important source book on Buddhist psychology and ethics, which provides an enumerated summary of all the essential features concerning the theory and practice of the Dhamma. The ṅgܳٳٲ ⲹ containing 9,557 short Suttas is divided into eleven Divisions known as ٲ within which each Ծٲ is again divided into group called Vaggas, and each Vagga usually contains ten Suttas. The Discourse are arranged in progressive numerical order, each Ծٲ containing Suttas with items of dhamma, beginning with one item and moving up by units of one till there are eleven items og dhamma in each Sutta of the last Ծٲ. Thus, the name ṅgܳٳٲ means ‘increasing by one item�. As its specific nature, the first Ծٲ, Ekaka ٲ, therefore, provides in each single items of dhamma called the Ones; the second Ծٲ, Duke ٲ, contains in each Sutta two items of dhamma called the Twos, and the last Ծٲ, Ekādasaka ٲ, is made up of Suttas with eleven items of dhamma in each called the Elevens.
The eleven ٲ contained in the Āṅguttara are as below:
i. Ekaka ٲ—‘The Books of the Ones�,
ii. Duka ٲ—‘The Books of the Twos�,
iii. Tika Nipata—‘The Books of the Threes�,
iv. Catukka ٲ—‘The Books of the Fours�,
v. ʲñ첹 ٲ—‘The Books of the Fives�,
vi. Chakka ٲ—‘The Books of the Sixs�,
vii. Sattaka ٲ—‘The Books of the Sevens�,
viii. ṭṭ첹 ٲ—‘The Books of the Eights�,
ix. Navaka ٲ—‘The Books of the Nines�,
x. Dasaka ٲ—‘The Books of the Tens�,
xi. Ekādasaka ٲ—‘The Books of the Elevens�.