Achieve Peace of Mind
If you wish to proceed further with the teachings of Buddha and you wish to gain a better understanding of the Abhi-Dhamma (අභි ධම්ම) – the deep knowledge and insight which Buddha gained after enlightenment – we recommend that you first gain at least a rudimentary knowledge of sinhala.
The reason for this being that the Sinhala language is closest in form to the Pali language (which is a dead language). Since Sinhala is spoken by over 18 million people it is still very much a living language, and you will find that a knowledge of Sinhala can help you to at least being to understand Buddha’s teachings with greater ease.
More Detailed Information
A look at how to live the Buddhist way of life.
>> The Buddhist Way of LifeA look at the general Buddhist way of life.
With time you will then find that you are able to understand more and more of what Buddha said in his own words without having to rely on someone else to translate for you what Buddha said. The phrase “lost in translation” wasn’t created for nothing.
The truth of the matter is that many ideas and meanings can and will get lost when translating from language to the next. This is especially so when trying to translate something as deep and difficult to comprehend as Buddha’s teachings.
So remember, although in the beginning it is perfectly alright to rely on someone else’s knowledge to help you find your way through the many different insights of Buddha’s teachings, at some point you have to realize that the translator can only translate these invaluable insights only insofar as they understand them.
They can go no further than their own limitations, and although you might find that this person has translated Buddha’s words into an almost perfect recreation of what Buddha said, the truth of the matter is that by only following and relying on these translations, you are limiting yourself in what you can learn from Buddha himself.
The long and short of it then is that to gain the most benefit from Buddha’s insights, teachings and knowledge, you need at some point, to strike out on your own and understand for yourself what was being said.
This is the only way for you to go forward in your chosen path and the only way that you will be able to break free of this endless cycle of birth and rebirth.
Remember that even Buddha said not to blindly believe or follow everything he said – instead he said for you to find and experience everything he said, for yourself.