(This is a 2021 retranslation I did of this very important Sutta, the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), of an earlier recording, which I had first narrated back in 2019.)
In retranslating these suttas, in addition to the Pāli, I have used the sources listed below. It is recommended that listeners become encouraged enough to obtain copies of these from their publishers/authors, whenever available:
• Upalavanna, A. & Jayasundere, A.D. (?). Tipitaka: The Anguttara Nikāya. Online resource. Retrieved from: www.dhammatalk....
• Ñāṇananda, K. B. (2010). Nibbāna: the mind stilled. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Theravada Tipitaka Press.
• Ñāṇamoli, B. & Bodhi, B. (2001). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A new translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Oxford, United Kingdom: Pali Text Society in Association with Wisdom Publications.
• Sujato, B. (2012). Middle Length Discourses. Translation by Bhante Sujato, SuttaCentral. (suttacentral.n...)
About this project:
Over the past 30+ years, in my quest for understanding the Dhamma, i.e. the Teachings of Lord Buddha, I have dedicated countless hours studying the suttas found in the Pāli Canon of the Theravada Tradition (Words of the Elders) as I sat at the feet of many a great teacher, trying to learn and grasp the meaning behind the words.
In these difficult times, however, where curious and struggling minds of individuals eager to study and learn the Dhamma do not necessarily have the same luxury to sit down and dedicate enough time to reading the discourse found within the Pāli Nikāyas, let alone exploring their meaning. This was something that was enjoyed only a generation or two earlier. Sadly, today many of those who are genuinely eager to learn become hesitant to even pick up one of the Nikāyas given their massive volume. Therefore, the danger of their inaccessibility (by shying away from reading the Suttas as found in the Pāli Nikāyas) looms in the horizon; this, while considering that many newcomers to the Dhamma are often petrified to tackle the wonderful exploration that would otherwise be awaiting them in those voluminous pages. Thus, as one of my own students expressed of her apprehension despite her love for the Dhamma, to pick up one these precious texts, I saw it necessary for posterity to go ahead and transfer these words onto audio. I realize the amount of work, time and energy this would take, but the necessity for making the Dhamma available in an age of scarcity of time where most of our time is spent driving, sitting long hours in commute, etc., becomes all the more relevant, if not imperative.
Being a Dhamma practitioner means nothing if there is no Dhamma available, whether in being read, studied, and in this case, listened to. To this end, I am dedicating my time and energy to do my small part in retranslating and recording the precious words of Lord Buddha digitally, for posterity. It is my hope that listeners would be able to be exposed to their beauty by tasting and realizing the fruits they contain, (through daily practice). This can be done by listening to and understanding the wonderful gems within the words of Lord Buddha that have survived the test of time, during the last 2600 years.
Mettacittena,
Candana Bhikkhu
(Garbis J. Bartanian, Doctor of Buddhist Ministry, DBMin, LMFT).