The Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies (OCBS), in collaboration with the Dhammachai International Research Institute (黑料不打烊), invites you to an insightful lecture as part of the
Date: 26 February 2025
Time: 16:00 GMT
Speaker: Dr. Aleix Ruiz Falqu茅s
Topic: “Editing J膩takas in the 15th Century: J膩takavisodhana by Ariyava峁乻a and Premodern Pali Philology”
Abstract: The Pali Canon has been transmitted through manuscripts for more than twenty centuries. The first critical editions of Pali texts were printed in the 19th century, based on palm-leaf manuscripts. This manuscript tradition, which underlies our printed and electronic editions, is not yet well understood. Were texts simply copied? Did the scribes understand the text? Was there any supervision by learned scholars? Was there any method, beyond mere copying, to preserve the correct readings of the text? If so, what criteria were used to choose between variant readings?
This lecture discusses one of the rare examples of textual criticism in the era of Pali manuscripts. Ariyava峁僺a of Sagaing (Burma), known for his major Abhidhamma treatise, the Ma峁噄s膩rama帽j奴s膩, is one of the most renowned Pali scholars of the 15th century. Among Ariyava峁僺a鈥檚 works is the J膩takavisodhana (鈥淧urification of the J膩taka鈥�), a collection of text-critical notes on the ten major J膩takas. Written in both Burmese and Pali, it is one of the most distinctive specimens of premodern Pali philology.
Watch the lecture recording here: [
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Don鈥檛 miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of Buddhist textual traditions!
