Minor technical question: Majjhima Nikaya

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Steve Katona, modified 13 Years ago at 3/20/11 12:37 PM
Created 13 Years ago at 3/20/11 12:37 PM

Minor technical question: Majjhima Nikaya

Posts: 52 Join Date: 9/5/10 Recent Posts
I have searched but cannot find the answer to a textual convention in The Middle Length Discourses of The Buddha, A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, second edition. If this is so obvious I should have found it I have to apologize and ask anyway to be directed to the answer

On page 83, e.g., [1] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD.¹
What does the [1] refer to? and what does the superscript ¹ refer to?

Thanks for any help. Bhikkhu Bodhi has a series of lectures (podcasts) recorded during a course he gave: A Systematic Study of the Majjhima Nikaya, available at http://www.bodhimonastery.net/bm/about-buddhism/15-a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html that I am following and using his course as a way to begin the daunting study of this huge book.
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Ian And, modified 13 Years ago at 3/21/11 9:47 AM
Created 13 Years ago at 3/21/11 9:47 AM

RE: Minor technical question: Majjhima Nikaya

Posts: 785 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
Hi Steve,

The superscript refers to a footnoted section in the back of the book starting on page 1161. Refer to the footnotes in context of reading each sutta for better understanding of the intent as well as other references with regard to the specific passages being footnoted.

The other numerical designation [1] is a reference to be able to refer to a specific area of the text when it is used. You will no doubt notice that each sutta you read will have these designations so that one can more easily locate a specific area of the text when referenced as such. It is a carry over from the original rendering of the texts meant to be a kind of indexing designation.

If you will notice at the top of the page (such as, for example, page 649) there is a "ii25" at the top of the page adjacent from the page number. This was used in the older versions of translations as a way to find a particular section of the text. If someone was referencing ii25 from the Majjhima Nikaya, you would simply find that designation at the top of the page in order to find the passage being referenced. In commentarial literature that use this older referencing method, it makes it easy to find what they are referring to in this more modern version, which uses both methods of referencing.
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Steve Katona, modified 13 Years ago at 3/22/11 5:57 PM
Created 13 Years ago at 3/22/11 5:57 PM

RE: Minor technical question: Majjhima Nikaya

Posts: 52 Join Date: 9/5/10 Recent Posts
Thank you Ian And. Clear.

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