Two Discourses of the Buddha
<p>Translated from the Pali by
Bhikkhu Nanamoli
Edited and revised by>br> Bhikkhu Bodhi
The Wheel Publication No. 390/391
ISBN 955-24-0115-1
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
KANDY SRI LANKA
Copyright 1993 Buddhist Publication Society
* * * * * * * *
CONTENTS
The Shorter Discourse on the Lion's Roar
The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar
* * * * * * * *
SUMMARY
In the Pali Canon the Buddha often compares himself to the lion, the king of beasts, and one of the epithets the Buddhist tradition ascribes to him is Sakyasiha, the lion of the Sakyan clan. The Buddha describes his proclamation of the Dhamma as his "lion's roar," a designation the commentaries say implies the qualities of supremacy, fearlessness, and unchallengeableness.
The Majjhima Nikaya, the Collection of Middle Length Discourses, contains two suttas which bear this metaphor in their title. The Shorter Discourse on the Lion's Roar (MN 11) deals with the delicate question of whether different spiritual paths all lead to the same ultimate goal. If not, the question arises of defining the critical line that distinguishes them, and it is this question that the Buddha attempts to answer in this sutta. The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar is a text of awesome scope and power in which the Buddha discloses the greatness and loftiness of his own spiritual endowments. Spoken as a rebuttal to the charges of a renegade disciple, the sutta has had such a powerful impact that in ancient times it was also known as "The Hair-Raising Discourse."
The two suttas were originally translated by the eminent English scholar-monk, Bhikkhu Nanamoli, in his draft translation of the entire Majjhima Nikaya. The translations have been edited and revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi, who has also provided introductions and notes.
* * * * * * * *
EDITOR'S NOTE
The original translations of the two suttas included in this booklet were made by Ven. Bhikkhu Nanamoli. They are taken from his complete translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, which I have edited and revised for publication by Wisdom Publications, Boston (forthcoming, 1994/95). The numbers enclosed in square brackets are the page numbers of the Pali Text Society edition of the Pali text.
The introductions and notes are my own. In these the following abbreviations are employed:
Bhikkhu Bodhi
* * * * * * * *