Nettivibhavini

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Netti-Vibhāvinī is a commentary on the Nettipakaraṇa. It was composed during the later period of Pali literature, specifically in the Southeast Asian region, in contrast to the early period when most canonical works were composed in Sri Lanka or South India. During the Sixth Buddhist Council in Myanmar, the Netti-Vibhāvinī was classified within the Khuddaka Nikāya as an extension of the Netti-pakaraṇa, which is traditionally attributed to the Venerable Mahakaccayana Thera. The Netti-pakaraṇa itself was composed to further elaborate on the Sutta Piṭaka of the Khuddaka Nikāya.[1]

Author

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The Netti-Vibhāvinī is the work of the Venerable Saddhammappāla Thera, who was the teacher of the Burmese king Mahādhammarāja. The Thera was invited to compose the text by a minister named Anatsuti.[2] However, the name of the author varies across different manuscripts—some sources refer to him as the Venerable Samanta or the Venerable Sampandhapāla.[3]

The treatise was completed at sunrise on the fourth waxing day of the ninth lunar month, in the year 426 of the Myanmar Era (corresponding to 1565 CE, or 2108 BE), during the reign of King Mahādhammarāja of Burma. Inscriptions from the Shwezigon Pagoda bell identify this king’s full title as “Sīparama Mahādhammarāja,” which is the formal title of King Bayinnaung, who ruled from 1551 to 1581 CE.[4]

Content

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The Netti-Vibhāvinī begins with verses of homage (panāma-gāthā) in reverence to the Triple Gem, stating the author’s intention to support and clarify the teachings of the Buddha. It then provides detailed exegesis on the Netti-pakaraṇa, similar in style to an aṭṭhakathā (commentary), and concludes with verses of dedication (nikama-gāthā).[5]

The following are the opening homage verses (Kanthārambha-kathā) of the Netti-Vibhāvinī:

Yajitabbam yajitvāna namitabbam namāmahaṃ Yajanādyānubhāvena antarāye jahaṃ sadā

Yena yā racitā Netti yena sā anumoditā Yehi saṅvaṇṇanā katā tesānubhāva nissito

Kiñci kiñci saritvāna līnālīnānusandhiyādiṃ Karissaṃ Jinasutānaṃ hitaṃ Netti-vibhāvanaṃ

Appameyya-guṇo Mahādhammarāja-vahayo bhave Acchariyo abbhuto yo bodhi-sambhāra-pūraṇo

Nānā-raṭṭhī-sārisāro seṭṭho sāsana-paggaho Pāsaṃsa-rāja-pāsaṃso narācinteyya-cintako

Cintika-kārako rājā siratthimāla-pālako Aceyya-ceyyako mahā-ceti-yādi-kārako sadā

Assāmajjena payattena jina-cakka-hitattinā Ananta-sutināmena sakkaccaṃ abhiyācito

Kāmaṃ saṅvaṇṇanā kathā therāsabbehi gambhīrā Gambhīratta tu jānitum jina-puttehi dukkharā

Tasmā yācitānurūpena karissaṃ sādharaṃ suṇa Sissa-sikkhana-yānugaṃ yottaṃ Netti-vibhāvinanti

Dissemination in Thailand

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The Netti-Vibhāvinī has long been known in Thailand in the form of palm-leaf manuscripts written in the Khmer script. However, it has not received much scholarly attention among Thai Buddhists, unlike in foreign academic circles where the text has been studied more extensively. The Pali content has been translated into English and officially categorized in the Sixth Buddhist Council in Myanmar. In 1982 (BE 2525), the text was transliterated into Thai script for the first time by the Bhummibalo Bhikkhu Foundation.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Khmer and Local Ancient Scripts Transcription Project (1982), pp. 26–27.
  2. ^ Khmer and Local Ancient Scripts Transcription Project (1982), pp. 28–29.
  3. ^ Theravāda Commentaries.
  4. ^ Thaw Kaung, U (2010).
  5. ^ Khmer and Local Ancient Scripts Transcription Project (1982), pp. 29–30.
  6. ^ Khmer and Local Ancient Scripts Transcription Project (1982), pp. 26–27, 32.

Bibliography

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  • Khmer and Local Ancient Scripts Transcription Project. (1982). Netti-ṭīkā and Netti-Vibhāvinī. Bangkok: Bhummibalo Bhikkhu Foundation Press.
  • Thaw Kaung, U (2010). Aspects of Myanmar History and Culture. Yangon: Gangaw Myaing.
  • Theravāda Commentaries. [1]
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