Burmese Nissaya Literature: A Mainstream Monastic Education Learning Method and its Salient Features

Abstract

Abstract In some of the earliest Buddhist literature found in Myanmar, a type of translation in which each Pali word is followed by its relevant annotative interpretation, known as nissaya, can be found. Previous studies (Tin Lwin 1961; Pruitt 1992; McDaniel 2008; Clark 2015) only examined what a nissaya is and to what literary genre nissaya literature belongs. In this paper, I will explore the various ways in which Burmese nissaya literature evolved into a mainstream monastic learning method, its role in the monastic education in Burma in particular, and further investigate whether the nissayas can be applied more generally and what the relationship is between nissaya and official Burmese Tipitaka translation. Lastly, this study argues that the Burmese nissaya literature can be compared to be on par with the encyclopaedic compilation on a specific subject.