Review – Dialogues of the Buddha
Summary
This review, written by C. A. F. Rhys Davids, introduces the second edition of the English translation of the Dīgha Nikāya (Dialogues of the Buddha), originally rendered by her late husband T. W. Rhys Davids. She explains that the first edition had long been out of print and that the second edition was produced by photographic offset, making extensive revisions difficult. Nevertheless she has inserted corrections where possible. The reviewer discusses several translation issues. She retains ‘god’ for deva and ‘brethren’ for bhikkhu but notes that early Buddhism viewed Vedic gods as friendly mortals, not supreme beings. She comments on rendering vinñāṇa as ‘cognition’ or ‘consciousness’ rather than ‘soul’, on the problem of translating samādhi—she argues that ‘rapture’ goes too far because samādhi denotes intense concentration. She debates how to translate bhava, favouring ‘becoming’ over ‘future life’, and expresses dissatisfaction with ‘Dhamma’ being rendered as ‘truth’ or ‘law’; she suggests that the concept resembles the Upaniṣadic antaryāmin (inner controller). Rhys Davids also explains three significant emendations. First, she insists that the Pali bhavissanti means ‘will become’ rather than merely ‘will be’, emphasising the evolutionary aspect of spiritual growth. Second, she rejects translations of atma as ‘self’ and prefers ‘spirit’ to avoid an atheistic interpretation of the Buddha’s farewell advice. Third, she restores the word ‘amata’ (undying) where earlier translators had used the exegesis ‘nirvāṇa’. Throughout the review she reflects on her collaboration with her husband, acknowledges that the Pali texts are evidence of beliefs rather than verbatim records, and regrets not being able to make more corrections. The review is both a defence of translation choices and a meditation on the challenges of rendering Buddhist terminology into English.
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Conclusion
C. A. F. Rhys Davids concludes that the new edition of Dialogues of the Buddha retains many of the original translation’s strengths but corrects several key points. She argues that translators must balance accuracy with readability and that some Pali terms—such as Dhamma and vinñāṇa—lack exact English equivalents. By emphasising process (‘will become’) and spiritual immanence (‘spirit’ for atma, ‘undying’ for amata), she seeks to capture early Buddhism’s dynamic and affirmative tone. The review underscores the importance of understanding the doctrinal context behind words and acknowledges the limitations of working within an established translation tradition.