AN 8.1 metta sutta, "or" vs. "nor", is this a mistake from B. Bodhi and B. Sujato English translation?
My question is based on the differences between "or" and "nor".
If you don’t kill or encourage others to kill, Yo na hanti na ghÄteti,
don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer, na jinÄti na jÄpaye;
with love for all sentient beings, Mettaį¹so sabbabhÅ«tÄnaį¹,
you’ll have no enmity for anyone.” veraį¹ tassa na kenacÄ«”ti.
For example, I don't kill anyone (satisfies one of the 'or' clauses), but I encourage others to kill, so obviously I wouldn't qualify for being 'metta'. But because 'or' was used instead of 'nor', I would qualify as 'metta' because I met the one of the 'or' clause conditions.
As I understand it, "nor" means all of those clauses have to be met to satisfy the conditions, whereas "or" only needs to satisfy one of the conditions.
The verse in question, with pali + english (my translation, derived from B. Sujato's, not grammatically exact so I can have corresponding word for word close to fluent translation).
Yo na hanti na ghÄteti, | (If) you don’t kill nor encourage-others-to-kill, |
na jinÄti na jÄpaye; | don’t conquer nor encourage-others-to-conquer, |
Mettaį¹so sabba-bhÅ«tÄnaį¹, | (with) friendly-kindness (for) all-sentient-beings, |
veraį¹ tassa na kenacÄ«”ti. | enmity ***** (you have for) no one.” |
B. Bodhi and B. Sujato use "or" instead of "nor"
From the verse section near the end:
(b.bodhi)
One who does not kill or enjoin killing,
who does not conquer or enjoin conquest,
one who has loving-kindness toward all beings1620
harbors no enmity toward anyone.
who does not conquer or enjoin conquest,
one who has loving-kindness toward all beings1620
harbors no enmity toward anyone.
(b. sujato)
which means...
That you only have to satisfy one condition to qualify for the conclusion of doing metta properly.For example, I don't kill anyone (satisfies one of the 'or' clauses), but I encourage others to kill, so obviously I wouldn't qualify for being 'metta'. But because 'or' was used instead of 'nor', I would qualify as 'metta' because I met the one of the 'or' clause conditions.
Am I understanding the difference between "or" and "nor" properly?
Is that distinction in the pali? (between 'or' and 'nor)?
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