I’m extremely sorry, bhante @sujato, for keeping you waiting. Was busy in work, heartbreaking realizations and discussions with knowledgeable dhamma friends.
It’s a prose translation, but to be honest, not so good or accurate. For example, the translator has rendered the word ‘kilesa’ into ‘asakti’ – what in Hindi means ‘attachment’. And these mistakes are everywhere and too many. So I was a little discouraged by the sorry state of affairs in Hindi.
The predicament that I was finding myself in was ‘how can I still go ahead and do the work, if I know for sure it would constitute as misrepresentation of Buddha?’ I mean, I can’t be just mindless about it, for thousands of people today and future generations would rely and depend on this misrepresented dhamma which I’ve helped spread. Already we’re all struggling with counterfeit dhamma all over. I don’t want another mistranslated version of dhamma to kick-start in digital India.
If I start correcting their mistakes as I work along, then it won’t remain “translators work”. And if it becomes mine, then I’d have to come forward and own up the work with hassles like you know, copyrights and non-commercial licences, books publication, which I never wanted to do in the first place. Plus, my meditation and dhamma progress would suffer with increasing work and opening myself up to public at large. I’m not comfortable with too many contacts. I’m shy and highly introvert. I like to keep a low profile and live just under the radar. I’m a chicken.
So, I’m thinking what to do. The options me and my bhikkhu friends are pondering over are, either just slowly and steadily begin with my own translations, which should take years altogether (my friends fav), or just forget everything and focus on my own practice (my personal fav).
Well. Bhante, if it’s not too much to ask, can you please help get us out of this deadlock? Just any suggestions about the what, how and why part are welcome. You have immense experience in this exact field, which we navaka bhikkhus totally need. My gut feeling is telling me that we don’t know what we are taking about.
BTW, thank you @karl_lew for explaining so warmly. I appreciate it.