Acknowledgements

First of all I wish to express my deepest sense of gratitude and indebtedness to my supervisor Professor K.T.S. Sarao (formerly Head) of the Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi.

Working under Prof. K.T.S. Sarao has been the most rewarding experience for me. He has taken care of many issues of the work

professionally and has always shown keen interest in my study during my Ph.D course. He has really proved to be a mentor to me with his vast knowledge and experience across a number of disciplines and an amazingly sharp perception all through my study. It will be a sense of accomplishment for me if he finds his own insights reflected in this thesis. Though having been away for a teaching in Canada, he always responded to emails and encouraged me for my endurance and stay in Delhi. It is really an honor to me to say that the completion of this work has been possible only because of his very active help and supervision as the personal encouragement I received from him. I do not find adequate words to express my deep sense of gratitude to him. From the core of my heart, I pay my deepest gratitude and most sustained respects to him for his able guidance and kindness to me at every step during my Ph.D course in the Buddhist Studies in India.

Professor R.C. Sharma (formally Head, Department of Linguistics, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Chairman, Board of Research Studies for Humanities, University of Delhi, Delhi) who taught me very meaningful knowledge on language and mind, particularly the faculty of language. He has always taken care of me during my study in India. I am grateful to him for his enthusiastic help and encouragement in order that I can carry out this piece of research work in philolinguistics.

The most important education that I have received during my M.A, M.Phil, and Ph.D works from my dear teacher, Professor K.V. Subbarao, (formally Head and Professor of the Department of Linguistics, University of Delhi) particularly as it has shaped and strengthened my interest in discovering human languages. He is not only my great teacher who has always taken interest in my education and learning but also inspired me all through. He has helped me in many ways during my study and imparted knowledge as well as his experience and acumen to enrich my study and life. During my research work in both linguistics and Buddhist Studies, he has always helped me in analyzing, discussing, and explaining the intricate data of philosophy of language. I feel honored to Prof. K.V. Subbarao, and love to thank him for his help.

In particular I owe a great deal of gratitude to my dear Professor Bhikshu Satyapala, Head, Department of Buddhist, for his valuable suggestions and help in many ways, and particularly for his help during the preparation and submission of this work. I am truly grateful to Prof. H.P. Gangnegi, Dr. R.K. Rana, Dr. S.B. Pavagadhi, and Dr. I.N. Singh and all teachers of the Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi, for their teaching and encouragement, particularly for their help during my study in the Department.

I am indebted to Madam Pushpa who is in charge of the Department of Linguistics library, has kindly helped me whenever I approached her for borrowing books or for consultations in the library. I am also thankful to the scholars whose books, papers, and so on which I have used in this work.

Words are inadequate to express my feeling and gratitude to my great Masters, the Most Ven. Thich Duc Chon, the Most Ven. Thich Duc Thanh, and the Most Ven. Thich Minh Tam for their unfailing attention throughout my educational career. Specifically my greatest Master, the Most Ven. Thich Duc Chon who has not only led me to Buddhist temple as his disciple, but also taken great care and guided me in my genuine religious life and education. Without his sustained help and valuable teachings, it would have been impossible for me to accomplish this study. And the Most Ven. Thich Duc Thanh, an educator, who has always taken care of my learning, has in any time taught me in detail many things in the Monastery life and more specially guided and trained me to become to be useful for the Buddhist education and for the social life. I would like to offer this humble work to my Masters as a small token of my gratitude and admiration. I remain deeply and truly thankful, and with most sustained respects to my great Masters for their sacrifice for my life.

My boundless gratitude goes to my spiritual teachers: The Ven. Thich Duc Tanh (who passed away), to the Ven. Thich Nguyen Giac who enthusiastically sent again Vietnamese books to me from Vietnam and has always reminded and encouraged me in many ways, particularly the Buddha’s Dhamma, and to all my Buddhist teachers for their teachings, inspiration and support.

Specially, MD Pham Huu Dieu, my Master’s younger brother, who has helped and supported me from my first step to India till now. He is not just only one main supporter for finance but also a person who has always been sharing his spiritual life via emails and imparting his knowledge and experience to me from Canada. I have learned very much from him, especially his valuable suggestions in my study and my future orientation after finishing my study here. I specially pay my deepest gratitude to him and his family for his help and support during my study, and this work is particularly dedicated to him with my heart.

I express my feeling to thank my younger brother in Dharma, Thich Nguyen Tan, who is entering into the Ph.D course of the Buddhist Studies in Delhi University, who has always encouraged me and shared the Dhamma with each other in many ways. I am deeply thankful to Dr. Pham Vu who has helped and encouraged me during my M.Phil and Ph.D courses in discussing, analyzing, and explaining the difficult problems on linguistics, particularly psycholinguistics. I am indebted to my friend Dr. Tae-Jin Koh for his help and suggestions. I am grateful to the Dr. T.N. Minh Thai, my village-mate, for her encouragement and help. I wish to thank all my dear colleagues who were invariably beside me even when I was in difficulties. I also take this chance to thank the Buddhists Mr Tri Nhan, Mr. Tue Minh, and Mr. Nhu Ky for their help by sending the Four Nikāyas from the United State to me. I would also thank the Buddhist group of Sen Trang ‘White Lotus’ in Da Nang who are very honest in helping me each time I came home, and especially the family of Mr. Tam and Mrs. Tu and their beloved sons who have a special taken care of me, and I would like to thank you very much for that.

I cannot find adequate words to express my feeling of respect to my parents who silently follow the challenge of my living in Delhi, India where I have been studying. In particular, I am greatly indebted to my parents for their silent sacrifice and unfailing attention throughout my life, and to my brothers and sisters for their taking care of my parents and their encouragement also.

Last but not least, I wish to express my deep and sincere gratitude to all those who, in various ways, have financially supported and thus enabled me to complete my studies during my stay in India.

University of Delhi, Delhi
October 01, 2013

HO KHAC PHONG
(Bhikshu Sakya Chánh Trí)