Primer Volume 1

8/10/2019 Primer Volume 1

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/primer-volume-1 1/154

A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings

Volume One: Foundations



Acknowledgments

Rupert Gethin suffered through the first incarnation of this volume, providing hecorrections that all readers should be grateful for. Marcus Bingenheimer, David CarpKin Cheung, Rafal Felbur, Tom Mazanec and Adrian Tiethof-Aronson caught many mand provided advice on what worked and what didn't. Simon Wiles has put so much workinto this volume—from Sanskrit reconstructions and tone corrections to formattingdesign—that he should be considered as co-author.

In this and in the subsequent volumes, I have drawn heavily on Charles A Muller ed., Digital Dictionary of Buddhism. http://buddhism-dict.net/ddb.

Please send corrections and suggestions to:

[email protected]

March, 2014



Table of Contents

Introduction...............................................................................................................................iii

Pronunciation........................................................................................................................iii

Characters............................................................................................................................iv

Grammar...............................................................................................................................v

Lessons in Grammar.................................................................................................................1

Lesson 1: Subject + Predicate..........................................................................................1

Lesson 2: The Implicit Subject..........................................................................................6

Lesson 3: Time Words....................................................................................................13

Lesson 4: Negation.........................................................................................................19

Lesson 5: yǐ ................................................................................................................26

Lesson 6: suǒ .............................................................................................................32

Lesson 7: gù , reason..................................................................................................37

Lesson 8: zhě .............................................................................................................43

Lesson 9: Grammatical Flexibility...................................................................................48

Lesson 10: Parallel and Rhythm.....................................................................................53

The Scripture of the Great Origin (Dàběn jīng )............................................................57

Introduction to the Dàbĕn jīng .............................................................................57

i



Selected passages from the Dàběn jīng.........................................................................58

ii



IntroductionClose to two thousand years of Buddhism in China have produced a wealth of writings on Buddhist sThese include Indian texts (many no longer extant in their original language) translated into Chinmedieval times; works on various aspects of Buddhist doctrine written originally in Chinese; biogramonks and chronologies of Buddhist history; liturgical writings with musical notation, epigcommemorating devotional societies, monasteries, stupas and icons; poetry and letters on Buddhist thautobiography; and official court documents relating to Buddhism. Each of these genres follows iconventions and employs distinctive vocabulary. Most require not just knowledge of Buddhist texfamiliarity with other genres of Chinese writing as well. In short, “Buddhist texts” encompassesliterature—more than any one scholar could hope to master in a lifetime. This course can at most intr

some of the vocabulary and grammatical conventions of a few of these genres.In most Chinese programs at Western universities, the student begins by studying modern Chinese foror two before studying classical Chinese. After a year of classical Chinese (reading philosophical wthe Analects of Confucius, historical works like theShǐjì or Zuǒzhuàn, and literary works like the Book of Poetry and Tang poems),1 the student is exposed to Buddhist writings. But some students—particularly thinterested in Chinese chiefly as a means of accessing texts originally written in India—are understareluctant to invest three years of intensive study of works unrelated to Buddhism before beginning tBuddhist texts in Chinese. It is in fact possible for Indologists to learn to read medieval Chinese tranof Indian Buddhist texts directly, without previous knowledge of Chinese.

In this course, I attempt to satisfy both types of students. We begin with a series of lessons that intrbasic vocabulary and grammar, drawing on one authentic text and then read through the prose sectiothis text in their entirety. Readers already familiar with the basics of modern or classical Chinese canthe first ten “lessons” in one or two sittings, while those with no previous knowledge of Chinese willmore time (memorizing characters becomes easier with time—the hardest characters to memorize arfirst 100).

Pronunciation

The dominant form of Chinese today is Mandarin. Like all forms of Chinese, Mandarin is tonal: thsound, pronounced in different tones can mean radically different things. In medieval times, when mthe texts provided below were composed or translated, there were more tones, and the pronuncia

1 Two good introductions to literary Chinese are Michael A. Fuller, An Introduction to Literary Chinese(Cambridge MA: HarvardUniversity Press, 2004), and Paul Rouzer, A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese(Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press2007). Mark Lewis provides an excellent reader in philosophical Chinese texts, including English translations for self-free at: http://chinesetexts.stanford.edu/

iii





beginning of the second century. He proposed six types of characters:

1) zhǐ shì , “pointing to things.” These are characters that symbolize ideas, e.g. xià for “down”

and shàng for “up”.2) xiàng xíng , “imitating shapes.” These are words that derive from pictograms likerì “ sun”and yuè , “moon”.

3) xíng shēng , “form and sound.” Characters that combine two graphs, one representing the soand one the meaning. For example, in the wordkǎo , “to roast,” the part on the left means fire;the part on the right has nothing to do with the meaning, representing instead the sound of tcharacter.

4) huì yì , “combined meanings.” For examplemíng combines sun (rì ) and moon ( yuè )and means “bright.”

5) zhǔan zhù , “transferred notation,” an obscure category for words with similar meaning wr with similar graphs.6) jiǎ jiè , “borrowing,” where a character is used for another of the same or similar sound.

For practical purposes, these categories are not particularly useful for learning characters; they do, hoillustrate that Chinese characters are not simple pictograms. When first learning characters, some stuinvent their own folk etymologies as a mnemonic device. Some use flashcards, and others go over listmany elements of characters are repeated in different characters, the more characters you know, the they are to memorize. The most difficult phase of learning characters is the first.

Each Chinese character has been assigned a “radical.”4 This is an element of the character (or in some casethe character as a whole) that can be used to find the character in a dictionary. As on-line dictionariedigital resources become more common, allowing the reader to cut and paste unknown characters inon-line dictionary, radicals will become less important for finding characters.

In the second part of the course you will be given instruction in the use of dictionaries. For the first p will be given glossaries designed especially for this course. None the less, you may want to experimon-line dictionaries (links provided separately) which are easy enough to use. Since the texts for thiare available here, you can cut and paste them into on-line dictionaries relatively easily.

GrammarThere is very little morphology in Chinese; that is, changes in the form of words to convey dimeanings.5 There are no conjugations or tenses. For understanding classical texts, it is most importarecognize the function of a small set of grammatical particles, to note parallelisms (that is, if we are 4 Today, the most common list of radicals consists of 214 radicals, laid out in a dictionary compiled at the behest

eighteenth-century emperor Kangxi . For a complete list, see http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/radicals.php.

v



series of five-character lines, the word order is usually the same for each of the lines), and abofamiliarity with vocabulary. It is often possible to interpret a given line in various ways, taking a givefor instance, as either a verb or a noun. In such cases, the key is context: how is a given word used els

in the same text and, the strongest argument of all: what makes sense.

5 There is as yet no good grammar for Buddhist Chinese texts, but there is a good grammar for Classical Chinese inEdwin G. Pulleyblank,Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1995).

vi



Lessons in Grammar

Lesson 1: Subject + Predicate

Grammar

The three basic rules of Chinese word order are: 1) the subject precedes the predicate; 2) a modifier pthe word it modifies; and 3) the verb precedes its object (Pulleyblank, p.14). There are exceptions tthese rules. Below are examples of the first of these rules—subject + predicate—taken from theCháng āhán

jīng , the Chinese translation of the Dīrghāgama.

In the following examples translate the line or passage that follows the vocabulary.

Example 1.1

Vocabulary

Zhú Fóniàn Name of monk

yì to translateThe beginning of theCháng āhán jīngrecords the translator of the text as follows:

The object, the sutra itself, is understood.

1



Example 1.2

Vocabulary

rén man, men, people

shòu lifespan

bā eight

wàn ten thousand

suì years

TheCháng āhán jīng, describing conditions at the time of a previous Buddha, states that duringthe time of that Buddha...

Example 1.3

Vocabulary

Jiāshè (Skt.) Kāśyapa (a Buddha of the Past)

fó Buddha

zuò to sit

níjūlǜshù (type of tree), (Skt.)nyagrodha

xià beneath

Before his enlightenment, one of the Buddhas of the past did the following:

Example 1.4

Vocabulary

Shīqì (Skt.) Śikhin (a Buddha of the Past)

yǒu to have, to possess

èr two

dìzi disciple

2





The text describes patterns common to all of the Buddhas of the past, concluding eachdescription of a particular facet of a Buddha's life (e.g. being born with special physical marks with the following passage:

Example 1.8

Vocabulary

rú like, as

wén to hear

TheChang ahan jing, after listing the translators and date of translation, begins with the phrase:

Note that is not here a verb; in classical Chinese, it rarely is.

Example 1.9

Vocabulary

zhū all

duì to respond, to answer After the Buddha asks his disciples a question, the following phrase introduces their response:

...

Example 1.10

Vocabulary

zhìhuì wisdom zēngyì to increase

When a Buddha is in his mother's womb, this happens to the mother:

4



Review 1

You should now be able to translate the following passages without consulting the vocabulary lists:

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6 …

1.7

1.8

1.9 ... ...

1.10

5



Lesson 2: The Implicit Subject

We saw in the last lesson that Chinese sentences can usually be divided into a subject and a predHowever, the subject is often unexpressed in declarative sentences when it can be understood from coThe preceding example ( ) comes close since it is understood from context that it is themother's wisdom that increases. In the examples below the subject is entirely implicit.

Example 2.1

Vocabulary

zài at

Shèwèi (Skt.) Śrāvastī

guó kingdom

Qíshù An abbreviation of (Skt. Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma)

Huālínkū (Skt.) Kareri-kuṭikā; literally “Flower-copse Cave”

dà big, great

yǔ together, with

bǐqiū bhikṣu

zhòng assembly

qīan thousand èr two

bǎi hundred

wǔ five

shí ten

rén man, men, people

jù together

Note that in this passage, the preposition(“with”) works with the verb(“together”).

6



Example 2.2

Vocabulary

wéi only; (a sentence-opening particle with no translatable

meaning) wúshàngzūn without superior, exalted one

wéi to be, is

zuì most

qítè special, remarkable

shéntōng lit. “divine perspicacity”; Skt.abhijñā, divine powers,supernormal powers, supernormal cognitions.

yuǎn dá far reaching

wēilì authority, power, might

hóngdà great, expansive

Note here that, in addition to dropping the subject in the second part of the sentence, no copula(verb like “to be”) is necessary in the second part of the sentence either.

Example 2.3

Vocabulary

rù to enter

yú (preposition) in, at

nièpán nirvana

duàn to cut off

jiéshǐ lit. “bounds and manipulations”; afflictions

xiāomiè to destroy, to dispense with

xì funny, playful, absurd, fanciful, frivolous

lùn discourse, discussion, theory, deliberations

7



Again, once the subject ( ) is understood, it is not necessary to repeat it for the followingphrases.

Example 2.4

Vocabulary

jiè precepts; morality; (Skt.śīla)

huì Wisdom, insight

After describing the qualities of a Buddha, the text concludes:

Example 2.5

Vocabulary

Shìzūn World-Honored One

xiánjìng peaceful and quiet chù place

tiāněr divine ear (one of the supernormal powers of a buddha)

qīngjìng pure

zuò to do, to make

yì discussion, argument, opinion

After describing a discussion among the Buddha's disciples when the Buddha was

not present, the text continues:

8



Example 2.6

Vocabulary

dì carefully

tīng to listen shàn well

sīniàn think on, contemplate

zhī it

The verbs in quotations could, grammatically, refer to the Buddha himself. We know they arecommands from the context.

Example 2.7

Vocabulary

Shīqì Śikhin

rúlái Thus-come, Skt.tathāgatha (we have already seen as“thus” in )

zhì utmost; extreme, most zhēn true

zhìzhēn “most true” (a translation ofarhat ).

chūxiàn to appear

yú (preposition) in, at

shì world (we have seen in the expression )

We are accustomed to think of an arhat as distinct from a buddha, but in fact the Buddha isoften described as an arhat.

9



Example 2.8

Vocabulary

chéng to complete, to accomplish

zuìzhèngjué lit. “most correct awakening,” Skt.abhisaṃbuddha

Example 2.9

Vocabulary

Pípóshī (Skt.) Vipaśyin (a Buddha of the Past)

sān three huì gathering, meeting

shūo to say, speak, expound

chū first

liù six

wàn ten thousand

bā eight

qiān thousand

èr two

10



Example 2.10

Vocabulary

taìzǐ prince

shēng to be born

fù father

wáng king

Pántóu (personal name) Pali: Bandhumā; Skt. Pāṇḍu?

zhàojí to summon, to call together

xiàngshī fortune teller, soothsayer

jí and

dàoshù the magical arts, practitioners of magical arts

lìng order to, direct to

guān to observe

zhī to know, to recognize

qí his [grammatical particle]

jíxiōng good and bad fortune, fortune

11



Review 2

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

2.10

12



Lesson 3: Time Words

Time is expressed through time words and in some cases grammatical particles. We will look at gramparticles later.

Example 3.1

shí , “time” or “when,” is probably the most common word indicating time.

Vocabulary

yī one

shí time

Shèwéi (Skt.) Śrāvastī

guó kingdomQíshù Jeta Grove, an abbreviation of

(Skt. Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma),= grove

Huālínkū Flower Copse Grotto (Skt. Kareri-kuṭikā),= grotto

Example 3.2

Vocabulary

sòng in verse

yuē to say

...

13



Example 3.3

Vocabulary

ěr that

xiánjìng peaceful and quiet

chù place

Example 3.4

Vocabulary

shòu to receive jiào teaching

ér [verbal connector] and, but; [adverbial connector, withthe preceding word or phrase modifying the verb thatfollows]

tīng to listen

Example 3.5

is a common compound, meaning “in the past.”

14



Vocabulary

guòqù the past

wúshù without number, limitless

rù to enter

nièpán nirvana duàn to cut off

jiéshǐ lit. “bounds and manipulations”; afflictions, defilements

xiāomiè to destroy

xì funny, playful, absurd, fanciful

lùn discourse, theory, deliberations

Example 3.6

Vocabulary

jié aeon (transliteration ofkalpa)

Shīqì (Skt.) Śikhin

Example 3.7

Vocabulary

jí then, next, thereupon

cóng from

zuò seat

qǐ to arise, get up

15



The Buddha, sitting apart from thebhikṣus, uses his supernormal powers to hear them converse.Then...

Example 3.8

Vocabulary

xiàngshī fortune teller, master of physiognomy

bái white; to address

yán to say

... ...

Example 3.9

Vocabulary

yú multi-purpose particle (see note below).

qǐ to beg

shí food jí to gather

Huālín Flower Copse

táng hall

hòu , “after,” appears in the middle of sentences, between verbs. Herehòu is working together with the particle yú. Yú is a preposition which can be used for space (i.e. “at”) or, as here, fortime.

16



Example 3.10

Vocabulary

tìchú to cut off

xūfǎ hair and beard

17



Review 3

3.1

3.2 ...

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8 ... …

3.9

3.10

18





Example 4.2

In questions,bù can come at the very end of a sentence, and can be translated “or not”. This construis particularly common in Buddhist texts.

Vocabulary

wú I, me

jīn today, now

yù to want, to desire

yǐ ( is a co-verb, meaning it works in conjunction withanother verb. We will look at this word more closely in alater lesson). To use, to employ; with, by means of

sùmìngzhì knowledge of past lives (lit. past-destinies-wisdom)

shì thing, event rǔ you

Example 4.3

Wú normally indicates non-existence (often negating “to have” yǒu ),meaning “there is no...” In thesecases, it takes a noun as its object. It is also used, as below, in double negatives.

Immediately upon the Buddha's birth, a great light fills the universe. The light is so great that...

Vocabulary

chù place

ànmíng darkness

wú not, none

méng to receive

míng brightness

20





Vocabulary

sì four

tiānzǐ lit. children of heaven, heavenly beings, minor deities

zhí to hold

gé halberd máo spear

shì to attend

hù to protect

dé to be able to

qīnrǎo to harass

Example 4.7

Vocabulary

jiān between, among

kuìnào hubub, noise

cǐ this, these

yí appropriateBefore leaving the palace, the bodhisattva determines that...

22



Example 4.8: wù .

wù is imperative, “do not”.

Vocabulary

tiān heavenly, celestial

mǔ mother

tiānmǔ here: queen

shèng holy

zǐ child; son

huái to harbor

yōuqì worries and sadness

Just before the bodhisattva's mother gives birth, four deities tell her:

Example 4.9

Vocabulary

shǐ to cause, to make

zhòngshēng all beings

zhuìluò to fall, to descend to

yú other, remaining

qù destination, realm, path of existence

When the Buddha hesitates to preach the Dharma, Brahma pleads with him to do so, saying:

23



Example 4.10: wèi , not yet

Vocabulary

qù to leave

jiǔ long (duration)

...

24



Review 4

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

4.9

4.10 ...

25



Lesson 5: yǐ

is a co-verb, meaning “to take, use; with, by means of.”

Example 5.1Vocabulary

dá to answer, to reply

jù together

The Buddha returns to a gathering of his disciples and asks them what they have beendiscussing...

Example 5.2

Vocabulary

sùmìngzhì knowledge of past lives (lit. past-destinies-wisdom)

Example 5.3

Vocabulary

shànzāi excellent! ( marks the previous as emphatic—theequivalent of an exclamation mark)

píngděng equal, with equanimity

xìn faith

xiū to cultivate, practice dào the Way, path, the Tao; to speak

26



Note that in this exampleděngis used in two different ways: first as a plural

marker, and then as part of a compount indicating equanimity.

Example 5.4 After his enlightenment, the Buddha is reluctant to preach since he fears the beings of the world will able to understand his teachings. Brahma insists that there are some in the world who are capabreceiving his teachings. The Buddha then decides to have a look for himself...

Vocabulary

yǎn eye

shì to see, to view

shìjiè world

Example 5.5

can also be used to express purpose, “and thereby,” “in order to.”

Vocabulary

shǒu hand

zhí to grasp, to hold

bái white

gài parasol

bǎo precious; jeweled

shàn fan

zhàng to impede, to protect from

hán cold shǔ summer; heat

When the bodhisattva is born, devas protect the infant by doing the following:

27





Example 5.8

Vocabulary

jiǎnzé to select

cǎi beautiful; colourful

nǚ woman, women

yú to entertain

lè happy, joyful; pleasure

To keep the bodhisattva at home, his father...

Example 5.9

The phraseshìyǐ means “because of,” “therefore.”

Vocabulary

dào road

féng to meet

lǎo old

The king asks the bodhisattva's attendant why the boy is not happy. The attendant replies:

29



Example 5.10

Vocabulary

mò silence, quiet

rán (suffix forming stative verb, describing a continuingaction or state)

When Brahma encourages the Buddha to preach the Dharma, he explains that the people of the world are not receptive to his teachings, concluding by saying...

30



Review 5

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

5.6

5.7

5.8

5.9

5.10

31



Lesson 6: suǒ

suǒ is a common relative pronoun, normally meaning “where,” “which,” or “what” depending on c As a noun it means “place,” “location.”

Example 6.1

Example 6.2

This is a noun phrase rather than a complete sentence.

Example 6.3

Vocabulary

zhì to govern

chéng city


Example 6.4

Vocabulary

rì sun

yuè moon jí to reach

chù place, location

32




Example 6.5

Vocabulary

yīnyuán lit. causes and conditions; here: “circumstances” mínghào lit. name and “style name”; here: “name”

zhǒngzú class

Example 6.6

Vocabulary

xiàng characteristic, mark (this is why lit. “master ofmarks” means fortune teller).

zǐ son; child

Example 6.7

Vocabulary

hé what

yǔ to speak ( yù); words, language, speech

33



Example 6.8

Vocabulary

Fàn Brahma

tiān deity, Skt.deva; heaven

Pípóshī (Skt.) Vipaśyin (a Buddha of the Past)

Example 6.9

Vocabulary

qīngjìng clear and pure yù desire; desirous

xiǎng to think; thoughts

wéi (we have already seen as meaning “to be” – here itmarks the verb as passive) by

yín lasciviousness; lust

huǒ fire

shāorán to burn

34



Example 6.10

Vocabulary

nǎi to the extent that

duōshǎo lit. “many and few”; amount

Yòu further, moreover

bǐ that (pronoun)

mínghào name and “style name”

xìngzì surname and cognomen

35





Lesson 7: gù , reason

In Buddhist texts, most often appears at the end of a sentence, meaning “for this reason” or “becaus what preceded it. It can also appear at the beginning of a sentence, meaning “therefore,” “for this reas

Example 7.1

Example 7.2

Vocabulary

ài love, affection; craving

mìe to destroy (we have seen this word in the compound. The meaning is identical).

qǔ grasping, taking

What follows is part of a description of the twelve-fold chain of causation.

Example 7.3

Vocabulary

Ānhé lit. Peaceful Harmony. Here, a personal name, (P.) Sotthi(Skt.) Svāstika.

suí to follow; according to

37



Example 7.4

Vocabulary

lǎo old

sǐ death

yōu worry, grief

bēi sadness, sorrow

kǔ’nǎo suffering, affliction

We return here to the twelve-fold chain of causation.

Example 7.5

Vocabulary

liǎng the pair; both

xiāng mutually (we saw this word earlier pronounced xiàng and meaning “mark” or “characteristic”)

jù both wū to stain, to sully

The following is a metaphor which describes the condition of a pure gem placed

on a clean piece of silk.

38



Example 7.6

Vocabulary

wèn to ask, to inquire

dá to reply, to answer

yuē to say

fú (an introductory particle announcing a topic)

zhě (here, a particle marking off a topic. We will examinethis word more closely in the next lesson)

shēng life (we have seen this word earlier meaning to give birthand to arise)

xiàng (preposition) towards

jìn termination, ending

mìng destiny, life

jǐ several, few

wèi to say to, to address; to call, to label

After seeing his first old man, the bodhisattva asks his charioteer to explain.

Example 7.7

Vocabulary

gù intentionally (we have seen earlier in another

meaning, as “cause”)The Buddha has already used his supernormal powers to overhear a conversation, butnonetheless...

39



Example 7.8

Vocabulary

bǐ that, those

zhě (particle that nominalizes the preceding verb, in thiscase “he who attends,” “attendant”)

yóu to travel, to wander

huān joyous, blissful

lè happy

yé (particle indicating a question)

Example 7.9

Vocabulary

bìng sick

tòng pain

pòqiè to press upon

cúnwáng to live and to die, survival

qī date, appointment; to predict, to know in advance

yě (final particle serving function of the verb “to be”)

40



Example 7.10

often works together with , meaning “for this reason”, “because”.

Vocabulary

cíbēi compassion wèi for the sake of, in order to (we have previously seen

in the second tone meaning “to be” and elsewhereindicating the passive, “by”).

zhēndì noble truth

In one of the verses (which I omitted from the text you will read below), the Buddha explains why he explained the Four Noble Truths.

41



Review 7

7.1

7.2

7.3

7.4

7.5

7.6

7.7

7.8

7.9

7.10

42



Lesson 8: zhě

is most commonly used as a nominalizer; it makes a verb a noun.

Example 8.1Vocabulary

hé what; why; how

zhì wisdom, intelligence

huānxǐ happy, delighted

Example 8.2

Vocabulary

gù to look at

Example 8.3

Vocabulary

yé (interrogative particle, the equivalent of a question

mark)

43



Example 8.4

Vocabulary

yù to drive

shāmén Skt.śramaṇa

Example 8.5

Vocabulary

xìn faith

Example 8.6

does not always come immediately after the verb it nominalizes.

Vocabulary

dāng will; should

qù to go to a destination

bì necessary

yí doubt, suspicion

Example 8.7

When the bodhisattva is born, fortune-tellers augur two possible destinies...

44



Vocabulary

ruò if

jiā family; home, household

zhuǎn to turn

lún wheel zhuǎnlún wáng Wheel-turning King, Skt. Cakravartin

Example 8.8

At times, rather than make a verb a noun,marks the preceding word as the topic of the sentence.

Vocabulary

zú feet

ān peace; stable, steady

píng level

mǎn full

Example 8.9

45



Example 8.10

Vocabulary

gěi to supply

rǔ milk

bǔ to suckle

zǎoyù to bathe

tú to smear, to coat

xiāng incense

yúlè entertainment

Soon after the bodhisattva's birth, his father supplied him with all of the necessities, including...

46



Review 8

8.1

8.2

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.6

8.7

8.8

8.9

8.10

47





Example 9.2

Vocabulary

shè establish, make, set out; take

fāngbiàn expedience, Skt.upāya; measures

shǐ to cause to

chǔ to place

shēn deep, profound

zhì to, until

chù place

gōngjìng to respect, venerate

sìshì “the four things” (i.e. the four basic necessities: clothing,food, bedding, medicine).

gòngyǎng to provide

Compare the word in the following sentences. The first describes the actions of the Bodhisattva's faintended to prevent him from becoming a wandering ascetic. The second describes the reception oBuddha during his period of wandering.

9.2.1

9.2.2

49



Example 9.3

Vocabulary

Shànzhī (personal name) lit. Good Branch

Ānhé (personal name) lit. Peaceful Harmony (P.) Sotthija(Skt.) Svāstika

ruò if

jiā home, household

zhuǎnlúnshèngwáng

Wheel-turning Sagely King, Skt. Cakravartin

Tiānxià lit. “All under heaven”; here: continent

wáng / wàng king / to be king of, to rule

Compare in the following passages. In the first, the text describes the names of the parents of one buddhas of the past:

9.3.1

9.3.2

Example 9.4

Vocabulary

lè happiness, pleasure; to please; to be happy

kǔ suffering

qī sadness, sorrow

xīn to enjoy, to delight

Compare in the following sentences.

9.4.1

9.4.2

50



9.4.3

Example 9.5

Notice the word in the following two sentences you have seen above.

9.5.1

9.5.2

51



Review 9

9.1.1

9.1.2

9.2.1

9.2.2

9.3.1

9.3.2

9.4.1

9.4.2

9.4.3

9.5.1

9.5.2

52



Lesson 10: Parallel and Rhythm

Classical Chinese prose often employs parallel passages: two phrases or sentences in which the word the first is parallel to that of the second. This fondness for parallel often explains word choice and graif a particular word is clearly a verb in the first phrase, the word in the same position of the second phprobably also to be taken as a verb. Similarly, the number of characters in classical Chinese texts woften regulated. The text from which these lessons draw, the Dà běn jīng, for instance, has a particularfondness for four-character phrases. You will notice many instances in which the text could have beenclear with three characters as four, or would have been clearer with five characters instead of four; ininstances, clarity or concision are sacrificed for rhythm. Remember that use of punctuation in Chinemodern phenomenon. In the absence of punctuation, regulating the number of characters in a pasprovided clues to meaning and made for ease of reading. The examples below illustrate this tendency.

Example 10.1

Vocabulary

yánjià to adorn (a vehicle), to make ready, to harness

qìyǐ to finish, complete

huán to return

zhèng right; just so; truly

chéng to ride

bǎo precious

chē cart, chariot

yì to go to

bǐ that

yuǎn park

guān to see, to observe

There is no semantic distinction between and , both of which mean “then”. Divide the followinpassage into four character units and you will see why the translators usedinstead of just in the

second instance.

53





Example 10.4

Compare the following two sentences which you have seen in previous lessons. Why does one concluthe interrogative ?

10.4.1

10.4.2

Example 10.5

Vocabulary

jìngmò quietly, silently

sīwéi to think, to reflect

Despite the restrictions imposed by the four-character phrase, there is still considerable room for variin phrasing. Consider the two following phrases.

10.5.1 …

10.5.2 …

55



Review 10

10.1

10.2.1

10.2.2

10.3.1

10.3.2

10.4.1

10.4.2

10.5.1 …

10.5.2 …

56



The Scripture of the Great Origin ( Dàběn jīng )

Introduction to the Dàbĕn j ng

This is the first scripture in theCháng āhánjīng , literally the “longāgama scripture,” known inSanskrit as the Dīrghāgama. It is indeed a long scripture, containing many independent scriptures aforming one of the “fourāgamas.”

TheCháng āhánjīng was translated into Chinese in the capital city of Cháng’ānin 413 by Buddhayaśasand Zhú Fóniàn from an Indian version of the text. Zhú Fóniàn is unusual amo

Chinese monks for being one of the few said to have mastered Sanskrit. Only fragments of a Sanskritof the Dīrghāgama are extant. A Pali version of the text exists as the Dīgha Nikāya.6

The section we will read is the Dàběn jīng , literally the “scripture of the great origin.” (PaMahāpadāna-suttanta; Skt. Mahāvadāna-sūtra). It describes the characteristics of a Buddha. In additthe Chinese and Pali versions of theScripture of the Great Origin, one fairly substantial part of the sutrasurvives in Sanskrit in one fragment which, together with several other manuscripts gives nearly thesutra.7

The Chinese text before you is useful, particularly in comparison with the Pali and Sanskrit versioreconstructing what many consider to be among the earliest Buddhist texts. It is also usefuunderstanding the Dharmaguptaka School from which it came.8

And while the Āgamas were not as influential in China as key Mahāyāna sutras, they were well among Buddhist thinkers and were studied by eminent monks throughout Chinese history from the ti

their translation in the fifth century to the present day and are hence important for understanding

6 On the various versions of this text and it significance, see André Bareau, Les sectes bouddhiques du Petit Véhicule (Paris:Publications de l’École Française d’Extrême-Orient 38, 1955), p.191; Étienne Lamotte, Histoire du bouddhisme indien deorigines à l’ère Śaka (Louvain: Bibliothèque du Muséon 43, 1958), pp.629-630. For a recent English translation of the wThe Long Discourses of the Buddha. A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya by Maurice Walshe (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 198The Pali version of the text we will be reading is translated in section 14, pp.199-222.

7 What is missing are mostly verses. The sections dealing with the bodhisattva's birth are also paralleled in Thmanuscript of theSaṅghabhedavastu: being the 17th and last section of the Vinaya of the Mūlasarvāstivādin, edited by RanieroGnoli with the assistance of T. Venkatacharya (Rome: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, 1977). The fof the Mahāvadānasūtra were originally edited by Ernst Waldschmidt, Das Mahāvadānasūtra: ein kanonischer Text über d

sieben letzten Buddhas; Sanskrit, verglichen mit dem Pāli nebst einer Analyse der in chinesischer Übersetzung Parallelversionen auf Grund von Turfan-Handschriften (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1953-1956). The Sanskrit text was reusing additional fragments by Takamichi Fukita,The Mahāvadānasūtra: a new edition based on manuscripts discover Northern Turkestan, Sanskrit-Wörterbuch der buddhistischen Texte aus den Turfan-Funden 10 (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck &Ruprecht, 2003). There is no published English translation of the Sanskrit text, but there is a German one: Claudia Buddhistische Sutras: das Leben des Buddha in Quellentexten (Munich: Diederichs, 1999), pp. 35-103.

8 On this once-thriving school, most of the works of which are extant only in Chinese translation, see Ann Heirman, “Trace the Early Dharmaguptakas?”T’oung Pao Vol.88, no.4-5 (2002), pp.396-429.

57



development of Chinese as well as Indian Buddhism.9

Selected passages from the Dàběn j ng

The passages below follow the order of the original. I have skipped some of the introductory materilists the date of translation (we will cover Chinese dates later in the class), and have skipped most verse. Passages deleted are noted with ellipses.

You should memorize all of the characters in the vocabulary lists with the exception of rarer woparentheses, which you may want to save for later.

9 For a useful Japanese translation of theCháng āhánjīng with extensive annotation, see Okayama Hajime et al.,Gendai goyaku “Agon kyōten” : (Tōkyō : Hirakawa Shuppansha, 1995-2002).

58



Dàběn j ng : §1

Vocabulary

gè each

gòng together (we have previously seenand , each alsomeaning “together”)

xián wise, sagacious

yín to drink

xiū long

duǎn short

( ) gèng to experience

kǔsuffering

jǐe understanding

zhù to abide, to dwell (either literally where or how he lived,or metaphorically, as in to “dwell in” a particular state)

bié to distinguish

yúnhé how, why

fǎxìng dharma nature, Skt.dharmatā

lái to come

59



Note: Above, could be taken to mean “among the worthy monks,” but we wouldexpect the character in the phrase to indicate “among,” and elsewhere, similar sentencesbegin by addressing the audience. Note below how often the Buddha begins a phrase by saying“bhikṣus.”

Dàběn j ng : §2

Vocabulary

yì to go to, to arrive at

jiù then, thereupon; to go to, to approach

zāi (exclamation, indicates emphasis)

píngděng equal, with equanimity, non-discriminating

xìn faith xiū to cultivate, practice

dào the Way, path, the Tao; to speak

yīng should, ought to

xíng conduct, action

fán in total, overall

yè karma; duties, tasks

xiánshèng wise and sagely (from Skt.bhadra andarya)

jiǎngfǎ to lecture on the Law, to speak on the Dharma

zhèng right; just so; truly

60



Dàběn j ng : §3

Vocabulary

sùmìngzhì knowledge of past lives

yuàn to be willing

fèng respectfully

jiǔ nine

Pípóshī (Skt.) Vipaśyin

chūxiàn to appear

yú (preposition) at, in, by

fùcì moreover, furthermore, and so (we will later see fù byitself. In this text it is used as the compound fùcì only at

the beginning of sentences.)Shīqì (Skt.) Śikhi

Píshèpó (Skt.) Viśvabhu

xiánjíe lit., “the worthy aeon,” (Skt.)bhadrakalpa. This is thekalpa in which we live.

Jūlóusūn (Skt.) Krakucchanda

Jū’nàhán (Skt.) Kanakamuni

yì also, furthermore

zuìzhèngjué lit., “most correct awakening”, Skt.abhisaṃbuddha

... ...

61



Dàběn j ng : §4

Vocabulary

qī seven

shǎo few

chū go beyond, exceed

duō many

jiǎn reduce; less than

... ...

... ...

62



Dàběn j ng : §5

Vocabulary

chālì (Skt.)kṣatriya, the ruling class

zhǒng class

xìng surname

Jūlìruò (Skt.) Kauṇḍinya

pōluómén (Skt.)brahmin

Jùtán (Skt.) Gautama

... ...

Dàběn j ng : §6

Vocabulary

bōbōluóshù Skt. pāṭalī , “trumpet-flower tree”

fēntuōlìshù Skt. puṇḍarī , “lotus tree”

pōluóshù Skt.śāla, “shala tree” shīlìshāshù Skt.śirīṣa, “acacia tree”

wúzànpóluómenshù

Skt.uḍumbara, “cluster fig tree”

níjǖ lǜ shù Skt.nyagrodha, “banyan tree”

bōduōshù Skt. pippala, “sacred fig tree”

... ...

63



Dàběn j ng : §7

Vocabulary

cì next

... ...

From context, “assembly” here refers to groups of disciples, rather than to the number oftimes a Buddha preached.

64



Dàběn j ng : §8

Vocabulary

Jiǎnchá (personal name), Skt. Skanda

Tíshě (personal name), Skt. Tiṣya zhōng middle; among

dìyī first

Āpífú (personal name), Skt. Abhibhū

Sānpōpō (personal name), Skt. Saṃbhava

Fúyóu (personal name), Skt. Śroṇa

Yùduōmó (personal name), Skt. Uttama

Sāní (personal name), Skt. SaṃjīvaPílóu (personal name), Skt. Vidhūra

Shūpánnà (personal name), Skt. Bhujiṣya

Yùduōlóu (personal name), Skt. Uttara

Póluópó (personal name), Skt. Bhāradvāja

Shèlìfú (personal name), Skt. Śāriputra

Mùjiànlián (personal name), Skt. Maudgalyāyana

... ...

65



Dàběn j ng : §9

Vocabulary

zhíshì administrative; administrator, attendant

Wúyōu (personal name) lit. Without Grief, Skt. AśokaRěnxíng (personal name) lit. Tolerant Practice; P. Khemaṁkara;

Skt. Kṣemaṃkara?

Jìmiè (personal name) lit. Tranquil Extinction; P. Upasannaka;Skt. Upaśānta?

Shànjué (personal name) lit. Well-Awakened; P. Buddhija; Skt.Bhadrika?

Ānhé (personal name) lit. Peaceful Harmony; P. Sotthija; Skt.

Svāstika?Shànyǒu (personal name) lit Good Friend; P. Sabbamitta; Skt.

Sarvamitra

Ā’nán (personal name) Skt. Ānanda

... ...

66



Dàběn j ng : §10

Vocabulary

Fāngyìng (personal name) lit. “Broad-Shouldered”; Skt.Susaṃvṛttaskandha

Wúliàng (personal name) lit. “Immeasurable”; Skt. Atula

Miàojué (personal name) lit. “Marvelous Awakening”; Skt.Suprabuddha

Shàngshèng (personal name) lit. “Superior”, “Majestic”; Skt.Pratāpana?

Dǎoshī (personal name) lit. “Leader”; Skt. Sārthavāha

Jíjūn (personal name) lit. “Gathered Army”; Vijitasena

Luóhóuluó (personal name) Skt. Rāhula

... ...

67



Dàběn j ng : §11

Vocabulary

Pántóu (personal name) P. Bandhumā; Skt.Pāṇḍu

Pántóupótí (personal name) P. Bandhumatī; Skt.? zhì to govern

chéng city

Dàběn j ng : §12

Vocabulary

Míngxiàng (personal name) lit. “Brightness”; P./Skt. Aruṇa

Guāngyào (personal name) lit. “Radiance”; P. Pabhāvatī; Skt.Prabhāvatī

Guāngxiàng (personal name) lit. “Brilliance”; P. Aruṇavatī; Skt.?

Dàběn j ng : §13

Vocabulary

Shàndēng (personal name) lit. Good Lamp; P. Suppatīta; Skt.Supradīpa

Chēngjiè (personal name) lit. “Proclaim Conduct”; P. Yasavatī;Skt.Uttarā?

Wúyù (personal name) lit. “Without Compare”; P. Anopama;Skt. Anupama

68



Dàběn j ng : §14

Vocabulary

Sìdé (personal name) lit. Sacrifice Obtained; P. Aggidatta; Skt. Agnidatta

Shànzhī (personal name) lit. Good Branch; P. Visākhā; Skt. Viśākhā

Ānhé (personal name) lit. Peaceful Harmony; P. Sotthija; Skt.Svāstika?

Dàběn j ng : §15

Vocabulary

Dàdé (personal name) lit. Great Virtue ; P. Yaññadatta; Skt. Yajñadatta?

Shànshèng (personal name) lit. Skilled in Victory; P. Uttara; Skt. Yaśovati?

Qīngjìng (personal name) lit. Clear and Pure; P. Sobha; Skt.Śobhavatī?

69



Dàběn j ng : §16

Vocabulary

Fàndé (personal name) lit. “Brahma Virtue”; Skt./P.Brahmadatta

Caízhǔ (personal name) lit. Patron; P. Dhanavatī; Skt. Viśākhā

Jípí (personal name) P. Kikin; Skt. Kṛkin

Pōluónài (personal name) Skt./P. Vārānasī

Dàběn jīng : §17

Vocabulary

Jìngfàn (personal name) lit. Pure Rice; Skt. Śuddhodana

Dàqīngjìngmiào (personal name) lit. Great Pure and Marvelous; Skt.Māyā

Jiāpíluówèi (place name) Skt. Kapilavastu; P. Kapilavatthu

70



Dàběn j ng : §18

Vocabulary

yīnyuán causes and conditions; circumstances; story

zhì wisdom

huānxǐ bliss, happiness

aìlè love and joy

71



Dàběn j ng : §19

Vocabulary

yòu right

xiè side

rù to enter

dì earth

zhèndòng to shake

fàng to emit, to put forth

guāngmíng light

pǔ generally, universally, everywhere

zhào to shine

shìjiè world

rì sun

yuè moon

jí to reach

jiē all

méng to receive

yōumíng darkness

zhòngshēng all beings dūjiàn to see

qù realm, path of existence

fù again; moreover, further

mógōng the devil’s palace, Mara’s palace

Shì (usually ) Śakra / Indra

Fàn Brahma

zìrán of itself; naturally xiàn to appear, to make manifest

72



Dàběn j ng : §20

Vocabulary

tiānzǐ lit. children of heaven, heavenly beings, minor deities

zhí to hold gé halberd

máo spear

qīnrào to harass, harm

As noted above, grammatically, could refer to either the bodhisattva or his mother.Use of the term later in the text suggest the former is right. See, for example, §23 and especiall§26 below.

73



Dàběn j ng : §21

Vocabulary

ānyǐn serene, at peace

nǎohuàn troubles, difficulties zì oneself

guān to see, to observe

jiàn to see, to view

shēn body

gēn faculties; organs; limbs

jùzú complete, fully formed

xiá faults, blemishes zǐmójīn polished red gold

huì dirt, filth

liúlí beryl (often glossed as “lapis lazuli,” but lapis lazuli isusually opaque, and here the gem is translucent)

nèiwài inner and outer

qīngchè clear; translucent

zhàngyì clouded, visually impaired; obstruction

74



Dàběn j ng : §22

Vocabulary

yín lasciviousness; lust

huǒ fire zhīsuǒ (in <subject + object + verb> phrase, marks the verb as

passive; i.e. the subject is verbed by the object)

shāorán to burn

75



Dàběn j ng : §23

Vocabulary

fèngchí to uphold, to honor

wǔ five

jiè precepts

fànxíng Skt.brahmacarya, “pure practices”; religious conduct;often means celibacy

dǔxìn devotion and faith

rénài benevolence and love

chéngjiù to accomplish

wèi fear

huái to go bad, to deteriorate, to fail mìng life

zhōng to end

Dāolìtiān the Daoli Heaven, Skt. Trāyastriṃśa

76



Dàběn j ng : §24

Vocabulary

dāng when, at that time

qí his, her, its

shǐ at first; to begin

ànmíng darkness

méng to receive

77



Dàběn j ng : §25

Vocabulary

shǒu hand

pān to climb; to grip

zhī branch

wò to recline, to lie down

xiāng fragrant

shuǐ water

qián before, in front of

lì to stand

wéirán only, uniquely; it is so

wù (negation)

huái to harbor, to have

yōuqì worries and sadness

Dàběn j ng : §26

Vocabulary

huìè dirt, filth

wūrán stained, polluted, sullied

78



Dàběn j ng : §27

Vocabulary

duò to fall

xíng to walk

bù paces, steps

fúshì to support

jǔ to raise

piàn pervasive; everywhere

fāng direction

shǒu hand

yào to want, will

dù to save, to deliver

bìng sickness

sǐ death

79



Dàběn j ng : §28

Vocabulary

quán fountain, spring

yǒng to bubble forth, to spring forth wēn warm

lěng cold

gòng to supply

zǎoyù to bathe

Dàběn j ng : §29

Vocabulary

tàizi prince

Pántóu (personal name) P. Bandhumā; Skt.?)

mìng command

jí to approach

pī to remove, pull back

yī clothing

jù complete

xiàng marks, signs

zhàn to prognosticate, evaluate, assess, divine

qù to go to; (we have also seen as destination”)

bìrán necessarily

yí doubt

ruò if

jiā home, household

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Dàběn j ng : §30

Vocabulary

yīnqín sincere

zàisān lit. two and three; repeatedly

chóng again; repeatedly

gèng further (we have seen this word before meaning “toexperience”)

sī this; these

zú feet

ān peaceful; steady

píng flat, even

mǎn full dǎo step

yǐn stable, steady

xiànglún wheel

fú spoke

guāng light

zhào to shine

wǎngmàn webbed é goose

82



Dàběn j ng : §31

Vocabulary

róuruǎn soft

zhǐ digits

xiān slender

cháng long

gēn heels

chōngmǎn full

shì to see

yàn to tire of; to dislike

lù deer

bócháng limbs

yōngzhí straight

gōu hook; hooked

suǒ link; linked

gǔ bones

jié joints

suǒlián linked; chain

yīn penis mǎcáng lit. hidden like a horse’s, i.e. retractable

chuí to hang down

guò to exceed

xī knees

83



Dàběn j ng : §32

Vocabulary

kǒng hole, pore

máo hair yòu right

xuān to turn, to spiral

yǎngmí to be upturned, facing up

gàn brownish black

liúlí beryl

sè color

huángjīn gold

pífu skin

xìruǎn soft

chén dust

jiān shoulders

qítíng even, equal

yuánhǎo perfect

xiōng chest

wàn ten thousand; swastika

zì [Chinese] character, symbol, word

cháng length

bèi double

qīchù lit. “seven places” (arms, feet, shoulders and neck)

84



Dàběn j ng : §33

Vocabulary

cháng length

guǎng width

děng equal, the same

níjūlú (kind of tree) Skt.nyagrodha, “banyan tree”

jiáchē jowls, jaws

shīzi lion

xióngyīng chest

fāngzhěng square and complete; well proportioned; broad

kǒu mouth

chǐ teeth

qípíng even

mì dense

jiān space

xiānmíng sparkling

yīnhóu throat

wèi flavor

chēngshì to call satisfying, to be satisfied; to find agreeable shé tongue

ěr ear

shì to lick

zuǒ left

fányīn the voice of Brahma (Skt.brahmasvara)

qīngchè clear

yǎn eyes gànqīng deep blue; deep green; pitch black

niú ox

shùn to squint; to blink

méi eyebrows

85



háo hair

róuruǎn soft

xì fine

zé moist

yǐn to pull xún (a measure of length, about eight feet)

fàng to release

zé then

xuānluó to spiral, to coil

zhēnzhū pearl

dǐng the top of the head

ròu meat, flesh jì bun, topknot

86



Dàběn j ng : §34

Vocabulary

xūkōng space

fēng wind

yǔ rain

chén dust

tǔ earth

huānxǐ happy, joyful

yǎngyù to raise, to nurture

xièjuàn tired

Dàběn j ng : §35

87



Vocabulary

tóngzǐ child

jǔ entire

guó kingdom, country

shì men of standing; men nǔ women

shì to view, to see

yànzú surfeit, feel is in excess

fùbào to assist and protect, to coddle

bǎo precious, valuable

huá flowers

Dāolìtiān the Daoli Heaven, Skt. Trāyastriṃśa hé harmonious

yǎ elegant

jiāluópínjiā Skt.kalaviṅka, a melodious bird (perhaps a cuckoo)

niǎo bird

chè thoroughly, completely

yóuxún Skt. yojana (measure of distance)

jiàn gradual

zhǎngdà to mature, grow up

zàitiān (he who is) in heaven; the ruler, the king, the emperor

zhèngtáng main hall

dào way, path; moral teachings

kāihuà to preach, to enlighten

ēn benevolence

jí to reach

shūmín common people

míng famous

dé virtue

88



Note: is apparently a folk etymology of the word vipaśyin( paśyameans“to see”); a common Chinese translation of the name Vipaśyin was Shèngguānfó(“Buddha of superior vision”).

TheScripture of the Account of the World(Shìjì jīng ) , another scripture included in theCháng āhán jīng (from which you will read a selection in volume two of the primer),describes ten characteristics of the gods of , one of which is that “they do not blink.”(T.no.1, Vol.1, p. 132c).

89



Dàběn j ng : §36

Vocabulary

yóuguāng to travel; to tour, to go on an excursion

gàochì to command yù to drive

yánjià to adorn (a vehicle), to make ready, to harness

bǎo precious

chē cart, chariot

yì to go to

bǐ that

yuǎnlín park xúnxíng to tour, to inspect

biàn thereupon, then

qìyǐ to finish, complete

huán to return

jīn today, now

tàizi prince

chéng to ride lù road

jiàn to see

tóu head

chǐ teeth

luò fall

miàn face

zhòu wrinkles

shēn body

lǔ bent over, stooped

zhùzhàng cane, staff

léi weak, sick

90



bù steps

chuǎnxí to pant

xíng to walk

gù to look at

wèn to ask dá to answer

shēngshòu lifespan

miǎn to avoid

huàn sickness; disaster

yě (interrogative)

rán it is so

bì inevitable, necessarily háo wealthy, prosperous

jiàn poor; miserable; low born

yúshì thereupon

chàngrán disappointed, disillusioned

yuè to be happy

huí to return

jià to drive

gōng palace

jìngmò quietly, silently

sīwéi to think, to reflect

91



Note: We know that in the phrase it is the charioteer speaking becauseis used by an inferior to address a superior.

92



Dàběn j ng : §37

Vocabulary

dào road

féng to meet

mò to be silent

xí in the past

zhànxiàng to read someone’s signs, to tell one’s fortune

déwú is or is not, could it be?

hū (interrogative)

shè establish, make, set out; take

fāngbiàn expedience, Skt.u pāya; measures

shǐ to cause to

shēn deep, profound

wǔyù five desires (there are various sets)

yúlè entertainment

yánshì ornament, adorn, decorate

gōngguǎn palace buildings

jiǎnzé to select

cǎinǚ beautiful women

93



Dàběn j ng : §38

Vocabulary

fù moreover, furthermore

mìng life; to order

bìng sick

fù belly

miànmù countenance

líhēi dark yellow

dú alone

wò to lie down

fènchú the removal of filth, to clean; what is taken away aftercleaning, i.e. filth, rubbish (other editions of the text givethe more usual fènhuì ).

zhānshì to gaze upon, to watch over

kǔdú painful; intense suffering, acute pain

néng can, to be able to

tòng pain

pòqiè to press upon

cúnwáng to live and to die, survival

qī date, appointment

guì noble, high born

94



Dàběn j ng : §39

Vocabulary

gèng further, again

zēng to increase jìyuè performers and musicians

95



Dàběn j ng : §40

Vocabulary

zá diverse, varied

sè color

zēng fabric, cloth

fān banner

qiánhòu before and after

dǎoyǐn lead, precede; here, accompanying

zōngzú family, clan

qīnlǐ relatives and neighbors

bēi bad, sorrowful

hào to shout,to wail

kūqì to cry, to weep

sòng to send off

jìn termination, ending

fēng wind; here, breath?

xiān first

huǒ fire; here, warmth?

cì next zhū all

gēn organs; faculties

huàibài to destroy, to break, decay

yì different

shìjiā home; husband and wife

líbié to depart; to separate

96



Dàběn j ng : §41

97



Dàběn j ng : §42

Vocabulary

shāmén Skt.śramaṇa

fú clothing; to wear

chí to hold, to grip

bō alms bowl

dì ground

shělí to abandon, to cast off

ēn’ài affection and love, attachments

xiū to cultivate

shèyù to drive, to ride; to control, to master

rǎn to taint; be tainted by

wài external

cí compassion

yíqiè all

shānghài to hurt, to harm

qì sadness, sorrow

yù to meet

xīn to enjoy, to delight rěn to tolerate

yǒng forever, always

jué cut off

chénléi lit. burden of dust, burdens of the world

qīngxū pristine, pure

wéimiào subtle, marvelous

wéi only kuài happy; pleasure

98



99



Dàběn j ng : §43

Vocabulary

tìchú to cut off

xūfǎ hair and beard

zhì aspiration, will

qiú to seek, to request

tiáofú to tame

xīnyì intention

lí to depart from

chén’gòu filth, dirt

yù nurture

qúnshēng the masses of beings; all beings

qīnrào disturbance, harassment

xūxīn modest, humble

jìngmò silent

wù duty; to take as a duty, to devote oneself

xún then, subsequently

chì to order

jī to carry; to take bìng together with

jí and

niǎn cart, chariot

xí custom, habit

zìjū self reliant

shù arts

100



101



Dàběn j ng : §44

Vocabulary

kǔnǎo suffering, affliction

liàn to be enamored of, to crave

qíng emotion

miè to extinguish, destroy

kuòrán expansive

wù to be enlightened; enlightenment, insight

xià to go down, descend

bù step; to take a step

zhōngjiān in the midst of

zhǔan to turn, revolve, in turns; gradually

yǔan distant; to distance oneself

fūzhuó to bind, to tie; attachments

xián all

shě to abandon

róng honor, glory

wèi position

sǔnqì to cast off zhòng to value

wǎngjiù to go towards

qíu to beg, to ask

102





Dàběn j ng : §45

Vocabulary

nàshòu to receive, to accept, to take in

yǔ together with zhī (marker of possession); him; her; to go

zàizài everywhere

jiàohuà to teach and transform, to proselytize

cūn village

gōngjìng to respect, venerate

sìshì “the four things” (i.e. the four basic necessities: clothing,food, bedding, medicine).

gòngyǎng to provide

kuìnào hubbub, noise

qúnzhòng masses, throng

xún then, subsequently

huò to obtain, to get

zhìyuàn goal, ambition

zhūanjīng concentrated, with intensity

xiū to cultivate

zuò to do, to make

mǐn to pity

ànmíng darkness

wēicuì fragile, weak

yuán on this basis, according to these conditions, following

yīn dark (the “yin” of “yinyang”); group, mass

liúzhǔan to circulate, flow

qióng to exhaust, to end

xiǎo to understand

liǎo completely; to complete

104





Dàběn j ng : §46

Vocabulary

yǒu to exist; being (the conventional translation in thiscontext is “becoming,” but this is based on Sanskrit and

Pali and isn’t easily derived for the word). guānchá to observe

yóu to come from; source

qǐ to arise

qǔ grasping, taking

ài love, affection, craving

shòu receive; here: to sense, feel

chù contact liùrù lit. “the six entrances”; the six sense organs (organs for

sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought)

míngsè name and form

shì consciousness

xíng to act; conduct (the conventional translation in thiscontext is “dispositions” )

chí ignorance; madness

yōu worry, grief bēi sadness, sorrow

kǔ pain

nǎo frustration

shèng full, abundant; to flourish

zhì wisdom; knowledge

yǎn eyes; sight, vision

jué feeling, perception; awakening míng light, clarity

tōng understanding

huì wisdom

zhèng verification; realization

106



107



Dàběn j ng : §47

Vocabulary

nìshùn backwards and forwards; upstream and downstream

shí truthfully

zuò seat

ānòuduōluósānmiǎo sānpútí

Skt.anuttarasamyaksambodhi , complete and perfectenlightenment

108



Dàběn j ng : §48

Vocabulary

xiū to cultivate

guān contemplation

ānyǐn peace, tranquility

chūlí separation; to depart; to distance oneself from

109



Dàběn j ng : §49

Vocabulary

shēn profound

wéimiào subtle

nán difficult

jiě to understand

xímiè to extinguish; to be extinguished; extinction

fányú mundane, ordinary

jí to reach

sī this

yì different

rěn to endure, to tolerate

yī according to

lè to delight in, to like

qiú to seek; to request

wù duty; to take as a duty, to devote oneself to

xí custom, habit

shèn very, extreme

liǎo completely, entirely rán yet

pèi double, twice as much

gèng moreover

chùrǎo disturbed, anxious

mòrán silently; to be silent

110



Dàběn j ng : §50

Vocabulary

Fàn Brahma

biàn thereupon, then bàihuài corrupt, in decay

kě can be

ér but, yet

āimǐn sorrowful compassion

miào marvelous

pìrú it is like

lìshì strongman qūshēn to bend and extend, to flex

bì arm

qǐng instant, moment

gōng palace

hūrán suddenly

lì to stand

tóu head

miàn face

lǐ ritual; to pay obeisance

zú feet

què to retreat; but

111



zhù to stop; to abide

yímiàn one side

xī knee

zhuó to touch

dì ground chā to cross; to interlink

hézhǎng to press the palms together

chéngòu dust, filth

wéibó slight, thin, meager

gēn roots, faculties

ménglì fiercely sharp, very sharp

gōngjìng to respect yì easy

kāihuà enlighten and transform; to teach

wèibù to fear

jiù to save; to expiate

zuì crime; sin, fault

112



Note: Above, could be taken to refer to either the Buddha, or those who hear hisinstruction. That is, is the Buddha saying that teaching those incapable of understanding him would be troublesome to them or to him?

A similar phrase in the next passage ( )

is equally ambiguous. In the corresponding passages in the Pali it is clear that it is the Buddha who would would find this sort of fruitless teaching troublesome.

The phrase could be taken in at least three different ways: Does Brahmafear that people will commit these horrible sins? Or does he fear that the Buddha will committhe sin of not saving them? Or is he saying that the people fear committing these sins? In thiscase, a passage below (in §52) suggests that the third interpretation is correct. That is, it is thepeople who fear committing unredeemable sins. The passage in question below is:

113



Dàběn j ng : §51

Vocabulary

rǔ you

dàn however, but

zhèng correct

āsēngqǐ Skt.asaṃkhya (infinity, infinite)

qínkǔ diligent, hard-working

xiè to rest, to be slack

shǐ begin; only now, just

huò to obtain

yín lasciviousness

nù anger

chí foolishness, stupidity

chéng to bear

yòng to use

tú vainly

láopí to tire

xiāngfǎn oppose, be in conflict with; opposite of

rǎn to be polluted by yúmíng ignorance and darkness

fù covered, blanketed

114



Dàběn j ng : §52

Vocabulary

fùchóng repeatedly

quànqǐng to supplicate, to request

yīnqín sincerely, devoutly, diligently

kěncè sincerely, devoutly, diligently

zàisān repeatedly

shìjiān the world (Skt.loka)

biàn thereupon, then

huàibài to destroy, to ruin

yuàn to hope, to wish for

fūyǎn to sermonize; to expostulate

zhùiluò to fall, to descend

yúqù lit. the “remaining realms”, that is, the realms of rebirthother than the human realm.

fóyǎn Buddha eye, the sight of a Buddha

gòu dirt, pollution, defilement

hòubáo thick and thin; mild and extreme

lìdùn sharp and dull nányì difficult and easy

wèi to fear

zuì fault, sin,bad ways

dào path (of existence)

huā Flower (also written ) yōubóluó Skt.utpala, blue lotus

bōtóumó Skt. padma, a kind of lotus jiūwùtóu Skt.kumuda, white lotus

fēntuōlì Skt. puṇḍarīka, kind of lotus

huò may, perhaps; some

wūní mud, dirt

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jiē all

fūkāi to unfold; to blossom

Dàběn j ng : §53

Vocabulary

mǐn to love

kāiyǎn to expound

gānlù sweet dew

shòu to receive yì benefit

116



Dàběn j ng : §54

Vocabulary

huānxǐ bliss, joy

yǒngyùe overjoyed

rào to circle; to circumambulate

zā a circle, a round

xiàn to appear, to manifest

xiān first

shéi who

Pántóu (place name) P. Bandhumā; Skt.?

Tíshě (personal name) P. Tissa; Skt. Tiṣya

chénzǐ official, minister

Jiǎnchá (personal name) Skt. Skanda; P. Khaṇḍa

lìshì strongman

qūshēn to bend and extend, to flex

bì arm

qǐng instant, moment

Lùyěyuàn Deer Park (Skt. Saraṅganātha)

dàoshù lit. “tree of the Way”; the bodhi tree fū to put out, to set forth

117



Dàběn j ng : §55

Vocabulary

yí it is appropriate, fitting

shǒu to protect, to guard; keeper

xíng to carry out

suǒ location, place

yǔ to speak ( yù); words, language

qīng you

xuān to announce, to proclaim

jiàn gradual; incrementally

shì to demonstrate, show, teach

lìxǐ profit and joy

shī to give, to donate

lùn discourse, theory

jìng clean, pure

lòu lit. “outflow” (Skt.āsrava); affliction.

huàn troubled, afflicted

zàntàn to praise

dìyī first, foremost róuruǎn soft, receptive, supple

kān to sustain, be capable of

shèngdì holy truth, noble truth

fūyǎn to expound

kāijiě to explain

fēnbù to announce, proclaim

xuānshì to explicate yào essential

118



119



Dàběn j ng : §56

Vocabulary

fǎyǎnjìng lit. “the purity of the eye of the Law” (Skt.dharmacakṣuviśuddha); the ability to perceive

accurately. sù plain, unadorned

zhí substance, material

rǎn dye

dì earth

shén spirit

chàng to sing out

zhǔan to turn lún wheel

zhǎnzhǔan continuously, one after the other

shēng voice; sound

chè to penetrate; to reach

Tāhuàzìzàitiān lit. “Heaven of Those Who have Mastery Over theCreation of Others” (Skt. Paranirmitavaśavartin)

xūyú in an instant, in a moment

120



Dàběn j ng : §57

Vocabulary

guǒ the fruit, the results, the benefits

zhēnshí true qī to deceive

chéngjiù to accomplish, to achieve

wèi fear

zìzài mastery; freedom; unimpeded

kǔjì lit. “the border of suffering”; the last life in which one willsuffer

jùjiè the complete precepts

shì things

shìxiàn to show, to demonstrate; demonstration

shénzú Lit. either “divine feet” or “the basis of divine [power]”; inChina often understood to mean the ability to movegreat distances in an instant; here, the term refers tosupernormal powers more generally (Skt. ṛddhi-pāda)

guāntāxīn lit. “to see another’s heart”; to read minds

jiàojiè instruction; the ability to instruct

wúlòuxīn lit. “mind of no outflows”; untainted mind (Skt.anāsrava-citta).S

jiětuō liberation, release

yí doubt

121



Dàběn j ng : §58

Vocabulary

rénmín people

fǎ Dharma fú clothing; to wear

chí to hold, to grip

bō alms bowl

shě to abandon

shì world, worldly

róng honor, glory

wèi position shǐ to cause

sǔnqì to cast off

zhòng to value

wǎngyì to go towards

122



Dàběn j ng : §59

(You should know all of the vocabulary in this passage!)

Dàběn j ng : §60

Vocabulary

shàngshēng to ascend

xūkōng space

huǒ fire

shénbiàn divine transformations; miracles

qiǎn to dispatch, to send off

yóuxíng to travel, to wander

jù together

123



Dàběn j ng : §61

Vocabulary

Shǒutuōtiān Skt. Śuddhāvāsa, “Pure Abodes”

mò to disappear

fēnbù to distribute

yōnghù to protect

sì to wait

biàn convenient

kě to approve, assent

Dàběn j ng : §62

Vocabulary

xǔkě to approve of, to permit

zhíchí to hold, to keep

124



Dàběn j ng : §63

Vocabulary

… qì … yǐ to finish, complete

shèchí to have, to hold

Dàběn j ng : §64

Vocabulary

jiéjiā to cross, to form

fūzuò to sit cross-legged, in the lotus posture

rěnrǔ tolerance (Skt.kṣānti )

125



Dà běn j ng : §65

Vocabulary

Luóyuèchéng (place name) Skt.Rājagraha

Qíshèjuéshān (name of mountain) Skt. Gṛdhrakūṭa, “Vulture Peak”

biàn to reach

chú besides

shè if

Wúzàotiān “Not Created Heaven “ (Skt. Avṛha, one of the fiveŚuddhāvāsas, “Pure Abodes”)

zhuàngshì mighty man, powerful man

Ājīanízhà Skt. Akaniṣṭha, “of whom none is the youngest” (one of

the five Śuddhāvāsas, “Pure Abodes”)

Only “non-returners”(bùhuán , ā’nàhán , Skt.anāgāmin) are born in , which includes five separate worlds, including and .

Congratulations! You have now read an entire sutra (minus the versus). For review, read the sutraagain (given in full below), as much as possible without recourse to the vocabulary lists.

126



§1

§2

§3

…. ...

127



§4

§5

§6

... …

§7

128



……

§8

……

§9

... ...

129



§10

... ...

§11

§12

§13

§14

§15

§16

130



§17

§18

§19

§20

131



§21

§22

§23

§24

132



§25

§26

§27

§28

133



§29

§30

§31

§32

134



§33

§34

§35

135



§36

§37

136



§38

§39

§40

137



§41

§42

§43

§44

138



§45

§46

139



§47

§48

§49

140



§50

‧

§51

§52

141



§53

§54

§55

142



§56

§57

§58

143



§59

§60

§61

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§65

Primer Volume 1

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