英語で仏教の基礎を味わう第四回です。今日は「涅槃」どんな何？」ということのお話しです。難しい言葉ですが、仏教において大事な言葉ですので、紹介させていただきました。英文を以下に記載します。

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The Japanese word Nehan is a transliteration of the Indian word nirvana or nibbana, meaning “the state of a flame being blown out.” It represents the quiet, refreshing state of mind that exists when the fires of raging attachment and desire are extinguished.

On the other hand, “enlightenment” is the truth that the Buddha grasped during meditation by logical inquiry. In accordance with the contents of his enlightenment, the Buddha struggled against the attachments and the desires in his own mind. Extinguishing this vigorously burning flame, he achieved a tranquil state of mind separated from suffering. This is the realm of nirvana.

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So it may be said that “enlightenment” possesses a somewhat logical nuance, whereas “nirvana” seems rather more emotional. In general usage, enlightenment and nirvana can be thought of as having the same meaning, and to have truly attained both is to have achieved true awakening.

Further, one can take the “flame” of “the state of flame being extinguished” as referring to “ the flame of life.” Therefore, nirvana can also have the meaning of death. As a matter of fact, the death of the Buddha is referred to as “the Great Extinction,” in the sense of “absolute nirvana.” 

英語で仏教の基礎を味わう第三回。今回は、「仏と如来は違うの？」ということをお話ししてみたいと思います。

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“Buddha” and “Tathagata” are one and the same.

“Buddha” means “one who has awakened to truth.” The compound word “Nyorai” comes from an Indian word tathagata, meaning tatha (the condition of being as it should be) and gata (going), or perhaps agata (coming).

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The Chinese laid the stress on the sense of “coming,” thus leading to the current characters for nyorai in Japanese.

The word tatha indicating the original condition of something was also translated as shinnyo, meaning “thusness” and representing the world of enlightenment, the world of Absolute Truth. This is what meant by truth in the expression “one who awakened to the truth.”

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Therefore, tathagata (nyorai) has the meaning of “one who has come from the world of absolute truth in order to save all sentient beings.” It is therefore another name for “buddha” which places special emphasis on the workings of the buddha. Whether one refers to Amida Buddha or Amida Tathagata, the meanings is absolutely identical.

英語で仏教の基礎を味わう第ニ回。今回は、「仏ってどんな意味？」ということをお話ししてみたいと思います。

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In an Indian language, the word for an aspirant is buddha. After practicing austerities for six years, the Buddha forsook these severe practices, began to meditate under a bo tree, and eventually discovered the truth. For that reason, people began to call him “Buddha” in the sense of “one who has awakened to the truth.”

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At some later time, as the teachings came to be received in the western region of Asia and were received by China, the Chinese used two characters Butsu and Da for the word Buddha. When this two-character name was transmitted into Japan, the first character Butsu was the only one used, and it came to be read as both Butsu and Hotoke.

So, Hotoke means Buddha, and Buddha means “one who has awakened to the truth.”

英語で仏教の基礎を味わってみる。今回は、「仏教ってどんな特徴があるの？」ということを少しお話ししてみたいと思います。

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Buddhism is the teachings of the Buddha, just as Christianity is the teachings of Jesus Christ and Islam is the teachings of Mohammed.

Yet there is one major characteristic that is unique to Buddhism, and this is that those who embrace Buddhism can also become Buddhas. In Christianity, Judaism and Islam, believers are encouraged to learn the teachings of the founder and to devote themselves to a unique, absolute deity, but human beings cannot become a deity.

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However, in Buddhism, by learning the teachings of the Buddha, and awakening to the truth concerning the universe and human beings, anyone is said to be able to become a buddha. Hence it can be said that ultimately Buddhism is everyone’s attempting to become  such a buddha.

ついつい「いい人」のフリをしてしまうことってないですか？良く思われたい・人に好かれたい。そう思うのも自然なことですが、時に「いい人」のフリをしてしまい疲れてしまうことも。「いい人」のフリが習慣になってしまうと、自分らしさが分からなくなってしまいそうです。そんな私たちに、仏教の物語はちょっと気づきを与えてくれます。

性格が合わなかったり、なんだかフィーリングが合わない人っていますよね。人間関係に悩まされることが多いように思います。そんな私たちに、仏教はどんなアドバイスをしてくれるのか。少し考えてみたいと思います。

物欲や食欲など、「欲」ってコントロールが難しいですよね。

海水を飲むが如くと言われるように、キリがないのも良くなのでしょう。

欲は生きるエネルギーだとも、思たり、、、

そんな欲について、少し考えてみました。