hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) (11/23/90)
The following posting is asked by a friend, Satish.
Hsing-Mean
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Can somebody please post all the names used to refer to Buddha/bodhisattvas
(indian and otherwise) along with their meanings. Here are a few I know
Amitabha (Amida in Japanese) - infinite light
Avalokitesvara - He who looks down with mercy
Buddha - Enlightened one
Sakyamuni - Sage of sakyas
Tathagatha - ???
Thanks,
Satish
reddy@bach.austin.ibm.com gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo) (11/25/90)
In <1990Nov23.061216.28577@nas.nasa.gov> hms@princeton.edu writes: > Tathagatha - ??? I believe the literal translation is the "Thus-come One." --- Gary S. Trujillo gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us Somerville, Massachusetts {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst
cak0l@surya.cs.Virginia.EDU (Christopher A. Koeritz) (11/26/90)
In article <1990Nov23.061216.28577@nas.nasa.gov> hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) writes: >Tathagatha - ??? > >Thanks, >Satish >reddy@bach.austin.ibm.com This has also been glossed as The One Gone Thus, meaning passed beyond normal conceptuality and beyond the afflictions and obstructions into complete enlightenment. There's also Manjusri (i don't know what this means) who is the embodiment of wisdom, and i believe is a boddhisattva as well. -chris. Christopher Koeritz To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others. -- Shakyamuni Buddha
hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) (11/26/90)
In the Chinese Buddhist Sutras I have read, there are always use ten titles of
Buddha to show the respect and slightly illustrate the greatness of Buddha.
The following are the ten titles in Sanscrit (in Chinese sutras, we translate
them by meaning not by pronunciation).
Let me try to explain them in English (as you know my english is poor).
(1) Tathagata : This is the most popular title beside Buddha in China.
Chinesee name is Ju2 Lai2, so-come, he who comes as do all other Buddhas.
(2) Arbat : worthy of worship.
(3) Samyak-sambuddha : perfect universal wisdom of Buddha.
(4) Vidyacarana-sampanna : knowledge-conduct-perfect.
(5) Sugata : well departed.
(6) Lokavid : knower of the world.
(7) Anuttara : above the supreme.
(8) Purusa-damya-sarathi : the one who brings the passions of sentient beings
under control.
(9) Sasta deva-manusyanam : the teacher of all davas and humans.
(10) Buddha-lokanatha or Bhagavan : This title is also very popular. The
meaning is: world's most venerable.
Hsing-Mean Sha in Princeton
hms@cs.princeton.eduesot@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Eric Sotnak) (11/27/90)
In article <1990Nov23.061216.28577@nas.nasa.gov> hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) writes: >Tathagatha - ??? > Tathagata - One who has come from (or returned to) thusness.
mva@mandrake.bellcore.com (Madhav Apte) (11/28/90)
The name "tathagata" can be interpreted both as "one who goes thus" or "one who comes thus" (or has gone/ has come). I prefer the former. I am surprised noone has mentioned "siddhartha" - i guess it means something like "the accomplished one - one who has mastered 'siddis' " ? Siddhartha was buddha's birth-name, wasn't it? -Madhav mva@maestro.cc.bellcore.com
kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) (11/28/90)
In <1990Nov26.065914.8987@nas.nasa.gov> hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) writes: >In the Chinese Buddhist Sutras I have read, there are always use ten titles of >them by meaning not by pronunciation). >Let me try to explain them in English (as you know my english is poor). >(1) Tathagata : This is the most popular title beside Buddha in China. >(10) Buddha-lokanatha or Bhagavan : This title is also very popular. The >meaning is: world's most venerable. Try these for the English: 1) the core of the 16th chapter (of the Lotus Sutra) of the essential teaching 2) the supreme Law hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra, 3) the inscrutable essence of the universe, 4) The perfect fusion of wisdom and reality, 5) the entity of kuon ganjo (this moment, which extends to all moments) 6) the entity of the Buddha of absolute freedom, 7) the eternal manifestation of the ten worlds (life-conditions) 8) the embodiment of ichinen sanzen (3000 life-conditions in a single moment) 9) the oneness of Person and Law, 10) the Dai-Gohonzon enshrined in the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism (Tai-sekiji, the Head Temple of Nichiren Shoshu in Japan). -- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Respectfully, Keith Evans kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov
raja@pixel.cps.msu.edu (11/28/90)
In article <1990Nov23.061216.28577@nas> (Satish) writes: > Can somebody please post all the names used to refer to Buddha/bodhisattvas > (indian and otherwise) along with their meanings. Here are a few I know > Amitabha (Amida in Japanese) - infinite light > Avalokitesvara - He who looks down with mercy > Buddha - Enlightened one > Sakyamuni - Sage of sakyas My own favourite Bodhisattva happens to be Kuan Shih Yin - Hearer of cries (who is also known as Avalokiteshvara or Kuan Yin). There are literally hundreds of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition... some of them are listed in "Journey to the West", a most delightful Chinese travel/adventure/pilgrimage novel written in the 17th (?) century: Dipankara - (Light-giver) Buddha of the Past Bhaisajya-vaidurya-prabhasa - the Physician and Buddha of Emerald Light Vairochana Maitreya - Buddha of the Future Buddha of Pure Joy Buddha, King of the Precious Banner Ratnadhvaja (?) - Buddha of the Jeweled Banner Buddha Victorious in Wisdom Buddha, Leader of the Sages Sukhavativyuha Surya Manjusri Chandraprabha Varuna Narayana Svagata There are also the Bodhisattvas: Manjusri Visvabhadra Samantabhadra Bhiksu-iksani Kshitigarbha among many, many others. According to a friend, other than Kuan Yin herself, Kshitigarbha (Ti Tsang ?) is the most popular Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhism because of his vow to not attain enlightenment till all the beings in the Buddhist Hells are redeemed. Friendly regards, Narayan Sriranga Raja.
pingali@umvlsi.ecs.umass.edu (Sridhar Pingali) (11/29/90)
In article <1990Nov26.065914.8987@nas.nasa.gov> hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) writes: > >(1) Tathagata : This is the most popular title beside Buddha in China. >Chinesee name is Ju2 Lai2, so-come, he who comes as do all other Buddhas. > >(2) Arbat : worthy of worship. I believe this is Arahat. >(3) Samyak-sambuddha : perfect universal wisdom of Buddha. > I understand Sambuddha - as the Self-enlightened one. One of the most popular Pali chants goes as follows: Namo tassa, Bhagavato, Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa Translation: I bow to thee (Namo tassa), god-like one (Bhagavato), worthy of worship (Arahato), good/great/right (samma), self-enlightened one (Sambuddhassa). This is a lovely chant and has all the sonorous dignity of Sanskrit chants (Pali is pretty close to Sanskrit) - when pronounced right. Another name is Akshobhya Buddha (the Impertubable one). Shanti (Peace), -- Sridhar Pingali