Unit One

Introduction

The Buddha

Buddha or Enlightened One—lit. Knower or Awakened One—is the honorific name given to the Indian Sage, Gotama, who discovered and proclaimed to the world the Law of Deliverance, known to the West by the name of Buddhism.

He was born in the 6th century B.C., at Kapilavatthu, as the son of the king who ruled the Sakya country, a principality situated in the border area of modern Nepal. His personal name was Siddhattha, and his clan name Gotama (Sanskrit:Gautama). In his 29th year he renounced the splendor of his princely life and his royal career, and became a homeless ascetic in order to find a way out of what he had early recognized as a world of suffering. After a six-year's quest, spent under various religious teachers and in a period of fruitless self-mortification, he finally attained to Perfect Enlightenment (sammā-sambodhi), under the Bodhi tree at Gayā (today Buddh-Gayā). Five and forty years of tireless preaching and teaching followed and at last, in his 80th year, there passed away at Kusinārā that ‘undeluded being that appeared for the blessing and happiness of the world.’

The Buddha is neither a god nor a prophet or incarnation of a god, but a supreme human being who, through his own effort, attained to Final Deliverance and Perfect Wisdom, and became ‘the peerless teacher of gods and men.' He is a‘Saviour' only in the sense that he shows men how to save themselves, by actually following to the end the Path trodden and shown by him. In the consummate harmony of Wisdom and Compassion attained by the Buddha, he embodies the universal and timeless ideal of Man Perfected.

The Dhamma

The Dhamma is the Teaching of Deliverance in its entirety, as discovered, realized and proclaimed by the Buddha. It has been handed down in the ancient Pali language, and preserved in three great collections of books, called Ti-Piṭaka, the “Three Baskets, ” namely: (Ⅰ) the Vinaya-Piṭaka, or Collection of Discipline, containing the rules of the monastic order; (Ⅱ) the Sutta-Piṭaka, or Collection of Discourses, consisting of various books of discourses, dialogues, verses, stories, etc. and dealings with the doctrine proper as summarized in the Four Noble Truths; (Ⅲ) the Abhidhamma-Piṭṇaka, or Philosophical Collection; presenting the teachings of the Sutta- Piṭaka in strictly systematic and philosophical form.

The Dhamma is not a doctrine of revelation, but the teaching of Enlightenment based on the clear comprehension of actuality. It is the teaching of the Fourfold Truth dealing with the fundamental facts of life and with liberation attainable through man's own effort towards purification and insight. The Dhamma offers a lofty, but realistic, system of ethics, a penetrative analysis of life, a profound philosophy, practical methods of mind training-in brief, an all-comprehensive and perfect guidance on the Path to Deliverance. By answering the claims of both heart and reason, and by pointing out the liberating Middle Path that leads beyond all futile and destructive extremes in thought and conduct, the Dhamma has, and will always have, a timeless and universal appeal wherever there are hearts and minds mature enough to appreciate its message.

The Sangha

The Sangha—lit. the Assembly, or community—is the Order of Bhikkhus or Mendicant Monks, founded by the Buddha and still existing in its original form in Burma, Siam, Ceylon, Cambodia, Laos and Chittagong (Bengal). It is, together with the Order of the Jain monks, the oldest monastic order in the world. Amongst the most famous disciples in the time of the Buddha were: Sāriputta who, after the Master himself, possessed the profoundest insight into the Dhamma; Moggallāna, who had the greatest supernatural powers: Ananda, the devoted disciple and constant companion of the Buddha; Mahā-Kassapa, the President of the Council held at Rājagaha immediately after the Buddha's death; Anuruddha, of divine vision, and master of Right Mindfulness; Rāhula, the Buddha's own son.

The Sangha provides the outer framework and the favorable conditions for all those who earnestly desire to devote their life entirely to the realization of the highest goal of deliverance, unhindered by worldly distractions. Thus the Sangha, too, is of universal and timeless significance wherever religious development reaches maturity.

The Threefold Refuge

The Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, are called ‘The Three Jewels' (ti-ratana) on account of their matchless purity, and as being to the Buddhist the most precious objects in the world. These ‘Three Jewels' form also the ‘Threefold Refuge' (ti-saraṇa) of the Buddhist, in the words by which he professes, or re-affirms, his acceptance of them as the guides of his life and thought.

The Pali formula of Refuge is still the same as in the Buddha's time:

Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi

Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

It is through the simple act of reciting this formula three times that one declares oneself a Buddhist. (At the second and third repetition the word Dutiyampi or Tatiyampi, ‘for the second/third time, ' are added before each sentence.)

The Five Precepts

After the formula of the Threefold Refuge follows usually the acceptance of the Five Moral Precepts (pañca-sila). Their observance is the minimum standard needed to form the basis of a decent life and of further progress towards Deliverance.

l.Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī-sikkhāpadaṃsamādiyāmi.

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from killing living beings.

2.Adinnādāna veramaṇī-sikkhāpadaṃsamādiyāmi.

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from taking things not given.

3.Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī-sikkhāpadaṃsamādiyāmi.

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.

4.Musāvādā veramaṇī-sikkhāpadaṃsamādiyāmi.

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from false speech.

5.Surāmeraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhā veramaṇī-sikkhāpadaṃsamādiyāmi.

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.

New Words and Expressions

abstain(from)/əbˈsteɪn/vi. 戒绝；戒除

actuality / ˌæktʃuˈælətɪ / n. 现实；事实

Ananda / n. 阿难陀

Anuruddha / n. 阿那律

ascetic / əˈsetɪk / n.苦行者；禁欲者

adj.苦行的；禁欲主义的

assembly / əˈsemblɪ / n. 集会；集合

attain(to)/əˈteɪn/vt./vi. 证得

Awakened One 觉者；佛陀

Bengal / benˈgɔːl, beŋ-, ˈbengəl, ˈbeŋ- / n. 孟加拉

Bhikkhu / n. 比丘

bodhi tree / n. 菩提树

Buddha / ˈbʊdə / n. 佛陀；佛像

Buddhism / ˈbʊdɪzəm / n. 佛教

Buddhist / ˈbʊdɪst / n.佛弟子；佛教徒

adj.佛教的；佛陀的

Burma / ˈbəːmə / n. 缅甸

Cambodia / kæmˈbəʊdɪə / n. 柬埔寨

Ceylon / siˈlɔn / n. 锡兰（斯里兰卡Srilanka）

Chittagong / ˈtʃitəɡɔŋ / n. 吉大港

clan / klæn / n. 宗族；部落；集团

Collection of Discipline 律藏

Collection of Discourses 经藏

community / kəˈmjuːnətɪ / n. 团体

companion / kəmˈpænɪən / n. 侍者；同伴

compassion / kəmˈpæʃn / n. 悲；悯

deliverance / dɪˈlɪvərəns / n. 解脱

disciple / dɪˈsaɪpl / n. 弟子；佛弟子

discipline / ˈdɪsəplɪn / n. 戒律；律仪

discourses, dialogues, verses, stories / n. 论述，对话，偈颂，故事

doctrine / ˈdɒktrɪn / n. 教义

Enlightened One 觉者

enlightenment / ɪnˈlaɪtnmənt / n. 觉；悟

extreme / ɪkˈstriːm / n. 边；极端

false speech 妄语

Final Deliverance 最终的解脱

Four Noble Truths 四圣谛

Gotama / n. 乔达摩（释迦牟尼的俗姓）

harmony / ˈhɑːmənɪ / n. 圆融；和谐

heedlessness / hiːdlisnis / n. 放逸

incarnation / ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃn / n. 化身

intoxicating/ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪtɪŋ/adj. 醉人的

Kapilavatthu / n. 迦毗罗卫城

killing living beings 杀生

Kusinara / n. 拘尸那罗

Laos / laʊs / n. 老挝

Law of Deliverance 解脱道（法）

liberation / ˌlɪbəˈreɪʃn / n. 解脱

Mahā-Kassapa / n. 大迦叶

mendicant/ˈmendɪkənt/adj.乞讨的；托钵僧的

n.托钵者；出家人

mind / maɪnd / n. 心；意

mindfulness / ˈmaɪndfulnɪs / n. 念；留心；专注

misconduct / ˌmɪsˈkɒndʌkt / n. 不善行；不当行为

Moggallana / n. 目犍连

monastic/məˈnæstɪk/adj. 寺院的；修道院的

Monastic Order 僧伽；僧团

mortification / ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn / n. 苦行

Nepal / nəˈpɔːl / n. 尼泊尔

observe the precept 守戒

perception / pəˈsepʃn / n. 想

Perfect Enlightenment 正觉

Perfect Wisdom 无上智；圆满的智慧

Philosophical Collection 论藏

purification / ˌpjʊərɪfɪˈkeɪʃn / n. 清净；止

purity / ˈpjʊərətɪ / n. 清净；寂静

Rahula / n. 罗睺罗

Rajagaha / n. 王舍城

realization / ˌriːəlaɪˈzeɪʃn / n. 证悟；悟道

renounce/rɪˈnaʊns/vt. 出离；放弃

Right Mindfulness 正念

sage / seɪdʒ / n. 圣者

Sakya / ˈsɑːkjə / n. 释迦族

Sangha / ˈsæŋɡə / n. 僧伽

Sanskrit / ˈsænskrɪt / n.梵文

adj.梵文的

saviour / ˈseɪvjə(r) / n. 救世主

self-mortification 自我苦修

sexual misconduct 邪淫

Siam / ˈsaiæm, saiˈæm / n. 暹罗（泰国）

Siddhattha / n. 悉达多

suffering / ˈsʌfərɪŋ / n. 苦

supernatural powers 神通

taking things not given 不与取

the Dhamma / n. 佛法

the Five (Moral) Precepts 五戒

the Knower 觉者

Three Baskets 三藏

Three Jewels 三宝

Threefold Refuge 三皈依

wisdom / ˈwɪzdəm / n. 智慧；慧

Grammar

1．名词：

A．需要大写的名词：佛陀的尊号，佛教特有的基本概念，专有术语。如：Buddhism（佛教）, Noble Truth（圣谛）, Dhamma （法）, Sangha （僧伽）等都要大写。

B．不必大写的名词：一般名词（略）

2．冠词：

A．定冠词：

表示唯一，或特指：The Buddha, The Four Noble Truths。

由普通名词构成的佛教基本概念词组一般要加定冠词：

The Five Groups of Existence（五蕴）

The Perfect One （如来）

The Four Absorptions（四禅定）

The Path to Deliverance （解脱之道）

B．不定冠词：这些词一般不是佛教特有的概念。

Everything is without a“ Self ”.

All dhammas lack an Ego. （诸法无我）

C．零冠词：Man Perfected

佛教特有的概念（类似专有名词）：

Nibbana（涅槃）, Vipassana （观）, Absorptions（禅定）, Suffering （苦）

注意：这种用法一般要大写。

另外，当名词前有其他限定词时，如“some, any, every, each, such, either”等，冠词的使用往往受到限制，如：

All Buddhas of the three periods of time.（三世诸佛）

可以说“all the Buddhas”，不可以说“every the Buddha”，或“each the Buddha”。另一方面，却可以说“such a Buddha”。

限定词的组合，排列顺序也是有规律的。可参考以下网页：

http://baike.baidu.com/link? url=XItqKz-l9JJuB8XbyzjMhm5kx7OOl HyIx74eGNKZ5OXJ-xtUZrklKKs9dKpVqbWp

佛教名词及其冠词（包括零冠词）的用法，虽有规律可循，但语言是约定俗成的，文无定法，一切规则皆有例外，一切皆取决于具体语境。这些都需要在学习和翻译实践中自己留意，总结。

Exercises

l. Outline the major events in the Buddha's life. (In a chronological order)

2. Which of the following words best describe(s) the Buddha? Why?

A. god

B. prophet

C. savior

D. man perfected

3. Is dhamma “a doctrine of revelation”? If yes, why? If no, why not?

4. Explain the words “mature” and “maturity” in the text.

Is the maturity of mind related to the maturity in religious development? If yes, how?