[A Zen Buddhist Sutra Translated by a Christian] お経の英訳

I am not going to discuss anything religious here in this page. I wanted to pick up this Buddhist sutra (scripture) because I am hoping to share some deep & serious Japanese writings with my translation in order to better understand their cultural background. See how different it appears compared to the Western Christianity. - I do not want to think this Eastern stuff and western stuff are just two different things. I want them to be connected in order that they will be one thing or let them coexist. I think it should be a good approach to see the differences in order to make it happen. That's what a bilingual or bicultural individual can pursue in his or her career. I personally feel I do not belong anywhere, but I'm so proud that I am able to stand between one culture and the other. With the globalized economy, the number of people with a bicultural (multi-cultural) background will even increase, and I think such people should be treated more importantly than ever.

To those of you who are interested in Zen, this time's post might be good to read.
This scripture, Shushogi (修証義) was published in 1890 which was intended to offer a simple & authentic digest from “Shobogenzo (正法眼蔵)” written by Dogen (道元: 1200-1253), who is the founder of the Soto sect of Buddhism in 1233. The original writing by Dogen was too huge & profound a masterpiece to be understood by the public, so only the essence was selected and regrouped to make it more familiar. Dogen, as the founder of the Buddhist sect, pursued his way with a Zen approach toward Buddhism, so his writings have a lot to with Zen perceptions. – This time, I have quoted only the first chapter of the sutra. (There are five chapters in total.)

I don’t know how this would work for a better business relationship but I felt this translation is worth trying in order to understand the Japanese of now today. I know most Japanese say they have no religious faith and they don’t even know much of this sutra, but I still think this idea or perception might have had some influence upon the Japanese in general on the deepest level.

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[1] 第一章　総 序　
生を明らめ死を明らむるは仏家一大事の因縁なり、生死の中に仏あれば生死なし、但生死即ち涅槃と心得て、生死として厭ふべきもなく、涅槃として欣ふべきもなし、是時初めて生死を離るる分あり、唯一大事因縁と究尽すべし。

[1] Chapter 1: Introduction
Having a clear understanding about life and death is one great achievement for all Buddhists. If you view the life and death with an eye of Buddha, there is no distinction between these two things. With a tranquil spirit, there is nothing to detest against the life or death. Nor is there any need to long for the tranquility of what death implies. It is at this moment that you will be free from life and death for the first time. So always seek after the chance to make it happen.

[2] 人身 (にんしん)得ること難し、仏法値ふこと希なり、今我等宿善の助くるに依りて、已(おのれ)に受け難き人身を受けたるのみに非らず遇ひ難き仏法に値ひ奉れり、生死の中の善生 (しょう)、最勝の生なるべし、最勝の善身を徒(いたず)らにして露命を無常の風に任すること勿(なか)れ。

[2] It is a rare opportunity to be born as a human, as well as to learn about the teaching of Buddha. Let it be known that encountering with a Buddha’s precept like this comes from your karma, and is a rare opportunity. This should be the greatest encounter you can expect. So you shall not live your life with idleness because a life can be compared to a single drop of dew.

[3] 無常憑 (たの) み難し、知らず露命いかなる道の草にか落ちん、身已に私に非ず、 命は光陰に移されて暫くも停め難し、紅顔いずこへか去りにし、尋ねんとするに蹤跡なし、熟 (つらつら)観ずる所に往事の再び逢うべからざる多し、無常忽ちに到るときは国王大臣親 (じつ) 従僕妻子珍宝たすくる無し、唯独り黄泉に趣くのみなり、己れに随い行くは只是れ善悪業等のみなり。

[3] Everything is transient. We do not know how this single drop of dew will go extinct. Our bodies are not in control of ourselves. The life goes on and will not remain at the same place. It does not even wait for one moment. Power of youth will disappear without a trace. There is nothing you can find, although you try to get your youth back. Ponder, and you will know that you cannot repeat the past. There is nothing to avoid it even if you ask the king, the prime minister, a servant, a housewife, a child or a treasure. You will approach the death with nobody to accompany with you except for your deeds – both good and bad - during the lifetime.

[4] 今の世に因果を知らず業報 (ごっぽう) を明らめず、三世を知らず、善悪を弁 (わき)まえざる邪見の党侶 (ともがら)には群す べからず、大凡因果の道理歴然 (れきねん)として私なし、造悪の者は堕ち修善の者は陞る、 豪釐 (ごうり)もたがわざるなり、若し因果亡じて虚しからんが如きは、諸仏の出世あるべからず、祖師の西来あるべからず。

[4] You shall not get along with wicked people who do not care about what they do and its consequences, or do not believe in the three-phase lives (previous life, present life and next life) without caring about what will be followed by good deeds or bad. Nobody can avoid this law of cause-and-effect. A person of bad deeds will fall, while a person of good deeds will be exalted. Every single hair is counted for this law to be applied. If this law were not true, there should have been no Buddha nature to exist, and Bodhidharma would not have needed to sacrifice himself to bring the teaching of Buddha all the way from India.

[5] 善悪の報に三時あり、一者順現報受(ひとつにはじゅんげんほうじゅ)、ニ者順次生受(ふたつにはじゅんじしょうじゅ) 、三者順後次受(みつにはじゅんごじじゅ、これを三時という、仏祖の道を修習(しゅじゅう)するには、其最初より斯三時の業報(ごっぽう)の理を効(なら)い験(あき)らむるなり、爾あらざれば多く錯りて邪見に堕つるなり、但邪見に堕つるのみに非ず、悪道に堕ちて長時の苦を受く。

[5] There are three patterns for a consequence to be manifested. One is a consequence of your deed that will be manifested in this present life. Two is a consequence of your deed that will be manifested in the next life. Three is a consequence of your deed that will be manifested in the second next life or later. Learning the Buddha’s way is to be enlightened with the rule of these three patterns of manifestations. Without knowing this, many people will be out of the right track. Not only will they be out of the right track, they will fall into a pit of wickedness and suffer a long time.

[6] 当に知るべし今生 (じょう)の我身二つ無し、三つ無し、徒らに邪見に堕ちて虚しく悪業を感得せん、惜しからざらめや、悪を造りながら悪に非ずと思い、悪の報あるべからずと邪思惟するに依りて悪の報を感得せざるには非ず。-- [第一章終わり]

[6] Let it be known that this life cannot be repeated twice or three times. It should be pitied that some have false views to perform evil deeds, thinking that there is nothing bad about it, and let them assume that there will be no pay back from an evil deed. You should learn not to be ignorant of the law followed by an evil deed. -- [The End of Chapter 1]
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Translation

[On Being Humble in Japan] 日本での謙遜とは

I had a conversation with my kid, a 13-year-old American, and she said why her Japanese friend said that way about all that. They are in the same class and are friends each other. I have seen her and her mom once the other day. They were shy people but they were very nice and decent.

But anyways, here's the conversation between the two teenage girls:

My daughter: "It's great you are always taking a highest score at the quiz every time."
Her Japanese friend: "No, I' m not good...!"
My daughter: "Can you tell me how you are studying everyday? Seriously, I am studying too but I don't think I'm getting much better."
Her Japanese friend: "I'm not good, either.... I don't even study at all, you know."
My daughter (In her head): [She is actually very good. Why does she say that...?]

I explained to her it was not because she didn't like you or she was mean, but just because she didn't want to stand out. It's a cultural thing.

I have found an interesting video post on YouTube (I have put it up on the bottom of the post) that is dealing with a similar topic. Look at the place where he's acting two different sets of conversations over their kids. The American parent brags about his kid, while the Japanese says his kid is extremely stupid.

The Japanese have a tendency that they don't want to be distinctly different from others. Even on the Internet, they are extremely negative about showing their names and faces. This is because they have a group-oriented culture. Extending it further, this can create a situation that if there's someone standing out, other people will tell about him or her behind the back. They don't tell it directly to the person who stands out even if there is anything to say. They don't do that because by doing it, he or she will have to stand out and become a target of being told by some others.
They are pretty much sensitive about that ever since they were born. Their "being humble" comes from that cultural background. - And the same thing is true with the case of the conversation between my daughter and her friend.

But it doesn't mean they are always "humble". None of us can stand the situation where we have to deny ourselves for eternity. I hear people bragging about purchasing a very rare baseball player item, or having been to New York or San Francisco to go shopping. - Anyone wants to appear different. That's why people put on nice watches, clothes with cool hair style. They expect others to talk about it behind their back. And this will satisfy their desire of appearing different.

But don't say, "That's a cool watch! Where did you buy it?" They would only say, "I forgot." - They don't like to clarify a thing because it means you will have to stand out. They want to be different but it is not what their community expects them to be. They don't expect others to stand out. - There is always a gap between what they have in their mind and what they say or behave.

On this YouTube video, by the way, he was acting a guy on a job interview, saying he is not good at anything. The Japanese don't do that way. They are taught to be different in that situation. They are taught or trained to "show off what you can do" or "show even bigger than you really are." - This is a moment they will switch to another mode of attitude.

This switch of attitude explains why election campaign cars run with loud voices, yelling, "I am here to ask you for a vote! This is my last day to ask you!" Candidates stand up in front of a station to loudly address their speech: "I'm so sorry to bother you during this busy morning time!! I'm here to ask you for a vote!!" Or if you go out on streets or stores, you will also see shop clerks yelling at passersby. - These are all cultural things and are publicly allowed. That's why they do these unusual things, and they will be switched back to their normal state once they are out of it.

My family and I have discussed this kind of issue all the time. I hope my 13-year-old will learn more and be better than I am. - I remembered as a highschool student I read "The Japanese Today" by Edwin O. Reischauer and I was pretty much impressed by it. I truly wish she might want to read this book when she became a highschool student or something. We might be able to discuss what have been changed about the Japanese, as well as what have been just the same since the time I read this book.

This guy's explanation is really good. I love that. It's even funny.

Translation