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I found "The Blessed One" in English translation of Suttas. Because in Buddhism blessing is not legit/proper word to use to anyone, especially Buddha need not to be blessed, is it loosely translated or in purpose? I didn't see any part of Sutta that one can be blessed or a meaning that blessing can be done so far. What should be proper translation of "The Blessed One" in Sutta if it is bad translation?

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A couple of dictionary translations:

  • Bhagavā: venerable, fortunate, blessed, sublime. Generally designates the Buddha.

  • Bhagavant (adj. n.) [cp. Vedic bhagavant, fr. bhaga] fortunate, illustrious, sublime, as Ep. and title "Lord." Thus applied to the Buddha (amhākaŋ Bh.) and his predecessors. Occurs with extreme frequency; of fanciful exegetic explns of the term & its meaning we mention e. g. those at Nd1 142=Nd2 466; Vism 210 sq.; DA i.33 sq. Usual trs. Blessed One, Exalted One.

Also, perhaps as an etymology:

  • Bhaga [Vedic bhaga, bhaj, see bhagavant etc.] luck, lot, fortune, only in cpd. dub˚ (adj.) unhappy, unpleasant, uncomfortable It 90; DA i.96 (˚karaṇa). -- bhaga (in verse "bhagehi ca vibhattavā" in exegesis of word "Bhagava") at DA i.34 read bhava, as read at id. p. Vism 210.


Here are some definitions of "blessed" from an American dictionary (perhaps Protestant culture):

Simple Definition of blessed
: having a sacred nature : connected with God
: very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated

Full Definition of blessed

  1. a : held in reverence : venerated
    b : honored in worship : hallowed
    c : beatific
  2. : of or enjoying happiness; specifically : enjoying the bliss of heaven —used as a title for a beatified person
  3. : bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune

I think you might see that many of these definitions are suitable.

You're right that it's probably not blessed in a Catholic sense, i.e. sanctified via the agency of a priest.

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The word is 'bhagava', from 'bhaga'.

You may prefer 'Fortunate One' if you believe 'blessings' can only be given by a person or a god.

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Yeah; in the original text of The Bible (when Jesus is giving The Beatitudes, saying "Blessed are the 'this' & Blessed are the 'that"), the word they translated "Blessed" actually means something more like 'deliriously, abundantly joyfully-happy.'

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Well the term is translated as The World Honored One in Chinese

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  • Wikipedia says, The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Lokanatha) or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Bhagavan). "World Honored" is presumably Lokanatha rather than Bhagavan; I'm don't know why they're listed together. The root Loka means "world" or something like that.
    – ChrisW
    Nov 19, 2016 at 11:07
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The Chinese name for "Buddha" is ”世尊", which means “The Respected One”。 “One” is with relation to the "法界", or "The Dharma Realm" in English or scientifically speaking, “The Universe”

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