Questions tagged [language]
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21
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Which language will get you deeper into Buddhism, Pali or Sanskrit?
I seem to have read that the "original" or "oldest" Tripitaka was written in Pali, but at the same time the Sanskrit language is much older than Pali. How do Sanskrit and Pali ...
- 1,087
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What (spiritual/religious) terms did the Buddha redefine?
It seems a significant and overlooked contribution of the Buddha, his redefining of various terms of his day into definitions more conducive to the ending of greed, ill-will and delusion/ignorance.
...
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Conversational Pali and Sanskrit?
When people speaking different languages came from other lands to meditate, did that ever necessitate speaking the language in which they chanted?
Has there ever been a situation where circumstances ...
- 338
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Should I address myself as I/my or you/your to remind myself of non-self?
A friend asked this mind-bending question on social media:
when you’re talking to yourself in your head (or out loud) do you refer to yourself as we, I, you, or they/she/he/other pronoun?
This got ...
CommunityBot
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14
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Why can't we reason or logic our way to NIrvana?
I have read at various places that Nirvana can't be described or reached by logic or reason. ONLY meditation is the way. Why is that so? thanks in advance.
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Why are Mahayana texts in Sanskrit?
Based on the quote below, it seemed that the Buddha did not allow his teachings to be translated to the royal or priestly language of Sanskrit, that was the liturgical language of Brahmanism, the ...
- 55.2k
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3
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Difference between "perception" and "view"?
What is the difference between view (as in "right view" in the Noble Eightfold Path) and perception (as in the 3rd of the five Skandha's)?
Grateful for help! Peace, Tord
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How can we know the original meaning of a word with certainty?
In a lot of discussions here in B.S.E, the topic of the exact meaning of some terms keeps recurring, and nobody seems to have the last word.
Words such as 'upapajjati', 'paccājāyati', 'abhinibbatti' ...
CommunityBot
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4
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181
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What are the languages associated with each Buddhist school?
Suppose I am really serious about following the path of Vajrayana Buddhism o the point of studying texts in their original and I speak only English. I assume that the best language to learn would be ...
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What did the Buddha say about motivation?
What did the Buddha say about wholesome types of motivation?
Is there a difference in the Pali language between "intention" (as in Right Intention) and "motivation"?
From what I understand Right ...
CommunityBot
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Madhyamaka, Mādhyamaka, Madhyamika, Mādhyamika?
Two spelling/usage questions about two Sanskrit words common in Buddhism.
First, what is the difference between Madhyamaka (ending in "aka") and Madhyamika (ending in "ika"). I have seen that the ...
- 55.2k
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Is it recommended in Buddhism to know people from other nations and learn their languages
In Islamic quran, we Muslims are asked to know people from other nations and following other religions, we are recommended to learn their languages. Allah said: "O Mankind, We have created you from a ...
CommunityBot
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5
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Dhamma Language Learning
Anyone know of any methods of learning languages within a Buddhist setting? Like learning to read and listen to Dhamma talks and suttas or learning conversation with dialogues of a Buddhist nature.
I ...
CommunityBot
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157
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What Pali and English words are translations of the Norwegian words for ‘reality’?
The English word ‘reality’ (from the Latin res, "matter” or “thing") is very misleading and says the opposite of what “reality” actually is. The Latin 'res' is a very deceptive word, it makes you ...
CommunityBot
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2
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Tathā synonymous with Tathātā?
From wiki:
"Tathā means "thus" in Sanskrit and Pali, and Buddhist thought takes this to refer to what is called "reality as-it-is" (yathābhūta). This reality is also referred to as "thusness" or "...
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Can one get into the heart of Zen Buddhism without Chinese?
Do we know any Zen teachers/masters that do not have Chinese origins and do not speak Chinese? For example English?
P.S. I know that such type of logical questions are taken humorously in the zen ...
- 161
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Do Chinese-language publications about Zen Buddhism usually use Simplified or Traditional Chinese?
Is most of the Chinese content (books or articles) about Zen Buddhism, available on the internet, written in simplified or traditional Chinese?
And of course, now and then we want to buy printed ...
- 43.1k
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5
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192
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Why talk and think about self as noun?
We always talk and think about self as a noun. When reading Buddhist philosophy, I have never seen exceptions to this. Both "common sense looking" and "metaphysical looking" is looking for the self.
...
CommunityBot
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How does Buddhism perceive swearing or vulgarities?
Swearing and the use of everyday vulgarity is often part of a conversation whether it be in jest or seriousness e.g. confrontation, frustration,etc
How is swearing or the use of vulgarities perceived ...
- 43.1k
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Does sutta recitation actually entail understanding of the text?
I'm particularly interested in
Chinese morning and evening service
Tibetan sadhanas that a monk recites every day
Theravada Pali suttas and chants
Are these read in modern times by and to an ...
CommunityBot
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prajna vs jnana across schools
Can anyone explain the difference between the terms prajna and jnana and how they differ between schools? I learnt for several years with a chinese tradition, where we were taught that prajna is ...
- 55.2k