Did Chinese Buddhists translate the old formula ‘him I call a Brahmin’? The reconstruction of Buddhism as the path of nirvāṇa in Early Chinese translations
Abstract
At first, Chinese translators lacked a unified criterion for interpreting Buddhist scriptures. They employed various phonetic transliterations and gradually adopted etymological approaches as their understanding developed. This study analyzes the Chinese translations of the oldest stratum of Pāli scriptures, focusing on the formula 'him I call a Brahmin', attributed in the Canon as the words of the Buddha. This formula has been preserved in Chinese Buddhist scriptures as well. However, Chinese translators did not always translate the formula literally. Their goal was to persuade Chinese readers that they were knowledgeable about the path of nirvāṇa.
Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Estudios de Traducción is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
