1 00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:01,758 After the White Horse carried the scriptures east 2 00:00:01,780 --> 00:00:03,959 The Chinese language underwent major surgery 3 00:00:04,419 --> 00:00:05,578 The people who performed it 4 00:00:05,900 --> 00:00:07,359 Were half foreigners 5 00:00:07,740 --> 00:00:08,538 Their names 6 00:00:08,820 --> 00:00:10,718 Are probably all unfamiliar to you 7 00:00:11,099 --> 00:00:14,047 Let us start with the story you have certainly heard 8 00:00:14,348 --> 00:00:15,627 During the Yongping era of the Eastern Han 9 00:00:15,988 --> 00:00:17,407 Emperor Ming had a dream 10 00:00:17,748 --> 00:00:18,668 A golden figure appeared in it 11 00:00:19,029 --> 00:00:19,867 With light shining above his head 12 00:00:20,148 --> 00:00:21,207 Flying before the palace 13 00:00:21,468 --> 00:00:22,747 The next day he asked his ministers 14 00:00:23,069 --> 00:00:23,968 What was that 15 00:00:24,308 --> 00:00:24,788 Someone said 16 00:00:25,189 --> 00:00:25,988 There is a deity in the West 17 00:00:26,308 --> 00:00:27,087 Called the Buddha 18 00:00:27,468 --> 00:00:30,207 So the emperor sent envoys west to seek his teachings 19 00:00:30,588 --> 00:00:33,288 On the road they met two Indian monks 20 00:00:33,389 --> 00:00:35,867 Carrying scriptures and Buddhist images on white horses 21 00:00:35,868 --> 00:00:36,888 They returned to Luoyang 22 00:00:37,269 --> 00:00:38,907 And the court built them a monastery 23 00:00:39,228 --> 00:00:40,838 Called White Horse Monastery 24 00:00:41,259 --> 00:00:42,878 The story is too perfect 25 00:00:43,098 --> 00:00:45,357 So perfect you can hardly bear to investigate it 26 00:00:45,858 --> 00:00:46,497 But once you do 27 00:00:46,979 --> 00:00:48,878 Several glaring problems appear 28 00:00:49,259 --> 00:00:50,658 The names of those two monks 29 00:00:50,979 --> 00:00:52,477 Kashyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna 30 00:00:52,579 --> 00:00:56,238 Appear only in the early sixth century work Records of the Three Treasures 31 00:00:56,579 --> 00:00:58,018 In all earlier records 32 00:00:58,019 --> 00:00:59,477 They had no names 33 00:00:59,858 --> 00:01:01,098 The name White Horse Monastery 34 00:01:01,458 --> 00:01:03,037 First appears in surviving sources 35 00:01:03,058 --> 00:01:05,517 In a colophon to a translation by Dharmaraksha of the Western Jin 36 00:01:05,859 --> 00:01:06,497 In other words 37 00:01:06,859 --> 00:01:07,797 From that dream 38 00:01:07,818 --> 00:01:09,678 To those names appearing on paper 39 00:01:09,818 --> 00:01:11,558 More than four centuries passed 40 00:01:12,139 --> 00:01:14,398 Scholars have long divided into two camps 41 00:01:15,219 --> 00:01:16,577 Tang Yongtong believed 42 00:01:16,579 --> 00:01:18,717 The legend reflected real history 43 00:01:18,939 --> 00:01:21,758 Liang Qichao and some Western and Japanese scholars 44 00:01:21,779 --> 00:01:24,058 Believed it was invented later 45 00:01:24,059 --> 00:01:26,446 There is still no verdict today 46 00:01:26,708 --> 00:01:28,127 I do not want to judge the case here 47 00:01:28,547 --> 00:01:30,786 Because more important than who arrived first 48 00:01:30,788 --> 00:01:31,926 Is another question 49 00:01:32,387 --> 00:01:33,107 Once they arrived 50 00:01:33,628 --> 00:01:34,107 How could they explain it 51 00:01:34,808 --> 00:01:35,127 Hello 52 00:01:35,368 --> 00:01:35,808 Everyone 53 00:01:36,008 --> 00:01:37,028 I am Leo Wang 54 00:01:37,168 --> 00:01:39,108 Last time we ended in India 55 00:01:39,209 --> 00:01:40,707 At the close of Act Three 56 00:01:40,769 --> 00:01:42,608 Mahayana Buddhism in its homeland 57 00:01:42,609 --> 00:01:44,287 Had completed the journey from deconstruction to construction 58 00:01:44,569 --> 00:01:46,427 And from construction to synthesis 59 00:01:46,648 --> 00:01:50,427 Prajna Madhyamaka Yogacara the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra 60 00:01:50,448 --> 00:01:52,147 Each was grander than the last 61 00:01:52,329 --> 00:01:53,007 But all of it 62 00:01:53,168 --> 00:01:54,707 Was spoken in Sanskrit 63 00:01:54,769 --> 00:01:56,407 Now it was coming here 64 00:01:56,409 --> 00:01:57,328 Across deserts 65 00:01:57,569 --> 00:01:58,608 Over snowcapped mountains 66 00:01:58,609 --> 00:02:02,668 Into a world of square characters ancestor worship and Laozi and Zhuangzi 67 00:02:02,769 --> 00:02:04,094 Act Four begins 68 00:02:04,475 --> 00:02:06,495 Let me ask you to try a small experiment 69 00:02:06,915 --> 00:02:09,614 Imagine returning to second century Luoyang 70 00:02:09,956 --> 00:02:13,214 Before you sits a scholar raised on the Classic of Filial Piety 71 00:02:13,636 --> 00:02:16,415 You must explain the words no self to him 72 00:02:16,636 --> 00:02:17,195 How would you do it 73 00:02:18,036 --> 00:02:19,574 Chinese had no such term 74 00:02:19,875 --> 00:02:21,114 Not merely no equivalent term 75 00:02:21,435 --> 00:02:22,815 It had no such idea 76 00:02:23,196 --> 00:02:24,394 Chinese people spoke of self cultivation 77 00:02:24,756 --> 00:02:25,774 And self restraint 78 00:02:25,956 --> 00:02:29,435 Confucius said no speculation no certainty no rigidity and no ego 79 00:02:29,835 --> 00:02:31,014 That sounds very similar 80 00:02:31,395 --> 00:02:33,494 But at least in the Analects itself 81 00:02:33,595 --> 00:02:36,415 It means do not speculate or be arbitrary 82 00:02:36,435 --> 00:02:38,774 Do not be stubborn or self important 83 00:02:38,916 --> 00:02:40,774 It does not mean there is no self 84 00:02:41,516 --> 00:02:42,875 Across all pre Qin thought 85 00:02:43,115 --> 00:02:44,394 There was nowhere 86 00:02:44,395 --> 00:02:48,135 To place the claim that no fixed self exists at all 87 00:02:48,555 --> 00:02:49,774 Dependent origination was the same 88 00:02:50,236 --> 00:02:51,415 So was nirvana 89 00:02:51,835 --> 00:02:52,975 And prajna even more so 90 00:02:53,395 --> 00:02:55,255 So the first scripture translators 91 00:02:55,316 --> 00:02:57,494 Faced more than a translation problem 92 00:02:57,956 --> 00:03:00,161 Chinese was missing the parts 93 00:03:00,542 --> 00:03:01,701 In the year 148 94 00:03:02,021 --> 00:03:03,840 A foreigner entered Luoyang 95 00:03:04,102 --> 00:03:04,821 According to historical biographies 96 00:03:05,061 --> 00:03:06,821 He was a prince of Parthia 97 00:03:06,822 --> 00:03:09,041 An ancient kingdom around modern Iran 98 00:03:09,422 --> 00:03:11,560 After his father died he should have inherited the throne 99 00:03:11,621 --> 00:03:13,300 But he yielded it to his uncle 100 00:03:13,302 --> 00:03:14,560 And became a monk 101 00:03:15,102 --> 00:03:18,120 That story comes from biographies like the Biographies of Eminent Monks 102 00:03:18,142 --> 00:03:19,881 Let us set its reliability aside 103 00:03:20,102 --> 00:03:20,981 What we know for certain 104 00:03:21,221 --> 00:03:22,640 Is when he reached Luoyang 105 00:03:22,662 --> 00:03:24,721 The second year of Jianhe under Emperor Huan 106 00:03:25,181 --> 00:03:26,481 His name was An Shigao 107 00:03:27,061 --> 00:03:27,460 His surname An 108 00:03:27,741 --> 00:03:29,417 Came from Parthia 109 00:03:29,837 --> 00:03:31,436 He stayed in China for over twenty years 110 00:03:31,758 --> 00:03:32,936 And translated many scriptures 111 00:03:33,198 --> 00:03:35,137 What is interesting is what he translated 112 00:03:35,198 --> 00:03:37,157 The Sutra on Mindfulness of Breathing and the Sutra on the Aggregates Elements and Sense Bases 113 00:03:37,518 --> 00:03:39,697 All were early Buddhist teachings on meditation and analysis 114 00:03:39,837 --> 00:03:40,597 Mindfulness of breathing 115 00:03:40,918 --> 00:03:43,176 Means keeping the mind on the breath 116 00:03:43,358 --> 00:03:45,496 The first step is counting breaths 117 00:03:45,597 --> 00:03:47,236 One inhale and exhale count as one 118 00:03:47,678 --> 00:03:48,977 You count silently 119 00:03:48,997 --> 00:03:50,236 From one to ten 120 00:03:50,518 --> 00:03:51,577 Then start again 121 00:03:51,717 --> 00:03:56,216 After counting come following stopping observing returning and purification 122 00:03:56,238 --> 00:03:59,056 But the door opens by counting breaths 123 00:03:59,358 --> 00:04:02,016 A man holding the whole Buddhist inheritance 124 00:04:02,117 --> 00:04:03,157 Spoke for the first time 125 00:04:03,157 --> 00:04:04,577 About counting breaths 126 00:04:05,613 --> 00:04:07,912 I have always thought that was very clever 127 00:04:08,293 --> 00:04:10,751 Because a method needs no worldview to support it 128 00:04:11,173 --> 00:04:12,651 You do not need to accept no self first 129 00:04:13,092 --> 00:04:14,392 Or accept rebirth first 130 00:04:14,453 --> 00:04:16,192 Before you can sit down and count breaths 131 00:04:16,652 --> 00:04:17,991 Counting breaths 132 00:04:18,092 --> 00:04:20,751 Was something a reader of the Classic of Filial Piety could try at once 133 00:04:21,492 --> 00:04:22,051 He tried it 134 00:04:22,292 --> 00:04:23,172 It helped a little 135 00:04:23,172 --> 00:04:24,672 So he became willing to hear the next sentence 136 00:04:24,933 --> 00:04:26,131 Was that a missionary strategy 137 00:04:26,652 --> 00:04:27,472 Perhaps 138 00:04:27,693 --> 00:04:30,152 But I prefer to see it as a kind of honesty 139 00:04:30,573 --> 00:04:33,792 An Shigao knew his teachings were far too unfamiliar 140 00:04:33,933 --> 00:04:36,672 So he offered them from the most familiar end 141 00:04:36,933 --> 00:04:37,691 Method first 142 00:04:37,933 --> 00:04:39,594 Principles later 143 00:04:39,896 --> 00:04:41,834 Thirty years after An Shigao reached Luoyang 144 00:04:41,896 --> 00:04:44,175 Another foreigner in the same city 145 00:04:44,175 --> 00:04:45,795 Did exactly the opposite 146 00:04:46,175 --> 00:04:47,214 He was Lokaksema 147 00:04:47,656 --> 00:04:49,115 Usually called Zhi Chen in Chinese 148 00:04:49,536 --> 00:04:50,014 His surname Zhi 149 00:04:50,336 --> 00:04:51,514 Came from the Yuezhi 150 00:04:51,695 --> 00:04:54,194 A people then active in Central Asia 151 00:04:54,656 --> 00:04:55,975 In the year 179 152 00:04:55,976 --> 00:04:57,534 He translated the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines 153 00:04:58,295 --> 00:04:59,654 Why did this scripture matter 154 00:05:00,055 --> 00:05:04,115 It brought the emptiness of prajna into Chinese in relatively complete form for the first time 155 00:05:04,295 --> 00:05:04,935 Before it 156 00:05:05,295 --> 00:05:06,795 What Chinese people heard of Buddhism 157 00:05:06,815 --> 00:05:09,795 Was mostly meditation discipline and karmic retribution 158 00:05:09,976 --> 00:05:12,014 But this Perfection of Wisdom scripture taught 159 00:05:12,016 --> 00:05:15,555 That no phenomenon has an independent unchanging core 160 00:05:16,336 --> 00:05:17,475 Incidentally 161 00:05:17,536 --> 00:05:20,295 Lokaksema did not bring the original text 162 00:05:20,295 --> 00:05:23,235 Another monk named Zhu Foshuo brought it 163 00:05:23,295 --> 00:05:24,954 Lokaksema interpreted it orally 164 00:05:25,175 --> 00:05:28,452 Scripture translation was never a one man job 165 00:05:28,752 --> 00:05:30,012 Now came the problem 166 00:05:30,072 --> 00:05:32,531 How do you translate an entire system 167 00:05:32,622 --> 00:05:33,111 That Chinese had never contained 168 00:05:33,872 --> 00:05:35,452 Lokaksemas answer was to coin terms 169 00:05:35,712 --> 00:05:37,031 One core concept 170 00:05:37,033 --> 00:05:38,711 Meant the way things truly are 171 00:05:39,233 --> 00:05:41,351 Xuanzang later standardized it as suchness 172 00:05:42,113 --> 00:05:44,531 Lokaksema rendered it with two other Chinese characters 173 00:05:44,742 --> 00:05:45,541 Original nonbeing 174 00:05:46,033 --> 00:05:47,372 Listen to those words 175 00:05:47,553 --> 00:05:48,692 Originally nothing 176 00:05:48,872 --> 00:05:50,372 That was no random choice 177 00:05:50,632 --> 00:05:51,752 Chinese readers knew the Laozi 178 00:05:52,272 --> 00:05:53,932 All things under heaven are born from being 179 00:05:53,993 --> 00:05:54,791 Being is born from nonbeing 180 00:05:55,353 --> 00:05:56,072 The word nonbeing 181 00:05:56,473 --> 00:05:58,452 Already had a socket in educated minds 182 00:05:58,512 --> 00:05:59,932 Long before then 183 00:06:00,312 --> 00:06:02,851 Lokaksema took one of Buddhisms strangest ideas 184 00:06:02,913 --> 00:06:05,731 And plugged it into the socket Chinese readers knew best 185 00:06:05,952 --> 00:06:07,332 The current flowed at once 186 00:06:08,072 --> 00:06:09,351 A scholar saw original nonbeing 187 00:06:09,553 --> 00:06:10,572 And his eyes lit up 188 00:06:10,593 --> 00:06:11,392 I understand he said 189 00:06:11,793 --> 00:06:14,406 This is the same as what Laozi taught 190 00:06:14,947 --> 00:06:15,466 The problem was 191 00:06:15,747 --> 00:06:16,526 It was not 192 00:06:17,026 --> 00:06:17,706 Nonbeing in the Laozi 193 00:06:18,067 --> 00:06:20,745 In the conventional reading is the source of all things 194 00:06:20,747 --> 00:06:22,605 The thing that gives rise to being 195 00:06:23,146 --> 00:06:25,586 But what this Buddhist line calls the way things truly are 196 00:06:25,867 --> 00:06:30,026 Means precisely that no phenomenon has an independent unchanging core 197 00:06:30,026 --> 00:06:31,646 And there is no ultimate source 198 00:06:31,947 --> 00:06:33,985 One seeks a starting point for the world 199 00:06:33,987 --> 00:06:36,125 The other dismantles every starting point 200 00:06:36,187 --> 00:06:37,646 They point in opposite directions 201 00:06:37,987 --> 00:06:40,925 And this translation later grew branches of its own 202 00:06:41,187 --> 00:06:42,266 During the Northern and Southern Dynasties 203 00:06:42,266 --> 00:06:45,285 One school used the term original nonbeing to explain emptiness 204 00:06:45,386 --> 00:06:47,326 Later called the School of Original Nonbeing 205 00:06:47,747 --> 00:06:49,326 A single translation choice 206 00:06:49,346 --> 00:06:51,735 Eventually became a school of thought 207 00:06:51,916 --> 00:06:53,076 In my years as an investor 208 00:06:53,356 --> 00:06:55,136 I have seen this happen too many times 209 00:06:55,317 --> 00:06:57,435 You explain a brand new business model 210 00:06:57,437 --> 00:06:58,836 And the other person nods eagerly 211 00:06:59,156 --> 00:07:00,375 Saying yes I get it 212 00:07:00,396 --> 00:07:02,375 Is that not just what so and so did 213 00:07:02,796 --> 00:07:03,435 What he understands 214 00:07:03,796 --> 00:07:06,216 Is what was already in his head 215 00:07:06,637 --> 00:07:07,776 Your new idea 216 00:07:07,836 --> 00:07:10,055 Slides right past his ears 217 00:07:10,596 --> 00:07:12,355 So the essence of translation 218 00:07:12,356 --> 00:07:13,935 Is not finding a matching word 219 00:07:14,476 --> 00:07:16,935 It is finding a socket in the other persons mind 220 00:07:17,437 --> 00:07:18,036 Plug it in correctly 221 00:07:18,356 --> 00:07:19,295 And the light comes on 222 00:07:19,637 --> 00:07:20,315 Plug it in wrong 223 00:07:20,637 --> 00:07:21,855 And the appliance burns out 224 00:07:22,356 --> 00:07:23,276 More troublesome still 225 00:07:23,596 --> 00:07:25,656 Even the wrong socket may light the lamp 226 00:07:25,997 --> 00:07:27,343 And you cannot tell anything is wrong 227 00:07:27,764 --> 00:07:28,444 There was another path 228 00:07:28,804 --> 00:07:29,903 Simply do not translate 229 00:07:30,205 --> 00:07:30,884 When you read Buddhist scriptures 230 00:07:31,165 --> 00:07:32,864 You meet a pile of unfamiliar terms 231 00:07:33,324 --> 00:07:38,104 Prajna bodhi nirvana anuttara samyak sambodhi 232 00:07:38,244 --> 00:07:39,244 All are transliterations 233 00:07:39,645 --> 00:07:41,163 They imitate the Sanskrit sounds 234 00:07:41,165 --> 00:07:42,583 By forcing Chinese characters together 235 00:07:42,845 --> 00:07:43,604 Why leave them untranslated 236 00:07:44,244 --> 00:07:45,263 Take prajna 237 00:07:45,564 --> 00:07:46,684 Translate it as wisdom 238 00:07:46,965 --> 00:07:48,343 And Chinese readers understand at once 239 00:07:48,605 --> 00:07:50,544 But they understand something else 240 00:07:50,884 --> 00:07:52,083 Wisdom in Chinese 241 00:07:52,085 --> 00:07:54,944 Means being smart knowledgeable and capable 242 00:07:55,124 --> 00:07:56,463 Prajna means 243 00:07:56,485 --> 00:07:59,624 The insight that sees all phenomena as lacking inherent nature 244 00:07:59,804 --> 00:08:01,864 These are not on the same level 245 00:08:02,124 --> 00:08:04,064 It is not that wisdom is a bad word 246 00:08:04,924 --> 00:08:07,263 It is already full of meaning in Chinese 247 00:08:07,444 --> 00:08:09,504 You cannot stuff an entirely new meaning into it 248 00:08:09,605 --> 00:08:10,544 It simply will not fit 249 00:08:10,965 --> 00:08:11,804 Translate it as wisdom 250 00:08:12,004 --> 00:08:12,763 And the reader understands 251 00:08:13,004 --> 00:08:14,184 But understands wrongly 252 00:08:14,405 --> 00:08:14,804 Leave it untranslated 253 00:08:15,124 --> 00:08:15,843 And the reader does not understand 254 00:08:16,244 --> 00:08:17,744 But knows that he does not understand 255 00:08:18,085 --> 00:08:18,444 Not understanding 256 00:08:18,764 --> 00:08:20,287 Is better than misunderstanding 257 00:08:20,669 --> 00:08:23,147 Later generations attributed this principle to Xuanzang 258 00:08:23,149 --> 00:08:24,188 Calling it the five cases not to translate 259 00:08:24,868 --> 00:08:25,787 But one caveat is needed 260 00:08:26,068 --> 00:08:27,827 The earliest complete record of those five rules 261 00:08:27,828 --> 00:08:31,568 Appears only in Fayuns Southern Song Collection of Names and Meanings in Translation 262 00:08:31,789 --> 00:08:33,267 Whether Xuanzang himself formulated them 263 00:08:33,589 --> 00:08:34,887 Remains uncertain among scholars 264 00:08:35,068 --> 00:08:36,767 But the logic holds 265 00:08:37,029 --> 00:08:38,967 Sometimes leaving a term unintelligible 266 00:08:39,029 --> 00:08:40,448 Shows respect for the reader 267 00:08:40,588 --> 00:08:43,007 It plants a sign in the text 268 00:08:43,007 --> 00:08:43,749 Telling you 269 00:08:43,749 --> 00:08:44,727 There is something here 270 00:08:44,749 --> 00:08:45,627 That you do not yet possess 271 00:08:45,869 --> 00:08:47,780 You must grow into it yourself 272 00:08:48,001 --> 00:08:49,199 As chaos engulfed the late Han 273 00:08:49,521 --> 00:08:50,940 Many people fled south 274 00:08:51,161 --> 00:08:52,979 Zhi Qian was one of them 275 00:08:53,241 --> 00:08:54,560 He descended from the Yuezhi 276 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:55,999 But was born in China 277 00:08:56,001 --> 00:08:57,260 And spoke Chinese from childhood 278 00:08:57,401 --> 00:08:58,979 His teacher was Zhi Liang 279 00:08:59,121 --> 00:09:01,060 Whose teacher was Lokaksema 280 00:09:01,361 --> 00:09:03,359 A saying then declared all worldly learning 281 00:09:03,641 --> 00:09:04,440 Never goes beyond the three Zhis 282 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:06,219 Meaning this lineage 283 00:09:06,521 --> 00:09:07,999 Zhi Qian went south to Eastern Wu 284 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:09,780 Where Sun Quan valued him highly 285 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,540 He translated the Vimalakirti Sutra the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and more 286 00:09:13,761 --> 00:09:14,920 During this same period 287 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:16,599 The history of Chinese translation 288 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,489 Recorded its first theoretical debate 289 00:09:19,991 --> 00:09:21,129 Here is what happened 290 00:09:21,470 --> 00:09:24,150 Someone brought a copy of the Dhammapada from the Western Regions 291 00:09:24,151 --> 00:09:25,209 And found people to translate it 292 00:09:25,511 --> 00:09:26,270 When the first draft was done 293 00:09:26,551 --> 00:09:28,089 Everyone gathered to discuss it 294 00:09:28,350 --> 00:09:29,810 Someone objected on the spot 295 00:09:29,911 --> 00:09:31,749 Saying the translation lacked literary grace 296 00:09:31,751 --> 00:09:32,729 It was too rough 297 00:09:33,031 --> 00:09:34,810 The other side immediately replied 298 00:09:34,950 --> 00:09:36,190 Quoting Laozi 299 00:09:36,671 --> 00:09:37,749 Beautiful words are not trustworthy 300 00:09:37,751 --> 00:09:38,509 Trustworthy words are not beautiful 301 00:09:38,991 --> 00:09:40,729 Elegant words are often unreliable 302 00:09:40,830 --> 00:09:42,890 Reliable words are often inelegant 303 00:09:43,110 --> 00:09:46,489 They also said the Buddha taught in the language of his listeners 304 00:09:46,511 --> 00:09:47,749 What mattered was conveying the meaning 305 00:09:47,751 --> 00:09:48,810 Not embellishing the prose 306 00:09:48,991 --> 00:09:51,129 Their conclusion came down to four characters 307 00:09:51,310 --> 00:09:52,530 Truth should be conveyed directly 308 00:09:52,590 --> 00:09:53,150 Give it straight 309 00:09:53,350 --> 00:09:54,290 Do not decorate it 310 00:09:54,950 --> 00:09:57,229 This debate was recorded in the preface to the Dhammapada 311 00:09:57,751 --> 00:09:59,849 Usually attributed to Zhi Qian 312 00:09:59,911 --> 00:10:01,566 Or someone of his time 313 00:10:01,907 --> 00:10:03,726 Here is the interesting part 314 00:10:04,106 --> 00:10:06,846 Zhi Qian recorded the objections 315 00:10:06,947 --> 00:10:08,846 Yet he himself favored literary elegance 316 00:10:09,266 --> 00:10:10,986 His own translation style 317 00:10:10,986 --> 00:10:14,365 Was polished fluent and naturally Chinese 318 00:10:14,947 --> 00:10:16,706 He recorded the case against himself 319 00:10:16,707 --> 00:10:18,525 Exactly as it was made 320 00:10:18,866 --> 00:10:20,686 I deeply admire that 321 00:10:21,187 --> 00:10:22,145 And this debate 322 00:10:22,427 --> 00:10:25,045 Is still unresolved eighteen centuries later 323 00:10:25,707 --> 00:10:26,505 Should you be faithful to the original 324 00:10:26,707 --> 00:10:27,905 Or faithful to the reader 325 00:10:28,746 --> 00:10:31,086 When you read a translated book today 326 00:10:31,266 --> 00:10:33,206 And find the wording terribly awkward 327 00:10:33,346 --> 00:10:35,966 You stand with Zhi Qians opponents 328 00:10:36,466 --> 00:10:39,005 When you read an exceptionally fluent translation 329 00:10:39,106 --> 00:10:40,106 And begin to wonder 330 00:10:40,587 --> 00:10:42,446 Did the translator add his own ideas 331 00:10:42,667 --> 00:10:44,686 You have moved back to the other side 332 00:10:45,067 --> 00:10:46,606 Both sides have a point 333 00:10:47,346 --> 00:10:49,095 That is precisely the trouble 334 00:10:49,395 --> 00:10:50,954 In the year 247 335 00:10:50,956 --> 00:10:53,615 A monk named Kang Senghui reached Jianye 336 00:10:53,756 --> 00:10:55,214 Todays Nanjing 337 00:10:55,716 --> 00:10:58,015 Sun Quan built Jianchu Monastery for him 338 00:10:58,315 --> 00:11:00,975 Regarded as the beginning of Buddhist monasteries in the south 339 00:11:01,435 --> 00:11:03,115 Buddhism left northern Luoyang 340 00:11:03,395 --> 00:11:04,975 And crossed south of the Yangtze 341 00:11:05,716 --> 00:11:06,235 Later still 342 00:11:06,596 --> 00:11:08,015 Near the end of the third century 343 00:11:08,076 --> 00:11:09,694 Dharmaraksha emerged 344 00:11:09,915 --> 00:11:10,954 His family had long lived in Dunhuang 345 00:11:11,356 --> 00:11:13,454 And people called him the Bodhisattva of Dunhuang 346 00:11:13,716 --> 00:11:14,834 In the year 286 347 00:11:15,116 --> 00:11:16,515 He translated the Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma 348 00:11:17,116 --> 00:11:18,255 More than a century later 349 00:11:18,275 --> 00:11:21,334 Kumarajiva translated the same scripture again 350 00:11:21,476 --> 00:11:23,875 As the Lotus Sutra we read today 351 00:11:24,756 --> 00:11:25,395 The same scripture 352 00:11:25,716 --> 00:11:27,088 In two translations 353 00:11:27,709 --> 00:11:29,448 How many scriptures did he translate in his lifetime 354 00:11:29,470 --> 00:11:30,968 The historical records disagree 355 00:11:31,270 --> 00:11:32,789 Some say 154 356 00:11:32,789 --> 00:11:34,188 Some say 210 357 00:11:34,189 --> 00:11:35,848 Others say 175 358 00:11:35,990 --> 00:11:37,588 Modern scholarly estimates 359 00:11:37,590 --> 00:11:39,289 Put the number around 160 360 00:11:39,510 --> 00:11:41,068 This confusion over the figures 361 00:11:41,069 --> 00:11:42,889 Reveals something in itself 362 00:11:42,949 --> 00:11:44,188 Scripture translation in that age 363 00:11:44,189 --> 00:11:46,088 Had become too prolific to count 364 00:11:46,590 --> 00:11:48,188 Dharmaraksha made another contribution 365 00:11:48,189 --> 00:11:50,529 He turned translation into an assembly line 366 00:11:50,909 --> 00:11:51,749 One person recited orally 367 00:11:51,949 --> 00:11:53,029 Another wrote it down 368 00:11:53,029 --> 00:11:55,049 Others checked and refined it 369 00:11:55,549 --> 00:11:58,088 Translation was no longer an individual craft 370 00:11:58,230 --> 00:11:59,968 It became a collective enterprise 371 00:12:00,309 --> 00:12:01,789 Yet however large the operation grew 372 00:12:01,789 --> 00:12:04,289 The most fundamental problem remained 373 00:12:04,909 --> 00:12:06,639 Chinese was missing the parts 374 00:12:07,179 --> 00:12:09,139 So a special method emerged 375 00:12:09,260 --> 00:12:10,279 Called matching concepts 376 00:12:10,540 --> 00:12:12,639 The Biographies of Eminent Monks defined it 377 00:12:12,819 --> 00:12:14,519 Through the example of Zhu Faya 378 00:12:14,860 --> 00:12:16,338 He took Buddhist names and concepts 379 00:12:16,339 --> 00:12:19,019 And matched them one by one with non Buddhist texts 380 00:12:19,020 --> 00:12:20,179 Using those texts as explanatory models 381 00:12:20,620 --> 00:12:21,919 That was called matching concepts 382 00:12:22,260 --> 00:12:23,578 Those non Buddhist texts 383 00:12:23,579 --> 00:12:26,098 Were mainly the Laozi Zhuangzi and Book of Changes 384 00:12:26,579 --> 00:12:28,519 In plain terms it meant checking a table of equivalents 385 00:12:28,979 --> 00:12:29,419 Nirvana 386 00:12:29,780 --> 00:12:30,679 Matched nonaction 387 00:12:31,020 --> 00:12:31,578 Arhat 388 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:32,838 Matched the perfected person 389 00:12:33,179 --> 00:12:33,659 Meditative concentration 390 00:12:33,979 --> 00:12:34,998 Matched guarding the one 391 00:12:35,339 --> 00:12:36,878 The results were immediate 392 00:12:37,179 --> 00:12:38,799 Take someone who had read Zhuangzi 393 00:12:38,900 --> 00:12:41,118 Tell him an arhat is a perfected person 394 00:12:41,140 --> 00:12:42,358 And he understood at once 395 00:12:42,459 --> 00:12:43,939 Tell him nirvana is nonaction 396 00:12:44,339 --> 00:12:45,676 And he nodded 397 00:12:46,138 --> 00:12:48,037 But think about what he understood 398 00:12:48,138 --> 00:12:50,716 He imagined Zhuangzis perfected person 399 00:12:50,777 --> 00:12:54,436 Riding the wind and communing with heaven and earth 400 00:12:54,577 --> 00:12:56,257 An arhat by contrast is someone 401 00:12:56,258 --> 00:12:58,336 Who has uprooted greed hatred and delusion 402 00:12:58,577 --> 00:13:00,157 And will undergo no further existence 403 00:13:00,378 --> 00:13:03,277 These two inhabit entirely different universes 404 00:13:03,537 --> 00:13:05,476 Nonaction and nirvana differ even more 405 00:13:05,657 --> 00:13:07,216 Nonaction means following nature 406 00:13:07,417 --> 00:13:08,716 Without forced interference 407 00:13:08,858 --> 00:13:11,596 Nirvana is the complete extinguishing of affliction 408 00:13:11,858 --> 00:13:14,017 A viewer once wrote something in the comments 409 00:13:14,018 --> 00:13:15,037 That stayed with me 410 00:13:15,417 --> 00:13:15,737 He said 411 00:13:16,138 --> 00:13:18,517 A signpost is supposed to help you find the road 412 00:13:18,618 --> 00:13:21,676 But sometimes the signpost itself becomes a roadblock 413 00:13:21,978 --> 00:13:23,917 Matching concepts was exactly like that 414 00:13:24,297 --> 00:13:26,356 It was the only bridge available then 415 00:13:26,697 --> 00:13:27,176 Without it 416 00:13:27,537 --> 00:13:29,157 Buddhism could never have crossed over 417 00:13:29,978 --> 00:13:31,176 But everyone who crossed the bridge 418 00:13:31,457 --> 00:13:33,678 Carried its scent on their feet 419 00:13:34,098 --> 00:13:35,578 The first person to call for a halt in public 420 00:13:35,899 --> 00:13:36,717 Was Daoan 421 00:13:37,139 --> 00:13:40,558 Daoan was born around 312 or 314 422 00:13:40,858 --> 00:13:42,237 And died in 385 423 00:13:42,578 --> 00:13:43,337 Interestingly 424 00:13:43,659 --> 00:13:44,837 He did not know Sanskrit 425 00:13:45,179 --> 00:13:47,717 His role in the translation workshop was not translator 426 00:13:47,978 --> 00:13:50,158 But editor and guardian of standards 427 00:13:50,618 --> 00:13:52,717 The Biographies of Eminent Monks records one remark of his 428 00:13:53,139 --> 00:13:54,217 He told a fellow monk 429 00:13:54,858 --> 00:13:56,117 Earlier methods of matching concepts 430 00:13:56,299 --> 00:13:57,517 Often violated the true principles 431 00:13:58,019 --> 00:14:00,038 That old method of matching concepts 432 00:14:00,179 --> 00:14:02,958 Diverged from the teaching in too many places 433 00:14:03,539 --> 00:14:05,398 But let me be fair to him 434 00:14:05,738 --> 00:14:08,237 Daoan himself used the method when he was young 435 00:14:08,539 --> 00:14:11,438 Later when his disciple Huiyuan explained true reality 436 00:14:11,858 --> 00:14:13,717 His listeners simply could not grasp it 437 00:14:13,938 --> 00:14:15,078 And challenged him repeatedly 438 00:14:15,779 --> 00:14:17,877 Huiyuan used Zhuangzi as an analogy 439 00:14:17,978 --> 00:14:19,117 And suddenly it made sense 440 00:14:19,299 --> 00:14:20,898 Daoan therefore gave Huiyuan special permission 441 00:14:21,139 --> 00:14:22,558 Not to discard secular texts 442 00:14:22,659 --> 00:14:26,078 Meaning he could read and cite non Buddhist books 443 00:14:26,179 --> 00:14:28,597 So Daoan did not smash the tool 444 00:14:28,738 --> 00:14:30,717 He drew a line around its use 445 00:14:31,019 --> 00:14:31,938 Skillful means may be used 446 00:14:32,299 --> 00:14:35,198 But must never be mistaken for the conclusion 447 00:14:35,539 --> 00:14:36,617 In the year 382 448 00:14:36,858 --> 00:14:38,277 Daoan wrote a preface 449 00:14:38,458 --> 00:14:41,997 Containing one of the most important lists in Chinese translation history 450 00:14:42,258 --> 00:14:45,198 Later called the five losses and three difficulties 451 00:14:45,618 --> 00:14:46,877 Losses from the original means 452 00:14:46,978 --> 00:14:49,397 Ways a translation must depart from its source 453 00:14:49,579 --> 00:14:51,757 He listed five in one sweep 454 00:14:51,939 --> 00:14:52,338 First 455 00:14:52,858 --> 00:14:55,357 Sanskrit word order is the reverse of Chinese 456 00:14:55,419 --> 00:14:56,058 Without rearranging it 457 00:14:56,299 --> 00:14:57,438 Chinese readers cannot understand 458 00:14:57,579 --> 00:14:58,257 But once rearranged 459 00:14:58,579 --> 00:15:00,157 It no longer has its original form 460 00:15:00,338 --> 00:15:00,657 Second 461 00:15:01,019 --> 00:15:02,497 The original scriptures use plain language 462 00:15:02,659 --> 00:15:03,798 Without ornament 463 00:15:03,899 --> 00:15:05,058 But Chinese readers favor literary elegance 464 00:15:05,378 --> 00:15:06,997 Without polish no one will read them 465 00:15:07,138 --> 00:15:08,058 To make them circulate 466 00:15:08,258 --> 00:15:09,078 Ornament must be added 467 00:15:09,338 --> 00:15:09,698 Third 468 00:15:10,098 --> 00:15:12,838 The originals repeat their praises again and again 469 00:15:12,939 --> 00:15:15,277 Restating the same idea three or four times 470 00:15:15,978 --> 00:15:16,698 When translated into Chinese 471 00:15:16,899 --> 00:15:18,757 Those repetitions are removed 472 00:15:19,098 --> 00:15:19,537 Fourth 473 00:15:20,098 --> 00:15:21,718 After the main text 474 00:15:21,779 --> 00:15:24,117 The original often gives a long restatement 475 00:15:24,299 --> 00:15:26,117 Sometimes fifteen hundred characters long 476 00:15:26,419 --> 00:15:27,017 In Chinese translation 477 00:15:27,299 --> 00:15:28,478 The whole passage is cut 478 00:15:28,899 --> 00:15:29,257 Fifth 479 00:15:29,779 --> 00:15:32,117 When one section ends and the topic changes 480 00:15:32,338 --> 00:15:35,558 The original first repeats what came before and then continues 481 00:15:35,939 --> 00:15:37,257 Those linking recapitulations 482 00:15:37,539 --> 00:15:38,678 Are also deleted entirely 483 00:15:38,939 --> 00:15:39,818 After listing all five 484 00:15:40,258 --> 00:15:41,637 He issued no prohibition 485 00:15:41,939 --> 00:15:42,938 He said only this 486 00:15:43,498 --> 00:15:45,357 Faced with these five distortions 487 00:15:45,419 --> 00:15:47,637 And the three points that follow 488 00:15:47,899 --> 00:15:49,458 When translating a foreign language into Chinese 489 00:15:49,819 --> 00:15:51,748 How could we not be cautious 490 00:15:52,410 --> 00:15:53,569 Then he listed three more 491 00:15:54,010 --> 00:15:55,149 Called the three difficulties 492 00:15:55,530 --> 00:15:56,988 How should those three be read 493 00:15:57,010 --> 00:15:59,029 Scholars have argued for over a thousand years 494 00:15:59,370 --> 00:16:01,468 Some read them as three difficult tasks 495 00:16:01,729 --> 00:16:04,269 Others as three things that must not be altered 496 00:16:04,370 --> 00:16:06,189 The dispute remains unresolved today 497 00:16:06,329 --> 00:16:08,388 But the basic structure is clear 498 00:16:08,689 --> 00:16:08,888 First 499 00:16:09,329 --> 00:16:11,988 The Buddha taught according to the customs of his time 500 00:16:12,130 --> 00:16:13,449 Now those customs have changed 501 00:16:13,449 --> 00:16:15,149 You remove the ancient elegance 502 00:16:15,250 --> 00:16:16,329 To accommodate people today 503 00:16:16,530 --> 00:16:17,468 That is the first difficulty 504 00:16:17,618 --> 00:16:18,419 Second 505 00:16:18,489 --> 00:16:21,868 A vast gulf separates the Buddhas realization from ordinary understanding 506 00:16:22,170 --> 00:16:24,289 You must explain a sages subtle words from a thousand years ago 507 00:16:24,290 --> 00:16:26,208 So ordinary people today can understand 508 00:16:26,209 --> 00:16:27,189 That is the second difficulty 509 00:16:27,809 --> 00:16:28,008 Third 510 00:16:28,329 --> 00:16:30,169 When Ananda first recited the teachings 511 00:16:30,170 --> 00:16:33,748 Five hundred arhats checked and copied them again and again 512 00:16:33,770 --> 00:16:35,468 And still trembled with care 513 00:16:35,729 --> 00:16:37,868 Now a thousand years have passed since the Buddha 514 00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:39,848 Yet ordinary people like us 515 00:16:39,849 --> 00:16:42,708 Would judge what to keep or discard through our shallow modern knowledge 516 00:16:42,809 --> 00:16:43,949 That is the third difficulty 517 00:16:44,290 --> 00:16:45,488 When I read the third point 518 00:16:45,849 --> 00:16:47,072 A chill ran down my back 519 00:16:47,533 --> 00:16:48,493 What Daoan was doing 520 00:16:48,773 --> 00:16:50,072 Was remarkably modern 521 00:16:50,454 --> 00:16:52,592 He did not say we must translate more accurately 522 00:16:53,094 --> 00:16:53,773 He said 523 00:16:54,134 --> 00:16:56,192 The process itself causes loss 524 00:16:56,334 --> 00:16:58,153 And the loss is inevitable 525 00:16:58,214 --> 00:16:59,832 It is not that the translator tries too little 526 00:17:00,334 --> 00:17:01,052 All you can do 527 00:17:01,334 --> 00:17:03,233 Is know what you have lost 528 00:17:03,693 --> 00:17:06,993 That is the point of this entire act worth remembering most 529 00:17:07,413 --> 00:17:09,633 This series has kept following one question 530 00:17:10,053 --> 00:17:11,393 With each step forward 531 00:17:11,413 --> 00:17:12,732 Do we move closer to the Buddha 532 00:17:12,973 --> 00:17:13,813 Or farther away 533 00:17:14,493 --> 00:17:15,532 At the stage of scripture translation 534 00:17:15,933 --> 00:17:17,672 Both answers are true 535 00:17:18,094 --> 00:17:18,772 In one sense we move closer 536 00:17:19,253 --> 00:17:20,293 Without these people 537 00:17:20,294 --> 00:17:22,353 You and I could not read a single word today 538 00:17:22,774 --> 00:17:23,492 In another sense we move farther away 539 00:17:23,854 --> 00:17:26,432 From original nonbeing to perfected person to nonaction 540 00:17:26,574 --> 00:17:29,032 Every Chinese character carried a Chinese accent 541 00:17:29,733 --> 00:17:31,012 As soon as the Dharma entered Chinese 542 00:17:31,014 --> 00:17:33,556 Chinese reshaped it 543 00:17:33,977 --> 00:17:35,475 But there is something else 544 00:17:35,497 --> 00:17:37,516 Whose influence exceeded the scriptures themselves 545 00:17:37,896 --> 00:17:39,715 Liang Qichao made an estimate 546 00:17:39,977 --> 00:17:42,375 He noted that a Japanese Dictionary of Buddhism 547 00:17:42,737 --> 00:17:44,756 Contained over thirty five thousand entries 548 00:17:45,017 --> 00:17:45,735 And inferred from this 549 00:17:46,096 --> 00:17:47,895 That Buddhist scripture translation 550 00:17:47,896 --> 00:17:50,556 Added over thirty five thousand expressions and concepts to Chinese 551 00:17:50,856 --> 00:17:52,756 That claim was later retold as 552 00:17:52,777 --> 00:17:54,655 Buddhism added thirty five thousand words to Chinese 553 00:17:55,176 --> 00:17:56,316 Which is an exaggeration 554 00:17:56,456 --> 00:17:59,195 Liang meant the number of entries in a dictionary 555 00:17:59,416 --> 00:18:01,155 But even after a steep discount 556 00:18:01,217 --> 00:18:03,195 The remainder is still astonishing 557 00:18:03,656 --> 00:18:04,135 The word instant 558 00:18:04,456 --> 00:18:05,996 Entered through scripture translation 559 00:18:06,096 --> 00:18:06,496 So did affliction 560 00:18:06,856 --> 00:18:07,356 That one too 561 00:18:07,616 --> 00:18:08,056 Actuality 562 00:18:08,416 --> 00:18:08,915 That one too 563 00:18:09,057 --> 00:18:09,496 Ultimate truth 564 00:18:09,777 --> 00:18:10,596 That as well 565 00:18:11,297 --> 00:18:13,715 When you say world or present day 566 00:18:13,737 --> 00:18:14,975 The way those words are used 567 00:18:14,977 --> 00:18:17,036 Is also inseparable from scripture translation 568 00:18:17,456 --> 00:18:18,675 That is fascinating 569 00:18:19,057 --> 00:18:20,276 Those translators 570 00:18:20,297 --> 00:18:22,475 Struggled to carry the Dharma into Chinese 571 00:18:22,696 --> 00:18:24,915 Whether the Dharma arrived intact 572 00:18:24,977 --> 00:18:26,796 Scholars still argue today 573 00:18:27,136 --> 00:18:28,056 But the Chinese language itself 574 00:18:28,376 --> 00:18:29,915 Was permanently transformed 575 00:18:30,217 --> 00:18:31,556 You do not need to believe in Buddhism 576 00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:33,356 You need only speak Chinese 577 00:18:33,376 --> 00:18:35,036 And you are using words they created 578 00:18:35,537 --> 00:18:37,135 The deepest success of a translation 579 00:18:37,537 --> 00:18:38,756 Is that it disappears 580 00:18:39,096 --> 00:18:42,092 You no longer feel it came from elsewhere 581 00:18:42,754 --> 00:18:43,352 At this point 582 00:18:43,514 --> 00:18:45,293 I want to share something personal 583 00:18:45,514 --> 00:18:46,312 As an investor 584 00:18:46,593 --> 00:18:48,652 I often do the same kind of work 585 00:18:48,793 --> 00:18:50,572 Translating the language of a technical team 586 00:18:50,633 --> 00:18:52,852 Into language the market can understand 587 00:18:53,113 --> 00:18:54,572 This channel works the same way 588 00:18:54,674 --> 00:18:58,812 In every episode I translate the languages of Buddhism science and philosophy 589 00:18:58,833 --> 00:19:01,253 Into the language you and I use every day 590 00:19:01,514 --> 00:19:03,892 I know very well how much gets lost 591 00:19:04,073 --> 00:19:04,953 Every simplification 592 00:19:05,153 --> 00:19:06,172 Loses something 593 00:19:06,514 --> 00:19:07,592 Every analogy 594 00:19:07,593 --> 00:19:09,812 Introduces something that was not in the original meaning 595 00:19:10,274 --> 00:19:12,533 I just compared translation to an electrical socket 596 00:19:12,633 --> 00:19:14,852 That analogy helps you enter quickly 597 00:19:14,954 --> 00:19:17,013 But the analogy itself is not the thing 598 00:19:17,954 --> 00:19:20,713 So Daoans question how could we not be cautious 599 00:19:20,873 --> 00:19:24,213 Speaks to everyone who retells anything 600 00:19:24,714 --> 00:19:26,213 You cannot avoid distortion 601 00:19:26,674 --> 00:19:29,680 You can only know where you distort 602 00:19:30,020 --> 00:19:31,120 Returning to this act 603 00:19:31,540 --> 00:19:32,720 Up to this point 604 00:19:32,861 --> 00:19:35,359 Buddhism in China remained something foreign 605 00:19:35,780 --> 00:19:36,539 It had translations 606 00:19:36,861 --> 00:19:37,839 It had monasteries 607 00:19:37,980 --> 00:19:39,160 And it had followers 608 00:19:39,421 --> 00:19:42,400 But it had not truly grown into Chinas bones 609 00:19:42,780 --> 00:19:43,960 One person was still missing 610 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:48,440 Someone who could settle the two century debate between style and substance 611 00:19:48,461 --> 00:19:50,739 Simply through his work 612 00:19:50,740 --> 00:19:52,599 At the end of the year 401 613 00:19:52,740 --> 00:19:54,680 That man entered Changan 614 00:19:55,101 --> 00:19:55,779 Before then 615 00:19:56,141 --> 00:19:57,819 He had been held as a trophy of war 616 00:19:57,820 --> 00:20:00,120 In the northwest for seventeen full years 617 00:20:00,621 --> 00:20:01,180 Next time 618 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:02,848 We will tell his story 619 00:20:03,953 --> 00:20:04,258 All right 620 00:20:04,526 --> 00:20:05,747 That is all for today 621 00:20:05,748 --> 00:20:07,445 I would love to hear your thoughts 622 00:20:07,580 --> 00:20:10,022 Have you read two translations of the same book 623 00:20:10,023 --> 00:20:11,968 That felt like two entirely different books 624 00:20:12,503 --> 00:20:14,296 Or in your own work 625 00:20:14,297 --> 00:20:16,299 Have you ever been the translator 626 00:20:16,319 --> 00:20:18,532 Carrying one language to another group 627 00:20:18,534 --> 00:20:19,793 What was lost along the way 628 00:20:20,252 --> 00:20:21,795 Tell me in the comments 629 00:20:21,969 --> 00:20:22,655 I am Leo Wang 630 00:20:22,885 --> 00:20:23,893 See you next time