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Sanskrit Lesson#4

by Bhikshuni Heng Hsien �丘�恒� �


Chinese translation by Bhikshuni Heng Yi �丘�恒� 中�

「����排布」 Layout of the Land of Happiness

是《��阿���》(�⼀)��短�題����兩種� is the short title for The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha S&tra.1
��⼀�⼀短�現�我們��是短�����為�易����唱��(� There are two Su&tras by this title, one long and one short. We'll read the
⼆) shorter one, of a length convenient to memorize and chant.2

����阿��������⼟����是 ���是 The Sūtra describes the Western Paradise of Amitābha Buddha, which is called
in Sanskrit , 'the land possessing happiness', or 'the land of
「��⼟」或「��⼟」; ���是�排�排列或��;��
ultimate bliss'. means 'a setting forth', 'a disposition', or 'a layout'.
����國⼟�排列�
In other words, the Sūtra tells how the Land of Ultimate Bliss, Sukhāvatī, is
�果�⼈常���阿����可往⽣����⼟��⾒�上������ laid out and arranged.
�嚴�界�
If one recites this Buddha's name, saying constantly Namo'mitābhabuddhāya,
Homage to the Buddha Amitābha, he can be reborn in the Pure Land Sukhāvatī,
《��阿���》���問⾃�;但�⼈�:我們常��
and witness for himself the splendid adornments described in this Sūtra.
�����
The Buddha Speaks of Amitābha Sūtra was spoken by the Buddha without
���⾏� anyone's request. But, you say, we always hear:

⼀�������⽣������以�典��由⼈�求��;����� Dharma does not arise of itself;


阿�����沒�⼈�求���為�⼈�瞭解其中�義理��以�⼈�以 The Way is not practiced in vain.
�求�
In general, because the Buddhadharma is spoken to meet the needs of living
�面��已�������書���式�現�我們更�⼊�來研�其�� beings, someone must ask to hear a given Sūtra before it is explained. The
Buddha spoke the Amitābha Sūtra although no one had asked for it because no
��是以��為單���為 �為����以�題 � one knew anything about the principle of its teaching, so no one could request
成�個��: it.

Previous lessons have described the sounds and writing system for Sanskrit.
Now we will look at these sounds in more detail.

�����個���⼀個���其���⼦�是�嚴那個����當我們 The unit of discrimination in Sanskrit is the syllable, or , 'imperishable'


看��� s�其��是⼀個�� sa��果你只是���s�那���� which we've been learning to write. The title divides into six
���面�加⼀�斜�� ��以⼦�������斜� ����� ak+aras represented by six letter-units:

加上�� a;��� sa�或 ka�或�何⼦�加��a�只��上⼦��


���⾏����加上��a��為a �是�個⼦���⾃�����
��但�果���是a�則�加上那個��������
In Sanskrit each vowel counts for one syllable, and the surrounding consonants
'adorn' that vowel. The letter s is given as the syllable sa. If you want to
�������⼗�個��是���形�������形����只��
write just s alone, you must add another mark: . The after any
單�����或�⾸是����會⽤���果���⼦����你⽤�形
(或��)來代�其����: consonant tells you not to say the a vowel you would normally pronounce. To
write sa or ka or any consonant plus a, you just write the letter and don't need
to write in the vowel a, because the vowel a is a natural part of the
pronounciation of each consonant. But if the vowel is other than a, you add a
以�是以 ka ��來�各種�同��(��) small sign which represents that vowel.

In the alphabet, the fourteen Sanskrit vowels are written as full letters. Those
large forms are only used when you write the letters by themselves, or when
you write a word which begins with a vowel. Otherwise, after any consonant,
you use the shortened forms shown below:

�何⼀個⼦����(��)�加�都相同��以��題⽬是 sa ��
����加上 u ���� 或為 su � kha 加上⼀���┃ �成為
Here is how you write the letter ka with these various signs:
khā� va � ha�沒������以是 a���� ī �以使
ta 成為 tī�

��� vyū �v �y �間沒����你���為���成 v加上


yū�但是 v ����;沒����⼦�是�����(你可以�
The same signs are added to any Sanskrit consonant.
�看)��以 v �事�上是� yū 上� ū來�����是�常�賴
y �����我們�看�� vyū��以 va 失��⾃己���� Consequently in the sutra title sa is the letter of the alphabet, and adding u

��┃ �同��失���a�����附�� yū 上��是�成 � we have su. kha has an additional ┃ , ā, to become khā. va and

��是��⼦��間沒����規則� ha have no extra signs, for a is understood. tī has the sign īwhich
makes ta into tī.
�種⼀個������⼆個或⼆個以上�⼦���⼀��我們��為⼦�
In the syllable vyū however, there is no vowel between the v and y. You
群���是⼀個����以�成⼀個單� vyū�
might think this should be written v plus yū . But v by itself can't be
�以�題�����成�個單�或�個單��由⼆個��成 Sukhāvatī pronounced, for no consonant can be said without a vowel (just try). The v
(��⼟)vyūuha (排列��)�兩個�⼀�成⼀句��句����是 actually relies on the ū of yū to be pronounced, leaning heavily on the y
�����現�以上是⼀種�題��析� , just as pictured in the writing: vyū. Therefore, va loses the support of
its vertical line ┃ and at the same time loses its a vowel, and is directly
現�你��會�⼀期���:��解�� attached to the yū and is written . This is the principle followed in
writing all combinations of Sanskrit consonants when no vowel falls in
between. We say it's a consonant cluster when two or more consonants cluster
* 是 r �是⼦�����中����� or group up before a single vowel. The cluster is a single syllable and is written
是 as one unit: vyū.

上期問題��: The Sūtra's title then consists of six sounds written as six characters or units. It
is made up of the two words Sukhāvatī'land of bliss' and vyūuha
Tathāgata 'arrangement'. These two words together form one phrase and the phrase as a
Bhagavān whole has one meaning 'layout of the Land of Happiness'. This is one analysis
of the title.
��:
You should now be ready to decipher these words from next issue's lesson:
(⼀)《��阿���》����什⼤師由���成中��⼤師��傳刊
�⾦������廿三期;易果��⼠由中��成���刊��九期�我
們�⽤����是 Muller-Nanjio ����Anecdota Oxoniensia, * is r when a consonant follows it with no vowel in between;
Aryan Series, �⼀冊�三�� Clarendon Press, ����� stands for .
(⼆)��������可���可使已����友��以�⽣�
Answers to last issue's test:
Tathāgata Bhagavān

Notes:
1. Corresponds to the title of the Chinese translation of this sūtra, Sanskrit
, done by the Venerable Kumārajīva whose
biography appears in VBS #23. An English translation of this Sūtra from the
Chinese by Upāsaka I Kuo Jung is found in VBS #9. The Sanskrit text will
follow the Muller-Nanjio edition, Anecdota Oxoniensia, Aryan Series, Vol. I,
Part III, Clarendon Press, 1883.
2. The merit from memorizing and reciting this Sūtra is inconceivable and it
may be used to cross over departed friends and relatives to a favorable rebirth.

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