To: K-list
Recieved: 2000/02/25 04:10
Subject: [K-list] Lotus Sutra - a posting of mine on a buddhist discussi
From: Magne Aga
On 2000/02/25 04:10, Magne Aga posted thus to the K-list:
From: "Magne Aga" <magneagaATnospammonet.no>
THANKS *rgyin*!
You have saved my phone bill !
At the moment, I'm translating the Lotus Sutra into Norwegian, based on
Kumarajivas Chinese version from 406 AD (MIAO-FA LIEN-HUA CHING).
There are 3 renderings in Chinese of the Lotus Sutra. The first was made by Dharmaraksa 286 AD (FA-HUANG CHING). And the third translation was made by Jnanagupta and Dharmagupta 601 AD. Together, these 3 translations forms Vol 9, 262-264 in the Chinese Canon TAISHOO SHINSHUU DAIZOOKYOO. Once, there existed at least 6 translations of the Lotus Sutra in Chinese, but only 3 are extant. I'm also in posession of two different Tibetan translations of the Lotus sutra (Kengyur (Bka´-´gyur), "DAM PA'I CHOS PADMA DKAR PO ZHES BYA BA THEG PA CHEN PO'I MDO" ("Mahayana Sutra named the White Lotus"), text nr 113, MDO SDE, Volum JA, Folios 1-180B).
The translations by Dharmaraksa and Kumarajiva had 27 chapters. During his
journeys in the years 399-414 AD, Fa-hsien found another chapter in Khotan - a kingdom southwest of Mongolia in Sinkiang (tzu-chih-ch´u), which was
discovered by the Chinese during the late Han-dynasty (23-220 AD) during
expeditions in these area. These chapter was later added to the Chinese
translation of Kumarajiva. Khotan (Ho-t'ien) was one of several indo-arian
kingdoms of Central-Asia, forgotten long ago by our modern, *superior*
civilizations. Today, it's only an oasis left.
It was NOT sanskrit, but the *MOTHER OF SANSCRIT*, which was the missionary language during the expansion of Buddhism into China. The early translation by Dharmaraksa contains several translation-errors. These errors was due to misunderstandings, confusions, between the lost language *kharoshti* in the lost kingdom of Gandhara on the one hand, and sanskrit on the other hand. A word could be pronounced different in the now lost *mother of sanscrit* and the later language known as *sanscrit*, and Dharmaraksa and his team did not interpret words correctly due to these differences. Due to his errors of translation, Dharmaraksa's rendering has been considered less authorative than the translation of Kumarajiva. What most people forget, is that Dharmaraksa - despite his translation errors - had access to an OLDER AND MORE AUTHENTIC MANUSCRIPT than Kumarajiva. By analyzing his Chinese translation, it's obvious that he confused words in the Central-Asian original with sanscrit-words; hence the *error translations*.
At the moment, I've done extensive research in Dharmaraksa's underestimated translation of the Lotus Sutra, in order to define the original language of the manuscript he held in his hands, according to the two kholophons of his translation (TAISHOO 2145, vol 55, 56c 16-24, and CHU SANZANG JI JI, vol. 55, 56c.25-57a.2.). His *errors in translation* was NOT due to *carelessness*, but due to the fact that he had access to a lost manuscript, OLDER than the manuscripts in Kashmir and Nepal, with a LOST indo-aric language - older than sancrit - which Dharmaraksa and his team had problems to understand fully.
The Lotus is a holy (whole) symbol in buddhism. It expands, white and clean, from even the darkest mud. It's roots symbolizes our physical body and world; the stalk represents the astral (emotional and mental) realms; the surface of water is the border between the relative and the absolute; and the white, clean, lotus flower represents our divine essence, stretching towards the Light of the Sun (the Divine).
In one of the japansese translations of the Lotus sutra, called
"Myohorenge-kyo", the "pidestall Lotus Sutra" from the 11th century, now
preserved in the Kyoto Museum, each of the (chinese) characters has a lotus beneath. Every flower has 2 x 5 blades (like real lotus-flowers), decorated with 5 colours: Red, green, blue, silver and Gold - the colours of Diamonds.
The Diamond is a symbol of DHARMAKAYA, the immortal body which survives the transition called *death*. And the diamond, "vajra" in Tibetan Buddhism, is one of the most SECRET KEYS to Tibetan buddhism. A diamond consists of carbon, and when transforming our breathing process (breathing = "ZU ATMEN" in the German language) through meditative exercises, we manifest ATMAN in our everyday life.
In one of the esoteric traditions in the west, the *crucifiction-ressurrection* initiation corresponds to Kundalinis rising as
a water-level to the head. *Golgata*, the place where Jesus was crucified,
literarily means *the place of the sculls*. When Kundalini moves upwards to the middle of the head, making a *waterline*, a HORISONTAL connection
between the two Chakras in the head, these process is prepared. Our Holy
Guardian Angel drops the Pearl of Compassion DOWNWARDS, hitting this
horisontal bar, and these two directions forms the CROSS. When the Divine
Energy returns upwards, ascension is experienced. When Jesus overcomed the
*last enemy*, death, he performed the same task as many before him. In
Buddhism, the immortal body is called DHARMAKAYA. This is how I interpret
the Lotus symbol, according to my own experiences with Kundalini Yoga.
And dear Ole Kvaal from Norway - my own country! If You do have enough
patience, I'm going to E-mail you the 28 translated chapters in PDF-format. However, at the moment, I'm so absorbed in Dharmaraksa's socalled *error translation* that I HAVE TO FINISH these work in the first place.
The Kashmirian legend tells, and it's confirmed within secret societies,
that northwards Kashmir, Nepal and Afganisthan, there existed a LOST
language with 72 characters, which once was spoken all over the world. It's a DIVINE language, long forgotten by our materialistic *tic-tac culture*, because it's not an ARTIFICIAL language, but a language of Life itself. These language is international even today, because it corresponds to our subconscious ROOTS - the roots of the Lotus. And these language is the SECRET language among certain lamas today - people who preserved these language of origination in it's pure form in it's secret texts, unavailable of the communist Chinese.
The Lotus Sutra is one of the divine remnants and inheritance, belonging to all humanity. And when I've finished my analyze of Dharmaraksa's
translation, I'm going to publish it to those interested - but not as a
commercial effort.
SAD = Perfect; DHARMA = The Law of Buddha; PUNDARIKA = White Lotus; hence
Saddharmapundarika Sutra = The perfect Law of the White Lotus.
(not speaking on behalf on any organisation)
BLESSINGS FROM NORWAY
DISCLAIMER!
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symbol.