Thanks to the fact that many people have translated from Sanskrit into Chinese, we can now easily touch the Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures.
However, there are also cases where it cannot be accurately conveyed by translating.
They are afraid of that kind of thing, and they even do “phonetic writing,” where they don't dare to translate it and use guidebooks.
The character “I” appears quite frequently in sutras, but in fact, it is sometimes used for a different meaning.
There are many people who confuse even monks, so be careful.
It's obvious at a glance if you compare it to the original before translation, but for example, it often comes up,
“Joji ga Shinbun” is Evam Maya Srutam,
“Various Laws and No Law” is Sarva Dharma Anaatman
In the first place, they both use the character “I” as another word.
If you hear me, my self means “I am,” and my selfless self is “Atman.”
I think it's safe to read all of the things I see..., I'm now, I preach..., and I know... are all read as “I am.”
The meaning of the sentence is different from the lawless self.
Well, if I start talking about “Atman,” it seems like it will be a long time, so keep it simple.
The idea of reincarnation existed in India even before Buddhism. Well then, when thinking about what reincarnates when the body decays, what was assumed to be the “entity that reincarnates” is Atman.
However, due to the idea of good fortune, they denied “Atman who constantly lives and continues to be reincarnated.”
The idea is that various dharmas (laws) are not Atman.
From my reading, Atman's denial is not a denial that “there is no Atman.”
I've forgotten which sutras or treatises it was, but I feel like there was a part that denied the controversy itself, such as whether Atman exists or not.
It is not an assertion that “there is no such thing,” it is a stance that “it can't be helped even if you think about such a thing, and there is no way you can understand it.”
From that standpoint, I also feel that the “non-self” is more comfortable.
If you start talking a lot, you'll get caught up in the character limit, so please do your own research first.
On top of that, if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.