[Buddha-l] Re: G-d damn it

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

upasaka at optonline.net schreef:

>     The matter seems simple to me: One writes "a buddha" and "past buddhas", but "the Buddha" is used, and not "the buddha". When we write "the Buddha" we name a particular person. The noun phrase "the Buddha" serves as a name and not just a description, because there is at most one buddha in the world at any time, and being the Buddha is much like being the one and only office holder of a particular sort. Accordingly, with regard to the U.S., for example, one writes "past presidents" but "the President." For the very same reason, one may write "the gods are angry" but "God is one" (or, for those so inclined, "G-d is one").
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Capitalization is not the same in all languages. Germans love capitals, 
they use them for every substantive. Dutch use them only for names and 
and the beginning of sentence, even the days of the week and the months 
are not capitalized. Nevertheless it's 'the Buddha' and 'all buddha's'.

erik