[Buddha-l] Lamas and such

[Dan Lusthaus]

Erik,

> Dan Lusthaus schreef:
>> Xiao can indeed be used in a variety of ways, including as a diminuitive
>> with affectionate overtones, but that is *not* what is occurring with
>> xiaosheng (hinayana), xiaoren (petty person), xiaoxin (small minded), 
>> etc.
>>
> OK, now we're getting somewhere. There is an interpretation in which
> xiao is more positive than hina, well that is simply my point. No more.
> I like to keep discussions xiao (like in names as Deng Xiao Ping and Lee
> Xiao Long) and not develop them into hina vacana. As I said it all
> depends on context.

The context for xiao sheng (hiina yaana) is the contrast with da sheng 
(mahaa yaana). As mentioned, da vs xiao is valuative, with the positive, 
higher values going to the da side. Always. (though the early Daoists tried 
to play with strategic reversals of this).

The English word "in" can mean a variety of things, a mere preposition. But 
when it becomes a valuative adjective contrasted with "out" -- such as the 
"in group" vs the "out group" -- what's "in" is assigned positive value, and 
the out group gets thumbs down (sports, fashions, music, cliques, etc.). 
When magazines set up their quick-features as "what's in" and "what's out", 
the reader immediately knows which column is favored and is being 
recommended.

Dan