[Buddha-l] query about a term in Japanese zen, translated as "soul" in one text.

[Sally McAra]

Hi there,
Happy new year, all!
After hearing a teisho about Bassui (downloaded from the Rochester Zen
Center website, the first of a series of 5 talks on Bassui by Roshi
Bodhin Kjolhede), I've been looking online at a book called "Mud and
Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui." (Bassui Tokusho, transl.
Arthur Braverman)
(see
http://www.amazon.com/Mud-Water-Teachings-Master-Bassui/dp/0861713206#reader_0861713206
)

In the introduction (p. 3) the word "soul" is used in recounting
Bassui's inquiry: at a memorial service for his late father, he asked
the officiating priest how his dead father could eat the food
offerings on the altar. The priest told him that his father's "soul"
would receive the offerings, and this led to Bassui's inquiry "What is
this thing called a soul?"

Given the emphasis on "anatman" in Buddhism, I'm curious about the use
of the English word "soul" in this translation and wondering if anyone
familiar with the Japanese version of Bassui's biography that the
translator is referring to might be able to tell me what the Japanese
term was? I'm not a student of Japanese, but would like to know the
term and any other ways it might be glossed in English. Braverman also
uses the word "soul" when talking about what transmigrates between the
6 realms of existence (see p. 220, note 25).
NB., Philip Kapleau also uses the word soul in his "editor's
introduction" to one of Bassui's Dharma talks (see Three Pillars of
Zen, Part IV - pages 174ff in my edition, 2000).

Cheers
Sally
PS if anyone responds to my query and I don't reply, apologies, it's
because I'm about to go away tomorrow for 7 days and won't have
computer access. But I'm looking forward to your answers.