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

[Sally McAra]

Thanks Stan, and others who responded, clearing up my query about the
actual terms and their translations.

I had another reply off-list that also mentioned tamashii - it
mentioned that "the Japanese differentiate the atman (ga) from
tamashi, with the former implying the selfish egotistical self rather
than the person's essence."

The person replying off list also said, "Japanese Buddhism is strongly
influenced by tathagata-garbha doctrines." Unfortunately I'm not that
well informed about tathagata-garbha doctrines as I've not studied
philosophy, Buddhist or otherwise. (I'd welcome views and explanations
of tathagata-garbha, or recommendations of a book/article that gives
some insight into the doctrine and the debates around it.)
As Jo noted, my question is as much about the issue of translation as
it is about the different philosophical theories of soul, self etc.
It's something that comes up a lot, whenever I read anything that's a
translation, Buddhist or otherwise.
cheers
Ssally

On 16/01/2012, sjziobro at cs.com <sjziobro at cs.com> wrote:
>
> Joanna,
>
> I am not responding to your informative post, but responding to the original
> inquiry, presuming that it has yet to be answered.  The term translated as
> "soul" was most likely "tamashii" (魂).  This terms refers to the animating
> principle of a living being.  It can also connote the psyche or the spirit.
> Since the advent of Christianity to Japan in the mid-sixteenth century A.D.
> a Sino-Japanese composite has also been used, "reikon" (霊魂).  This term
> connotes what 霊魂 connotes, and it can be used to translate "jiva."  "Rei"
> (霊) by itself can connote numen, spirit (pneuma).  I'll check some of my
> specifically Japanese Buddhist dictionaries for these terms.
>
> Regards,
>
> Stan Ziobro
>