Foreign Student (hereinafter FS): I have seen people in a school writing characters on paper using a brush and black ink. What is this about?
Teacher (hereinafter T): That must be calligraphy. Writing beautiful characters is as highly prized an art as painting.
In Japan, primary school students take lessons in which they write out characters from examples using a brush and black ink. This is called shuuji.
FS: When I went to a temple, I saw people copying Buddhist sutras out using a brush and black ink. What were they doing?
T: That’s shakyou . In order to understand Buddha’s teachings, disciples transcribe the sutras.
The act of transcription promotes peace of mind and allows you to learn the true essence of Buddhism.
There are approximately 3,000 Buddhist sutras; an enormous amount of written characters.
In shakyou, the essence of the whole sutra is condensed into the hannnya shinngyou (heart sutra).
FS: What are written in it?
T: Using only 266 characters, the fundamental ideas of Buddhism are written down.
Buddhism emerged in India and was translated into kanji when it was introduced to China.
In the middle of the sixth century it reached Japan via the Korean peninsula.
It is said that a priest’s disciples would practice shakyou daily as part of their duties.
FS: What are the central tenets of Buddhism?
T: The hannnya-shinngyou contains the phrase: “shiki soku ze kuu, kuu soku ze shiki .”
Shiki (color) refers to anything in existence, while kuu (air) refers to something that doesn’t exist.
Shiki soku ze kuu means that nothing lasts (exists) forever in this world. In short, even great men or beautiful flowers will disappear someday.
Therefore, this means that non-existence is the same thing.
FS: I feel as if I somehow understand it, but somehow don’t.
T: Before you were born, you were nothing. When you die, you return to being nothing again.
Kuu soku ze shiki explains this truth from the opposite perspective.
Those who were born from nothing are born with particular traits, whether they be flowers, or men, or women.
On this earth there exists the land, the sea, and the air; living creatures live forever because they are inextricably linked.
Since you are a part of everything, you exist forever. Kuu (nothing) is also shiki (existence).
Thus, shakyou combines beautiful script together with the profundity of philosophy.
留学生
ryuugakusei
foreign student
(以後、留):
(igo, ryuu):
hereinafter FS
見たことがあります。
mita koto ga ari masu.
(I) have seen
何ですか。
nann desu ka.
what abou t is?
先生(以後、先):
sennsei (igo, senn):
teacher hereinafter T
美しく
utsukushiku
beautiful
書くことは
kaku koto ha
writing
評価されます。
hyouka sare masu.
is prized
小学生から
shougakusei kara
primary school students
お手本通りに
otehonndoori ni
(from) examples
書く
kaku
(in which they) write out
釈迦の教えを
shaka no oshie wo
Buddhist sutras
書き写しているのを
kaki utsushite iru no wo
copying out
見たことがあります。
mita koto ga ari masu.
(I) saw (people)
しているのですか。
shite iru no desu ka.
were they doing?
写経と
shakyou to
shakyou
釈迦の教えを
shaka no oshie wo
Buddha’s teachings
理解する
rikai suru
understand
お経を
okyou wo
the sutras
書き写すことです。
kaki utsusu koto desu.
(disciples) transcribe
その過程で
sono katei de
the act of transcription
おだやかに
odayaka ni
peace (of
本質も
honnshitsu mo
the true essence
学べます。
manabe masu.
allows you to learn
仏教を説いたお経は
bukkyou wo toita okyou ha
Buddhist sutras
3,000
sannzenn
three thousand
膨大な
boudaina
enormous amount of
文字で
moji de
an characters
書かれています。
kakarete i masu.
written
お経
okyou
the whole sutra
エッセンスを
essensu wo
the essence
抽出した
chuushutsu shita
is condensed into
「般若心経」を
“hannnyashingyou” wo
heart sutra
使います。
tsukai masu.
[is used]
どんなことが
donnna koto ga
what
書かれているのですか。
kakarete iru no desu ka.
are written?
266文字
nihyaku rokujuu roku moji
two hundred sixty-six characters
中心的な
chuushinntekina
fundamental
考えが
kanngae ga
the ideas
書かれています。
kakarete i masu.
are written down
仏教は
bukkyou ha
Buddhism
もたらされ、
motarasare,
(it) was introduced when
翻訳されました。
honnyaku sare mashita.
was translated
朝鮮半島
chousenn’hanntou
the Korean peninsula
6世紀
roku seiki
the sixth century
半ば
nakaba
the middle (of)
伝わりました。
tsutawari mashita.
(it) reached
当時の
touji no
[of that time]
修行僧は
shugyousou ha
a priest’s disciples
日課
nikka
daily part of (their) duties
写経を
shakyou wo
shakyou
いわれます。
iware masu.
(it) is said
中心的な
chuushinntekina
central
考えとは
kanngae toha
the tenets
般若心経に、
hannnyashingyou ni,
the hannnya-shinngyou
「色即是空、
“shikisokuzekuu,
shiki soku ze kuu
空即是色」
kuusokuzeshiki”
kuu soku ze shiki
言葉が
kotoba ga
the phrase
形がある
katachi ga aru
in existence
もの、
mono,
anything (refers to)
実態のない
jittai no nai
(that) doesn’t exist
指します。
sashi masu.
refers to
色即是空
shikisokuzekuu
shiki soku ze kuu
存在するものに
sonnzai suru mono ni
lasts <exists>
ものはない。
mono ha nai.
nothing
人間
ninngenn
(great) men
消滅していきます。
shoumetsu shite iki masu.
will disappear
存在しないこと
sonnzai shinai koto
non-existence
と同じこと
to onaji koto
the same thing
意味です。
imi desu.
(this) means
何となく
nann to naku
somehow
わかった
wakatta
(I) understand (it)
わからない
wakaranai
(but) somehow don’t
感じです。
kannji desu.
(I) feel
亡くなったら
nakunatta ra
(you) die when
元の空
moto no kuu
[former] being nothing
戻ります。
modori masu.
(you) return
空即是色とは、
kuusokuzeshiki toha,
kuu soku ze shiki
逆
gyaku
the opposite (perspective)
説明したものです。
setsumei shita mono desu.
explains
生まれる
umareru
(who) were born
あったり、
attari,
whether (they) be
さまざまに
samazama ni
particular
あります。
ari masu.
(are born) with
地球
chikyuu
(this) earth
空気が
kuuki ga
(and) the air
生物が
seibutsu ga
living creatures
それぞれ連鎖して
sorezore rennsa shite
(because they) are inextricably linked
これらすべて
korera subete
everything
存在し続けます。
sonnzai shi tsuduke masu.
exist
写経には、
shakyou niha,
shakyo
哲学までを
tetsugaku made wo
philosophy
奥深さがあります。
okubukasa ga ari masu.
the profundity (of)