Well, this blog is a day late, but I was really excited to blog this week so I am going to post this anyways. I was really interested in learning about the words used in Analects and what a basic English equivalent is. I am attempting to learn Mandarin right now, and I am taking a course that teaches the 500 most frequently used words in Mandarin. The first thing I thought was interesting was the word tao, taught as "the way" in my course instead of just "way", was a common word used in everyday Mandarin. Then, the character for tao, 道, has the word for self, 自, in it. Like Matt said, we can't fully comprehend what exactly the Mandarin speakers mean by self. I would like to think that it means something similar to the concept of Self found in the Bhagavad-Gita, but I am no expert. However, it is similar to Self, then I would like to think it is nice that it is found within the word for "the way".
Any thoughts?
I found it interesting that you are taking Mandarin. It could help you gain a better understanding of text.There are so many different translations that finding the correct one is the difficult part. I feel as though when tao is translated into " the way" it is emphasizing a particular path. However, when it is translated into "way" it seems more open and that we are responsible for finding our way. There isn't a certain path we must go. The decision is made independently so there could be some connection to the Bhagavad -Gita regarding the self.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's any coincidence at all that "the way" contains the word for "self." After all, what does the Way seek to do aside from self-actualization?
ReplyDeleteBut on the relation to the Atman in the Bhagavad-Gita, I strongly doubt any direct reference to one or the other. Tao and Hinduism both have an entirely different view on what the self is, and likewise, I don't think they are related in a metaphysical ontological sense. Perhaps they refer to the same "being" (The eternal unchanging self), but it seems unlikely they refer it in the same context.
I'm with Al.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth remembering also that ancient Chinese is a very different language from modern Mandarin; many of the words and characters are the same, but what people mean by them constantly evolves.