Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

a chinese character

ShanJieshi2ShanJieshi2 bahia blanca Veteran

I'm having trouble deciphering this Chinese ideogram

you can?

Comments

  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    I am reliably informed it means Awaken / Awakened / Awakening

    VimalajātiShoshin1ShanJieshi2
  • VimalajātiVimalajāti Whitby, Ontario Veteran
    edited February 2022

    I think it's 覺, or "Bodhi"/"Awakening," further substantiating @Bunks's comment. Cursive and calligraphic Chinese is very hard to read, for me at least.

    Bunks, can you ask your friend who reliably informed you if I am correct?

    ShanJieshi2
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    I’ll show you what she wrote as it probably answers your question.

    觉 Awaken, Awakened, Awakening

    ShanJieshi2
  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran
    edited February 2022

    According to google translate this 觉 means 'sleep' also this one too 覺...However it would seem that it can means number of things depending on how it's used in a sentence ..
    Verb ='Feel' 'Sleep' 'Sense' 'Aware' 'Wake' 'Sight' 'Observe' 'Become aware of' 'Catch sight'

    Noun = 'Sleep' 'Nap'

    Bunks
  • ShanJieshi2ShanJieshi2 bahia blanca Veteran

    thanks to all!! They have been very well oriented!
    Handwriting is difficult... but we have overcome it.

  • ShanJieshi2ShanJieshi2 bahia blanca Veteran

    覺樹 bodhi tree
    覺士 bodhisattva
    大覺尊 Most honored Enlightened One

  • VimalajātiVimalajāti Whitby, Ontario Veteran
    edited February 2022

    @Bunks said:
    I’ll show you what she wrote as it probably answers your question.

    觉 Awaken, Awakened, Awakening

    Makes sense. Her using the simplified characters from the Chinese mainland is the difference here. I think the cursive example is a traditional character though.

  • VimalajātiVimalajāti Whitby, Ontario Veteran
    edited February 2022

    @Shoshin1 said:
    According to google translate this 觉 means 'sleep' also this one too 覺...However it would seem that it can means number of things depending on how it's used in a sentence ..
    Verb ='Feel' 'Sleep' 'Sense' 'Aware' 'Wake' 'Sight' 'Observe' 'Become aware of' 'Catch sight'

    Noun = 'Sleep' 'Nap'

    In Buddhist usage, there are three main dominant senses for this character. One is "realization, intuition, insight" and translates the Indian term "Bodhi" (i.e. "Awakening" or "Enlightenment") or even "Buddha" (i.e. "the Awakened")

    The second usage is related to "understanding, comprehension; intelligence," and translates loosely the term "buddhi" (i.e. "intellect").

    The last is "sensation, touch, contact, feeling, experience" and translates "pratisaṃvedayati" (i.e. "he is caused to experience") or even "vedanā."

    From these, other senses are derived, like the modern "sleep." Ironically, this sense of "sleep" actually comes from "to awaken from sleep" (hence the older usage of "Awakening" for this character).

    Imagine if, in order to say "There'll be three sleeps before Christmas," you said "There will be three awakenings before Christmas." That's how a verb for "to awaken" comes to mean "to sleep" and even becomes a counter for sleeps and naps. Random trivia.

    ShanJieshi2KotishkaShoshin1
Sign In or Register to comment.