A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings

Volume One: Foundations

Lessons in Grammar - Lesson 2: The Implicit Subject

We saw in the last lesson that Chinese sentences can usually be divided into a subject and a predicate. However, the subject is often unexpressed in declarative sentences when it can be understood from context. The preceding example (智慧增益) comes close since it is understood from context that it is the mother's wisdom that increases. In the examples below the subject is entirely implicit.

Example 2.1

Vocabulary
在	zài	at
舍衛	Shèwèi
國	guó	kingdom
祇樹	Qíshù	An abbreviation of 祇樹給孤獨園 (Skt. Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma)
花林窟	Huālínkū	(Skt.) Kareri-kuṭikā; literally “Flower-copse Cave”
大	dà	big, great
與	yǔ	together, with
比丘	bǐqiū	bhikṣu
眾	zhòng	assembly
千	qiān	thousand
二	èr	two
百	bǎi	hundred
五	wǔ	five
十	shí	ten
人	rén	man, men, people
俱	jū	together

佛在舍衛國祇樹花林窟與大比丘眾千二百五十人俱。

Note that in this passage, the preposition 與 (“with”) works with the verb 俱 (“together”).

Example 2.2

Vocabulary
唯	wéi	only; (a sentence-opening particle with no translatable meaning)
無上尊	wúshàngzūn	without superior, exalted one
為	wèi	to be, is
最	zuì	most
奇特	qítè	special, remarkable
神通	shéntōng	lit. “divine perspicacity”; Skt. abhijñā, divine powers, supernormal powers, supernormal cognitions.
遠達	yuǎndá	far reaching
威力	wēilì	authority, power, might
弘大	hóngdà	great, expansive

唯無上尊為最奇特、神通遠達、威力弘大

Note here that, in addition to dropping the subject in the second part of the sentence, no copula (verb like “to be”) is necessary in the second part of the sentence either.

Example 2.3

Vocabulary
入	rù	to enter
於	yú	(preposition) in, at
涅槃	nièpán	nirvana
斷	duàn	to cut off
結使	jiéshǐ	lit. “bounds and manipulations”; afflictions
消滅	xiāomiè	to destroy, to dispense with
戱	xì	funny, playful, absurd, fanciful, frivolous
論	lùn	discourse, discussion, theory, deliberations

諸佛入於涅槃、斷諸結使、消滅戱論。

Again, once the subject (諸佛) is understood, it is not necessary to repeat it for the following phrases.

Example 2.4

Vocabulary
戒	jiè	precepts; morality; (Skt. śīla)
慧	huì	Wisdom, insight

After describing the qualities of a Buddha, the text concludes:

佛有如是戒、有如是法、有如是慧

Example 2.5

Vocabulary
世尊	Shìzūn	World-Honored One
閑靜	xiánjìng	peaceful and quiet
處	chù	place
天耳	tiāněr	divine ear (one of the supernormal powers of a buddha)
清淨	qīngjìng	pure
作	zuò	to do, to make
議	yì	discussion, argument, opinion

After describing a discussion among the Buddha's disciples when the Buddha was not present, the text continues:

世尊在閑靜處。天耳清淨。聞諸比丘作如是議。

Example 2.6

Vocabulary
諦	dì	carefully
聽	tīng	to listen
善	shàn	well
思念	sīniàn	think on, contemplate
之	zhī	it

佛告諸比丘「諦聽。諦聽。善思念之」。

The verbs in quotations could, grammatically, refer to the Buddha himself. We know they are commands from the context.

Example 2.7

Vocabulary
成	chéng	to complete, to accomplish
最正覺	zuìzhèngjué	Lit. “most correct awakening,” Skt. abhisaṃbuddha

迦葉佛坐尼拘律樹下成最正覺。

Review 2

Page updated on 2019-02-09