A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings
Volume One: Foundations
Lessons in Grammar - Lesson 5: yǐ 以
以 is a co-verb, meaning “to take, use; with, by means of.”
Example 5.1
| 答 | dá | to answer, to reply |
| 具 | jù | together |
The Buddha returns to a gathering of his disciples and asks them what they have been
discussing...
Example 5.2
| 宿命智 | sùmìngzhì | knowledge of past lives (lit. past-destinies-wisdom) |
Example 5.3
| 善哉 | shànzāi | excellent! (哉 marks the previous as emphatic—the equivalent of an exclamation mark) |
| 平等 | píngděng | equal, with equanimity |
| 信 | xìn | faith |
| 修 | xiū | to cultivate, practice |
| 道 | dào | the Way, path, the Tao; to speak |
Note that in this example děng is used in two different ways: first as a plural
marker, and then as part of a compound indicating equanimity.
Example 5.4
After his enlightenment, the Buddha is reluctant to preach since he fears the beings of the world will not be able to understand his teachings. Brahma insists that there are some in the world who are capable of receiving his teachings. The Buddha then decides to have a look for himself...
| 眼 | yǎn | eye |
| 觀 | guān | to observe |
| 視 | shì | to see, to view |
| 世界 | shìjiè | world |
Example 5.5
以 can also be used to express purpose, “and thereby,” “in order to.”
| 手 | shǒu | hand |
| 執 | zhí | to grasp, to hold |
| 白 | bái | white |
| 蓋 | gài | parasol |
| 寶 | bǎo | precious; jeweled |
| 扇 | shàn | fan |
| 障 | zhàng | to impede, to protect from |
| 寒 | hán | cold |
| 暑 | shǔ | summer; heat |
When the bodhisattva is born, devas protect the infant by doing the following:
Example 5.6
| 增 | zēng | to increase |
| 伎 | jì | performers |
| 樂 | yuè | music; musicians (note that this word can also be read lè in which case it means “happiness”) |
| 悅 | yuè | to be pleased; to please |
| 心 | xīn | heart, mind |
To keep the bodhisattva from leaving the palace, his father did the following:
Example 5.7
| 泉 | quán | fountain, spring |
| 湧 | yǒng | to bubble forth, to spring forth |
| 出 | chū | out; to merge, go out |
| 溫 | wēn | warm |
| 冷 | lěng | cold; cool |
| 澡浴 | zǎoyù | bath; to bathe |
Immediately after the bodhisattva's birth, the following happened:
Example 5.8
| 簡擇 | jiǎnzé | to select |
| 婇 | cǎi | beautiful; colourful |
| 女 | nǚ | woman, women |
| 娛 | yú | to entertain |
| 樂 | lè | happy, joyful; pleasure |
To keep the bodhisattva at home, his father...
Example 5.9
The phrase shìyǐ 是以 means “because of,” “therefore.”
| 道 | dào | road |
| 逢 | féng | to meet |
| 老 | lǎo | old |
The king asks the bodhisattva's attendant why the boy is not happy. The attendant replies:
Example 5.10
| 默 | mò | silence, quiet |
| 然 | rán | (suffix forming stative verb, describing a continuing action or state) |
When Brahma encourages the Buddha to preach the Dharma, he explains that the people of the
world are not receptive to his teachings, concluding by saying...
Review 5
Page updated on 2019-02-09