This is another in a series of weekly blog posts comparing and contrasting the Sanskrit and Chinese Lotus Sutra translations.
In H. Kern’s English translation of the 11th century Nepalese Sanskrit Lotus Sutra, the Dhārānis chapter appears between The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas chapter and The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva. And that’s the most significant difference between Kern’s Spells chapter and Kumārajīva’s Dhārānis chapter.
The two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, and ten female rākṣasa demons and the mother of demons each make an appearance. Each offers what Kern describes as “talismanic words for guard, defense, and protection.”
There are as many differences between English translations of Kumārajīva’s Chinese Lotus Sutra as there are between Kern’s translation and those of Kumārajīva.
Kern opens the chapter with:
Thereupon the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja rose from his seat, and having put his upper robe upon one shoulder and fixed the right knee upon the ground lifted his joined hands up to the Lord and said: How great, O Lord, is the pious merit which will be produced by a young man of good family or a young lady who keeps this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law, either in memory or in a book?
Senchu Murano opens translation of Kumārajīva with:
Thereupon Medicine-King Bodhisattva rose front his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his hands together towards the Buddha, and said to him:
“World-Honored One! How many merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read, recite, understand or copy the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma?”
The difference between Kern’s action “keeps this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law, either in memory or in a book” and Murano’s “keep, read, recite, understand or copy the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma” is consistent among the English translators of Kumārajīva.
Gene Reeves opens his “Incantations” chapter with:
At that time Medicine King Bodhisattva rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, put his palms together facing the Buddha, and said to him: “World-Honored One, if there are good sons or good daughters who can embrace the Dharma Flower Sutra, read and recite it, gain insight into it, or copy it onto a scroll, how many blessings will they obtain?”
Burton Watson opens his “Dharani” chapter with:
At that time Bodhisattva Medicine King rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, pressed his palms together and, facing the Buddha, spoke to him, saying, “World-Honored One, if there are good men or good women who can accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra, if they read and recite it, penetrate its meaning, or copy the sutra scrolls, how much merit will they gain?”
Another minor difference is the predicted reaction if someone abuses a person protected by the Dhārānis. Kern has Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja say:
. All these Buddhas would be offended by any one who would attack such preachers, such keepers of the Sūtrānta.
Murano has Medicine-King Bodhisattva say:
Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”
This difference between Kern’s “offended” Buddhas and the “attack and abuse” of Buddhas in Murano is consistent among the English translators of Kumārajīva.
The Modern Risshō Kōsei-kai translation has:
Those who would persecute the teachers of the Dharma will have persecuted these buddhas.
The BDK English Tripiṭaka offers:
Anyone who attacks or slanders an expounder of the Dharma also attacks or slanders these buddhas.
One other difference is Kern’s description of the rākṣasas demons as “giantesses.” Since rākṣasas is a Sanskrit term for an Indian mythological creature, one would expect that even in 1884, when Kern was translating the Lotus Sutra, they would not be described as “giantesses.” As described in Lotus World, the rākṣasas are “flesh eating, blood drinking, or spirit draining demons.”
The only English translator of Kumārajīva who doesn’t call these demons rākṣasas is Gene Reeves, who calls them “ogresses.” But that is prompted by Reeves decision to change the names of all of the Indian mythological creatures into Greek and Roman equivalents.