Learning Chinese by reading taoist poems

[exorcist_1699]

Many taoist poems are simple yet profound , and , are suitable for being used as a medium for learning Chinese. The following are two of them I like a lot :

 

 

學道之人不識真

只因從前認識神

無量劫來生死種

痴人喚作本來人

 

 

有物先天地

無為本寂寥

能為萬物主

不逐四時凋

Edited May 10, 2008 by exorcist_1699

[Procurator]

Many taoist poems are simple yet profound , and , are suitable for using as a medium for learning Chinese. The following are two of them I like a lot :

學道之人不識真

只因從前認識神

無量劫來生死種

痴人喚作本來人

 

Hi 'exorcist_1699', I dont understand the last two lines. Would you be able to provide a translation. Much obliged.

[exorcist_1699]

Hi, Procurator, my superficial understanding , not direct translation , is :

 

Our pseudo self , i.e, our daily life ego , which most people desperately cling to and think that it is real , is ,in fact, an illusion ; Such attachment is also the cause of the endless transmigration of our soul. It is not until the appearance of the real ego, which unfortunately is deeply hidden , do we understand the real meaning of our life .

 

Just some rough idea to share , it seems you see deeper than me...and just try to give me a test :-)

Edited May 9, 2008 by exorcist_1699

[exorcist_1699]

The real ego , of course, is :

 

Buddha, in Buddhist term; Meta-Mind , in taoist term;

[Procurator]

Just some rough idea to share , it seems you see deeper than me...and just try to give me a test :-)

Thanks for the idea, but the my question was not about the phylosphy bu rather the language. I can not make sense out of last two lines grammatically so I hoped you could post a word by word translation. Could you please? )

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/mumonkan.htm

Mumon's Verse 頌曰

 

學道之人不識眞 Clinging to the deluded way of consciousness,

只爲從前認識神 Students of the Way do not realize truth.

無量劫來生死本 The seed of birth and death through endless eons:

癡人喚作本來人 The fool calls it the true original self.

 

(this translation does not make any sense to me either.)

Edited May 10, 2008 by Procurator

[exorcist_1699]

Although I am no good translator , I try it as follows; just a literal trial ,without any artistic consideration:

 

People who study Tao yet do not know the Reality/ Meta-Mind,

the reason is that they were bewildered by a false self;

seed giving rise to the endless transmigration of their soul ,

instead of being recognized as false , people call it a real ego, the Meta-Mind.

 

 

The Chinese edition of this poem I get is a little different from yours,

but meaning is nearly the same.

 

I translate the Chinese taoist term "元神" as Meta-Mind.

 

If I remember it correctly,the poem is written by a Buddhist monk living in the Tang Dynasty.

There is no surprise why a monk writes a poem looks taoist as there is no clear

dividing line between Buddhism and Taoism in China , at least , to those who know

what they are really talking about.

Edited May 10, 2008 by exorcist_1699

[Procurator]

 

There is no surprise why a monk writes a poem looks taoist as there is no clear

dividing line between Buddhism and Taoism in China , at least , to those who know

what they are really talking about.

So true. Thanks.