Question

Hello

As the patriarchs imported Buddhism (and thus the Chan / Zen) in China and in Japan, they translated the language of sutras in the local language. Why those who established and establish sanghas of Zen practice in the West, where the spoken languages are English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish do recite sutras in Sino - Japanese instead of using their native languages?

Sincerely,

Answer from Master Kosen

For us who are western and who are used to grabbing things in a intellectual way, to recite sutras in a language which is not ours favors the development of intuition. And, anyway, even the Japanese or the Chinese do not understand most of the sutras, which are not either in modern Japanese nor in modern Chinese.

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HelloAs the patriarchs imported Buddhism (and thus the Chan / Zen) in China and in Japan, they translated the language of sutras in the local language. Why those who established and establish sanghas of Zen practice in the West, where the spoken languages are English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish do recite sutras in Sino - Japanese instead of ...


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