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不可稱

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: indescribable

Senses:

  • Inexplicable; unassayable, uncountable. syn. with 不可思議, 不可說. etc. As a translation of the Sanskrit atulya ( 'unequalled' ), one of the ten great incalculable amounts 十大數 used in ancient India. These include (in Chinese) 阿僧祇, 無量, 無邊, 無等, 不可數, 不可稱, 不可思, 不可量, 不可說, and 不可說不可說. 〔華嚴經探玄記 T 1733.35.162b5〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, FGD, Hirakawa]
  • Unweighable (Skt: atolya). According to Harivarman in the Tattvasiddhi, in terms of the Four Elements 四大, things classified as Earth or Water have heaviness 重 and thus are weighable 可稱, while Wind (= air) and Fire have no weight and thus are unweighable. 〔成實論 T 1646.32.264c5-15〕 [Dan Lusthaus]
  • 〔無量壽經宗要 T 1747.37.130b9〕 [Charles Muller]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 901

    Bulgyo sajeon 327a

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 1155a

    Fo Guang Shan Dictionary 963

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0036

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)2293a

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2006-06-25

    Updated: 2020-09-07