Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

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第一句

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: first letter

Senses:

  • The first and supreme letter, a, the alpha of all wisdom 阿字 (Skt. prathamā). 〔大日經 T 848.18.42a3〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Nakamura,Soothill, Hirakawa]
  • The first phrase of a four-phrase verse 四句偈. [Griffith Foulk; source(s): Nakamura]
  • In the Chan/Zen tradition, a short utterance, such as the 'critical phrase'  話頭 of a kōan, that is conceived as pointing directly to an insight that is fundamentally beyond verbal expression; syn. 'a single phrase'  一句子. [Griffith Foulk; source(s): Nakamura]
  • The first phrase of a tetralemma 四句分別 〔倶舍論〕 [Griffith Foulk; source(s): Nakamura]
  • A phrase that expresses the cardinal truth 第一義諦. 〔景德傳燈錄〕 [Griffith Foulk; source(s): Nakamura]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bulgyo sajeon 790a

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 39

    Record of Linji: Rinzairoku (Yanagida) 65-1

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 932a

    Ding Fubao {Digital Version}

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0915

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1124-3

    Soothill 362

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    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: 2002-10-28

    Updated: 2012-07-11