Difference between revisions of "Sanskrit"
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==Buddhism and Sanskrit== | ==Buddhism and Sanskrit== | ||
| − | Despite many people thinking that Sanskrit is only associated with [[Hinduism]], all of the [[Dharma|Dharmic]] [[religion]]s use Sanskrit. To this day, there are many Buddhist scholars, professors and linguists who have formally learned Sanskrit at places such as [[University of California, Berkeley]], [[Stanford University]] and [[Harvard]] and have translated into [[English]] several hundred Buddhist Sutras and Shastras from the classic Buddhist masters such as [[Nagarjuna]], [[Shantideva]], [[Atisha]] and [[Vasubandhu]]. These Sutras and Shastras use a special form of Sanskrit referred to by Sanskritists as "BHS" or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. During the [[Tang dynasty]] in [[China]] there were vast facilities dedicated to the | + | Despite many people thinking that Sanskrit is only associated with [[Hinduism]], all of the [[Dharma|Dharmic]] [[religion]]s use Sanskrit. To this day, there are many Buddhist scholars, professors and linguists who have formally learned Sanskrit at places such as [[University of California, Berkeley]], [[Stanford University]] and [[Harvard]] and have translated into [[English]] several hundred Buddhist Sutras and Shastras from the classic Buddhist masters such as [[Nagarjuna]], [[Shantideva]], [[Atisha]] and [[Vasubandhu]]. These Sutras and Shastras use a special form of Sanskrit referred to by Sanskritists as "BHS" or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. |
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| + | During the [[Tang dynasty]] in [[China]] there were vast [[Emperor]]-sponsored facilities dedicated to the massive project of translating thousands of volumes of Buddhist texts from Devanagari and Siddham-based Sanskrit to [[Hanzi]] traditional characters. These Hanzi characters are the [[Chinese]] script used continuously since the [[Han dynasty]] (hence [[Han]]-zi) until [[Chairman Mao]] forced China to switch to simplified characters so they could only read [[Communist]] works. During the Tang, [[Kumarajiva]] was one of the most famous translators. When Kumarajiva's Sanskrit translations made from [[Chinese]], [[Korean]] and [[Japanese]] into modern English are compared with the more recently made translations direct from Sanskrit to Engish, there is a high degree of similarity. | ||
==Ayurvedic Medicine and Sanskrit== | ==Ayurvedic Medicine and Sanskrit== | ||
Revision as of 07:50, January 10, 2015
Sanskrit is an Indo-Aryan language that dates to about the 5th century B.C. It is also the language in which the Hindu and Buddhist Sutra and Shastra scriptures and all of the major classical texts of Ayurvedic medicine were written.
Although it is no longer spoken in daily life except among Ayurvedic physicians and scholars in India, it is still used for religious purposes by Hindus and Buddhists who either recite certain scriptures and mantras in Sanskrit even if they do not know the meanings since they are taught that such recitation induces meditative states called samadhi.
The Indic languages, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, and Gujurati are modern day descendants of Sanskrit. It is one of the fifteen official languages of the Indian constitution.
Buddhism and Sanskrit
Despite many people thinking that Sanskrit is only associated with Hinduism, all of the Dharmic religions use Sanskrit. To this day, there are many Buddhist scholars, professors and linguists who have formally learned Sanskrit at places such as University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University and Harvard and have translated into English several hundred Buddhist Sutras and Shastras from the classic Buddhist masters such as Nagarjuna, Shantideva, Atisha and Vasubandhu. These Sutras and Shastras use a special form of Sanskrit referred to by Sanskritists as "BHS" or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.
During the Tang dynasty in China there were vast Emperor-sponsored facilities dedicated to the massive project of translating thousands of volumes of Buddhist texts from Devanagari and Siddham-based Sanskrit to Hanzi traditional characters. These Hanzi characters are the Chinese script used continuously since the Han dynasty (hence Han-zi) until Chairman Mao forced China to switch to simplified characters so they could only read Communist works. During the Tang, Kumarajiva was one of the most famous translators. When Kumarajiva's Sanskrit translations made from Chinese, Korean and Japanese into modern English are compared with the more recently made translations direct from Sanskrit to Engish, there is a high degree of similarity.
Ayurvedic Medicine and Sanskrit
Although many people wrongly think that Sanskrit is only connected with Hinduism, it is to this day a required subject at the formal Ayurvedic medical university setting in India.
According to renowned Ayurvedic physician and author, Dr. Vasant Lad, since the 8th century A.D. until the present day in India, Ayurvedic medicine doctors have to memorize via Devanagari script thousands of verses of the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita and the Astanga Hridayam and be able to recite them out loud in order to pass their Ayurvedic medical degree oral examinations.
Even in America, where Ayurveda has only been popularized since 1978 when Dr. Lad helped introduce it to American medical practitioners who formally studied with him at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, most beginning Ayurvedic practitioners learned at least 150 to 200 words of Ayurvedic Sanskrit. More experienced Ayurvedic practitioners in the USA know up to 300 words of medical Sanskrit.
See Also
References
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