# Buddha consists in the way man lives in truth



## Ted D'atlanta

I'd appreciate it if anyone could help with this translation.  I have an idea of what's it's about but I can't get all of it.  
   Thanks


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## luckyguy

My attempt is:
The Buddha is what of the person who lives in truth.

But, I don't have confidence and hope anyone gives better translation....


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## Flaminius

Two grammatical points render a solemn air for the sentence.
～とは (-towa): This postposition indicates that a definition follows of the noun it modifies.
姿 (sugata): This abstract noun means "one being looked at."  Appearance is a handy single word but does not suffice as a translation since it connotes superficiality.  "The way one does" may be a better translation.

In toto, I would translate the sentence as:
Buddha consists in the way man lives in truth.

For a translation more faithful to the functional relationships between the elements, it seems to me inevitable that English resorts to colloquial style.
You know what Buddha is?  If you see someone and they are living in truth, you see Buddha right there.

Flaminius,
who has some difficulty telling Buddha from bubba.


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## Ted D'atlanta

Thank you for your help.  I think  姿 was the main thing that was giving me trouble.


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## Captain Haddock

How's this for a smoother translation:

"To see a man living in truth is to see the Buddha."


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## Ted D'atlanta

人の姿である　真実に生きる　仏とは.  Is this correct?  i couldn't tell if it was て or で and I'm having trouble interpreting the 5th down in the middle, I put き.


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## Flaminius

Ted, you got everything right except the order.
仏とは真実に生きる人の姿である。

When written vertically, Japanese reads from right to left.


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## Ted D'atlanta

Thank you very much Flaminius. What if The slope went from Upper Left to Lower Right (the opposite), would it still be read from right to left?  nevertheless, thank you very much.  (I guess that's why the spines on japanese books are on the right side and not the left)


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## luckyguy

I think "Buddha" metaphorically means the one who is spiritually awakened. 

Through this thread I realized that we can be spiritually awakened(悟る[satoru]) from our dairy life, not by special training, and the most important thing is to have a sense to be so.


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