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Subject:Translation on back of Buddha
Posted By: Buff Springer Sun, Aug 23, 2020 IP: 2606:a000:72c6:4d00:

Would someone be able to translate what is on the back. Would like to have a better understanding of what this is. Thank You







Subject:Re: Translation on back of Buddha
Posted By: Buff Springer Tue, Aug 25, 2020

Received a E-Mail from Taiwan today with a translation. From what I see it was made for a specific family. Just wondering if this was possible. Want to share with you. 宋景平三年正月十日Jan. 10 (Chinese calendar date) of Song Dynasty, 3rd year of Jing Ping Emperor's reign which is AD425.
張法敬造佛像 If they did not miss any word...this means, Zhang Fa(name of the carpenter) made or carved the Buddha statue with great respect 一 There should be a hyphen
區夫妻普為四恩六道法界眾生但昇妙果 by Mr and Mrs Ou for the four kinds of compassion, six states of existence and all beings of dhamma-dhātu to attain enlightenment or nirvana.

Subject:Re: Translation on back of Buddha
Posted By: Ernest Wilhelm Wed, Aug 26, 2020

Sorry, my Chinese writing expert says: this is ugly simplified writing.
Ernest

Subject:Re: Re: Translation on back of Buddha
Posted By: Buff Springer Sun, Aug 30, 2020

Wanting to share some more information.
12:00 -12:50大川原町【地蔵堂】
六地蔵石塔、天文12年(1543)付けの銘文ある。市内現存最も古い地蔵である。地元の信仰が強い。管理人が毎月1日・20日掃除、通夜祀るという。 地蔵堂内保存している渡来仏金銅菩薩立像(高さ13.5cm、幅最大5.7cm)と半伽楊柳観音(高さ18cm)を調査。
 金銅菩薩立像背面の銘文:
 宋景平三年(425)正月十日
 張法敬造佛像一區
 夫妻普為四恩地道 →「地道」は「六道」か
 法界衆生但昇妙果 
とあり、年代に疑問があり、追刻の可能性がある。
半伽楊柳観音像の年代も古い。宋元時代の観音像を略写した観がある。(『平戸市史 民俗編』)
*三行目の「地道」は、メモを何度みても「地道」であります。あるいは小生の誤記かもしれませんが、仏教用語で「六道」と同義であれば、「ママ」で宜しいのでしょうか。[米谷均]
*大川原地蔵堂如来像の銘文の「地道」か「六道」の件、一見「地」に見えますが、実際は「六」だと思います。ご参考に添付の写真ファイル確認してください。「四恩」と「六道」は対句になっています


12:00 to 12:50] [Jizodo town Okawara
There inscription dated (1543) 12 years Rokujizo pagoda, astronomy. It is the oldest extant city Jizo. Local faith is strong. Sun, 20 janitor cleaning the first day of the month, that the worship wake. Kannon investigate Crepe half Gaya (18cm height) (13.5cm height, 5.7cm width maximum) and gilt bronze Bodhisattva Buddha statue is being saved in Jizodo introduction.
Inscription on the back of the bronze statue of Bodhisattva:
Three years ten days Kagehera New Year Song (425)
One gu Buddha statue structure Kei Cheung Law
Or "deities" "steady" → steady Zion for his wife 普
However strange beings rise results Hokai
There is, and there is doubt about the age, there is a possibility of additional time.
Old age of Kannon Crepe Gaya half. There is a view that I took almost a Kannon statue of Song Yuan Dynasty. ("Hen folk history Hirado")
* Times "steady" in the third line, I will be "steady" even if only a note. It may be errors in yours truly, Will you okay with "mama" if synonymous with "deities" or in Buddhist terminology. [Hitoshi Hiroshi]
* Looks of the "deities" or "steady" the inscription Jizodo Okawara Buddha statue, the "earth" at first glance, I actually thought was "six". Please check the attached photo files for your references. "Deities" and "Zion" has become a couplet.



Subject:Re: Re: Translation on back of Buddha
Posted By: I.Nagy Mon, Sep 07, 2020

Here is my translation of Japanese text (numerical figures omitted). I hope it's better than the Google translator's one.

Ǒgawara-machi, Jizō-dō (Temple hall with Ksitigarbha (Jizō) image)
Six Boddhisatvas stone pagoda, inscription dated;
12th Year of Tenbun (1543). It is the oldest Boddhisattva sculpture in town. The faith of locals is strong toward it. The caretaker cleans it on the 1st and 20th of each month. It is said that he prays all-night there. I examined the gilt bronze standing statue of Boddhisatva and the Guanyin statue with the willow-branch - both foreign origin.
Inscription on the back of gilt bronze standing statue of Boddhisatva:
Song Dynasty, 3rd Year of Jingping Era (425), 10th of January
Zhang Fa erected this Buddha statue with respect
Man and wife for the four kind of compassions and six ways of existence of all beings in Dharma's realm in hope to attain the wonderful fruit of bodi (enlighetment and nirvana).
There is some doubt about the age. The engravings could have been added later. The Guanyin statue in half lotus position with willow-branch in hand is old, too. There is an opinion that it's a simplified copy of a Song - Yuan eara Guanyin. (History of Hirado City, Vol. Etnohistory)
The rest of Japanese text is about the reading of some obscure characters, and the meaning of Buddhist words.

In my opinion in the 一區 expression the 一 is
one (number), not a hyphen. The 區 is a quantifier (used to count nouns in Chinese - there
hundreds of them - however, this one is not used in contemporary Mandarin Chinese. Namely, one piece of Buddha statue. On the other hand in the Chinese 一 is not used as hyphen.
Therefore, the name of the person (man and wife) who got erected the statue was called Zhang Fa, and not Mr. and Mrs. Ou - at least according to my humble opinion.

With regards,
I.Nagy


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