I've run this case through ChatGPT-4 and here's what came out:
Chinese text: 舉。寶應顒和尚因。僧問。從上諸聖。向甚麼處去。應云。不上天堂。即入地獄。僧云。和尚又作麼生。應云。還知寶應老漢落處麼。僧擬議。應以拂子驀口打。復喚近前云。令合是汝行。又打一拂子。
代僧擬議處。以目視以手指。
Translation:
Case: Master Bao Ying Yong responds to a monk's question.
Monk: Where do all the great saints go after they pass away?
Yong: They don't go to heaven, nor do they enter hell.
Monk: What about you, Master?
Yong: Do you know where old Bao Ying will end up?
Monk: (tries to respond)
Yong: (hits him with a whisk) Come closer! Is that how you'd behave? (hits him again with the whisk)
Xutang's remark on behalf of the monk:
Instead of trying to respond, just look and point with your eyes and hands.
Line by line comparison:
舉。寶應顒和尚因。僧問。
Case: Master Bao Ying Yong responds to a monk's question.
從上諸聖。向甚麼處去。
Monk: Where do all the great saints go after they pass away?
應云。不上天堂。即入地獄。
Yong: They don't go to heaven, nor do they enter hell.
僧云。和尚又作麼生。
Monk: What about you, Master?
應云。還知寶應老漢落處麼。
Yong: Do you know where old Bao Ying will end up?
僧擬議。
Monk: (tries to respond)
應以拂子驀口打。復喚近前云。令合是汝行。又打一拂子。
Yong: (hits him with a whisk) Come closer! Is that how you'd behave? (hits him again with the whisk)
代僧擬議處。以目視以手指。
Xutang's remark on behalf of the monk: Instead of trying to respond, just look and point with your eyes and hands.
Here's my conversation with the chatbot on some nuance:
nub
What could this be translated as? 應云。不上天堂。即入地獄。
Bot
Yong said, "They don't go to heaven, nor do they enter hell."
nub
Could it also mean "If they don't go to heaven, they enter hell"?
Bot
Yes, it could also be translated as "If they don't go to heaven, they enter hell."
nub
Which one is more likely and why?
Bot
Given the context and the structure of the sentence, the more likely translation is "Not going to heaven, they enter hell." The reason for this choice is that the phrase 不上天堂 (not going to heaven) directly connects to 即入地獄 (they enter hell) with the use of 即 (then or immediately), which implies a direct relationship between the two actions.
Translating it as "If they don't go to heaven, they enter hell" would require a conditional structure in the original text, like 如果 (if) or 假如 (if, supposing), which is not present in the sentence. The original sentence appears to state a more definite outcome rather than a conditional one.
nub
What about "They don't go to heaven, nor do they enter hell"? Is that likely?
Bot
Yes, the translation "They don't go to heaven, nor do they enter hell" could also be a valid interpretation. In this case, 不上天堂 (not going to heaven) and 即入地獄 (they enter hell) are connected by 即, which can also mean "and" or "nor" depending on the context.
This interpretation suggests that the enlightened beings neither ascend to heaven nor descend into hell, perhaps implying that they transcend both realms or exist in a state beyond these dualistic concepts. This translation seems to be more consistent with Zen teachings that emphasize transcending dualities and not being attached to specific destinations or states.
Submitted March 16, 2023 at 04:36PM by dota2nub https://ift.tt/VfKaUyW
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