the character 歩

Looking for translations, or for help with translations and transliterations? This is the place.
Post Reply
User avatar
Johnny Dangerous
Global Moderator
Posts: 17092
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:58 pm
Location: Olympia WA
Contact:

the character 歩

Post by Johnny Dangerous »



Hi all, this is a character being brought up in the context of a detailed discussion of (historically Okinawan) martial arts and their possible connection to Buddhism I am having. I am told that this character means "steps" or "stages" roughly, is this so, and would this character also find it's way into Buddhist terminology?
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
User avatar
FiveSkandhas
Posts: 917
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 6:40 pm

Re: the character 歩

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:14 am

Hi all, this is a character being brought up in the context of a detailed discussion of (historically Okinawan) martial arts and their possible connection to Buddhism I am having. I am told that this character means "steps" or "stages" roughly, is this so, and would this character also find it's way into Buddhist terminology?
It's used for "steps" pretty frequently...I mean like actual physical footsteps, among other things. So if you are involved in physical martial arts there may be a connection there.

As you noted it also means "level" and "small degree" or "small amount."

一歩一歩 means "step by step" as in measured progress, colloquially, and I've seen it shortened to 歩歩 in Buddhist contexts.
"One should cultivate contemplation in one’s foibles. The foibles are like fish, and contemplation is like fishing hooks. If there are no fish, then the fishing hooks have no use. The bigger the fish is, the better the result we will get. As long as the fishing hooks keep at it, all foibles will eventually be contained and controlled at will." -Zhiyi

"Just be kind." -Atisha
User avatar
Johnny Dangerous
Global Moderator
Posts: 17092
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:58 pm
Location: Olympia WA
Contact:

Re: the character 歩

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

FiveSkandhas wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:31 am
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:14 am

Hi all, this is a character being brought up in the context of a detailed discussion of (historically Okinawan) martial arts and their possible connection to Buddhism I am having. I am told that this character means "steps" or "stages" roughly, is this so, and would this character also find it's way into Buddhist terminology?
It's used for "steps" pretty frequently...I mean like actual physical footsteps, among other things. So if you are involved in physical martial arts there may be a connection there.

As you noted it also means "level" and "small degree" or "small amount."

一歩一歩 means "step by step" as in measured progress, colloquially, and I've seen it shortened to 歩歩 in Buddhist contexts.
So it is a general term? How would you precisely translate that in a Buddhist context? Step-step?
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
User avatar
FiveSkandhas
Posts: 917
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 6:40 pm

Re: the character 歩

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:50 am
FiveSkandhas wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:31 am
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:14 am

Hi all, this is a character being brought up in the context of a detailed discussion of (historically Okinawan) martial arts and their possible connection to Buddhism I am having. I am told that this character means "steps" or "stages" roughly, is this so, and would this character also find it's way into Buddhist terminology?
It's used for "steps" pretty frequently...I mean like actual physical footsteps, among other things. So if you are involved in physical martial arts there may be a connection there.

As you noted it also means "level" and "small degree" or "small amount."

一歩一歩 means "step by step" as in measured progress, colloquially, and I've seen it shortened to 歩歩 in Buddhist contexts.
So it is a general term? How would you precisely translate that in a Buddhist context? Step-step?
歩歩 is a little unclear to me but it seems to mean the same thing as "step by step", just written without the "一"
"One should cultivate contemplation in one’s foibles. The foibles are like fish, and contemplation is like fishing hooks. If there are no fish, then the fishing hooks have no use. The bigger the fish is, the better the result we will get. As long as the fishing hooks keep at it, all foibles will eventually be contained and controlled at will." -Zhiyi

"Just be kind." -Atisha
humble.student
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2015 1:35 pm

Re: the character 歩

Post by humble.student »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:14 am

Hi all, this is a character being brought up in the context of a detailed discussion of (historically Okinawan) martial arts and their possible connection to Buddhism I am having. I am told that this character means "steps" or "stages" roughly, is this so, and would this character also find it's way into Buddhist terminology?
Yes:, from the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism:


Basic Meaning: step
Senses: A pace (Skt. pada; patti; Tib. dpung bu chung, gom pa). 〔瑜伽論 T 1579.30.283b24〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Nakamura, Soothill]

步步
Basic Meaning: step by step
Senses: Gradually. Alternative rendering of 歩歩 (Skt. kramakrameṇa). 〔正法華經 T 263.9.82a25〕 [Charles Muller]

---

The DDB also lists a bunch of other occurrences; the 7 steps baby Buddha took; to walk, go for a stroll, various types of infantry, etc.

Also this, perhaps not unrelated to certain physical disciplines:

一息半步
Basic Meaning: one breath at half a step
Senses: To take half a step with each breath. The manner of walking meditation. [Charles Muller; source(s): Yokoi]
User avatar
Johnny Dangerous
Global Moderator
Posts: 17092
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:58 pm
Location: Olympia WA
Contact:

Re: the character 歩

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Do you two mind if I reproduce what you have written here in my martial-arts related conversation?

The specific issue is that the person I am talking to says that he believes the character might exclusively refer to physical steps. I suspected this was not so, and that was my reason for asking. It appears that I am correct then, and that the character is fairly broadly applicable to steps or stages, as well as physical steps, including such notions found in Buddhism. Is that correct?
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
SilenceMonkey
Posts: 1448
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Re: the character 歩

Post by SilenceMonkey »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:42 pm Do you two mind if I reproduce what you have written here in my martial-arts related conversation?

The specific issue is that the person I am talking to says that he believes the character might exclusively refer to physical steps. I suspected this was not so, and that was my reason for asking. It appears that I am correct then, and that the character is fairly broadly applicable to steps or stages, as well as physical steps, including such notions found in Buddhism. Is that correct?
I don't think it would refers to stages... In the DDB, all of the definitions are literally about walking. The most conceptual it gets there is "wandering" 遊步, as in wandering off in the forest without a particular destination.

Stages might be 地 or 階段.

I've also heard 一步一步得走 in a chan context, meaning to go slowly but surely, putting one foot in front of the other. Often translated as "to go step by step."
User avatar
Johnny Dangerous
Global Moderator
Posts: 17092
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:58 pm
Location: Olympia WA
Contact:

Re: the character 歩

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

SilenceMonkey wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:17 pm
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:42 pm Do you two mind if I reproduce what you have written here in my martial-arts related conversation?

The specific issue is that the person I am talking to says that he believes the character might exclusively refer to physical steps. I suspected this was not so, and that was my reason for asking. It appears that I am correct then, and that the character is fairly broadly applicable to steps or stages, as well as physical steps, including such notions found in Buddhism. Is that correct?
I don't think it would refers to stages... In the DDB, all of the definitions are literally about walking. The most conceptual it gets there is "wandering" 遊步, as in wandering off in the forest without a particular destination.

I've also heard 一步一步得走 in a chan context, meaning to go slowly but surely, putting one foot in front of the other. Often translated as "to go step by step."
My question is whether or not it refers exclusively to physical steps, or if the steps might be referring non-physical sequential steps, etc.

I.e if something is translated as "36 steps" or similar, does it need to exclusively mean 36 physical steps, or might it have another meaning?
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
SilenceMonkey
Posts: 1448
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Re: the character 歩

Post by SilenceMonkey »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:19 pm
SilenceMonkey wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:17 pm
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:42 pm Do you two mind if I reproduce what you have written here in my martial-arts related conversation?

The specific issue is that the person I am talking to says that he believes the character might exclusively refer to physical steps. I suspected this was not so, and that was my reason for asking. It appears that I am correct then, and that the character is fairly broadly applicable to steps or stages, as well as physical steps, including such notions found in Buddhism. Is that correct?
I don't think it would refers to stages... In the DDB, all of the definitions are literally about walking. The most conceptual it gets there is "wandering" 遊步, as in wandering off in the forest without a particular destination.

I've also heard 一步一步得走 in a chan context, meaning to go slowly but surely, putting one foot in front of the other. Often translated as "to go step by step."
My question is whether or not it refers exclusively to physical steps, or if the steps might be referring non-physical sequential steps, etc.

I.e if something is translated as "36 steps" or similar, does it need to exclusively mean 36 physical steps, or might it have another meaning?
Take a look yourself?
http://www.buddhism-dict.net/cgi-bin/dd ... =%E6%AD%A5
User avatar
Johnny Dangerous
Global Moderator
Posts: 17092
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:58 pm
Location: Olympia WA
Contact:

Re: the character 歩

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Not particularly illuminating, and would require me to have more language skills than I do to glean anything.

I am going to assume it in fact can refer to non-physical steps in a manner similar to the English word, since a repetition of the character is said to mean something like "gradually".
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
humble.student
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2015 1:35 pm

Re: the character 歩

Post by humble.student »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:42 pm Do you two mind if I reproduce what you have written here in my martial-arts related conversation?

The specific issue is that the person I am talking to says that he believes the character might exclusively refer to physical steps. I suspected this was not so, and that was my reason for asking. It appears that I am correct then, and that the character is fairly broadly applicable to steps or stages, as well as physical steps, including such notions found in Buddhism. Is that correct?
By all means, please do. I was just referring to the handy online Buddhist dictionary anyways.

But your mate need not take the word of some random stranger on the internet for it, he can check a decent dictionary such as this one:
https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/Lindict/
(scroll down a bit after searching for 步)

You're right, and your friend seems to be taking too narrow a view, since the examples show that it not only means a physical step as a noun or verb, but also functions in a slightly more abstract sense as steps in a procedure.
amanitamusc
Posts: 2124
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:32 am

Re: the character 歩

Post by amanitamusc »

If this character is not Buddhist i''m going to be pissed! I have it tattooed on my neck. :tantrum:
Post Reply

Return to “Language”