Information on Rulu

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Zhen Li
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Information on Rulu

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Does anyone have information on the prolific translator Rulu?

Although his (?) website was apparently updated in 2022, his sutra translations page seems not to have been updated since 2018 and his last published book was 2016. Does anyone know why he stopped regularly publishing translations, or am I missing some new additions?
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Leo Rivers
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Re: Information on Rulu

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I HOPE this helps. I have Bodhisattva Precepts (2012c) AND IT IS A REVELATION! it has 6 sutras, 2 using the 10 wholesome deeds as precepts, the Bodhisattava bhumi in the Yogacara bhumi section on precepts, the second fascicle of the Brahma Net AND the complete Sutra on Upasaka precepts in 7 fascicles.This is simply a perfect you didn't know you couldn't live without it until you got it book. Seriously.

Leo

Rulu 如露,

Discussion published by Marcus Bingenheimer on Sunday, June 7, 2015

https://networks.h-net.org/node/6060/di ... lated-rulu

Dear colleagues,
This for those interested in translations from the Chinese canon:
In recent years a translator publishing under
the name Rulu 如露, has (self-) published six books containing a large number of first translations. As these books are not advertised on the academic publishing market, I would like to draw attention to them here:
Teachings of the Buddha (2009 [2012a]), Thinking of Amitābha Buddha (2011 [2012b]), Bodhisattva Precepts (2012c), The Bodhisattva Way (2013), Two Holy Grounds (2014), Transcending the World (2015). All available via Amazon and other sites. The first five contain first translations of the following Taisho numbers: 232, 270, 275, 293, 301, 347, 371, 396, 417, 600, 668, 830, 839, 937, 1022B, 1077, 1484, 1485, 1486, 1492, 1500. Many of these are short, but interesting texts. The translations are also available at Rulu's website: http://www.sutrasmantras.info/
I have added Rulu's considerable output to the Translation Bibliography at http://mbingenheimer.net/tools/bibls/transbibl.html. As usual inclusion does not mean endorsement. If someone working on Mahāyāna texts has used these new, sparsely annotated translations, I would be grateful to hear impressions (off-list please).
All the best
Marcus Bingenheimer (Temple University, Philadelphia)
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Zhen Li
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Re: Information on Rulu

Post by Zhen Li »

Thank you Leo. As usual, I appreciate your great enthusiasm for sutra literature.

I saw Bingenheimer's post a while ago, which is from when Rulu was more active. If Rulu lost time for translation due to family or health reasons, I hope all is well. It takes a lot of time to do translations—I do it as a part-time effort since it's not going to pay any bills.

This is slightly off-topic, but Bingenheimer's bibliography is strange to me. He includes Rulu, but there are dozens of other self-published translations that he doesn't include.

I emailed Bingenheimer about my own translations, and as far as I can tell he simply ignored my emails. I have run my translations by people who work as peer-reviewers for publications of Buddhist translations, who verified their accuracy (I hold a PhD in Buddhist studies, but not in Chinese, so I prefer not to publish stuff from Chinese under my own name—this may be part of it...). Moreover, the Secrets of the Tathāgata was equipped with a critical apparatus and a longer introduction than most translations published elsewhere.

Also, one of the most prolific translators of Chinese Agama texts is of course Charles Patton, who also self-publishes his work. Patton does not have a single citation in Bingenheimer's bibliography, despite having an output that is probably similar to Rulu in size.

How many other self-published translators are there who are not being acknowledged, and who we don't yet know about? I point this out simply because unless translators are self-advertising in some manner, we may never hear about their work. If Bingenheimer puts these up, it will at least help us know of them.
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Leo Rivers
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Re: Information on Rulu

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How many other self-published translators are there who are not being acknowledged, and who we don't yet know about?

Here's one

https://mike-cross.buddhasasana.net/index.htm
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Zhen Li
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Re: Information on Rulu

Post by Zhen Li »

Leo Rivers wrote: Mon Mar 07, 2022 10:24 am
How many other self-published translators are there who are not being acknowledged, and who we don't yet know about?

Here's one

https://mike-cross.buddhasasana.net/index.htm
Coincidentally, I was just reading that about 15 minutes ago!

Yes, there's a lot from Sanskrit that won't be on Bingenheimer's bibliography, since it's for Chinese translations. But I am sure there are some similar materials from Chinese many people don't know about.
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Leo Rivers
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Re: Information on Rulu

Post by Leo Rivers »

Rulu 如露 = water pouring spout, like a water pot
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