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Thread: Confirmation Name

  1. #1

    Confirmation Name

    Hi all,

    first of all, thanks for let me join the community.

    This is my first thread, and i am german, so maybe i mix up some things. My apologies in advance.

    I am on and off Soto Zen style meditation since i am 16 years old (now i am 44). I practiced with Sanghas and alone, from books and with teachers, but i never got a japanese confirmation name (maybe this is the wrong word for it, but i cant descripe it in any other way) and there was no need or wish for it.

    Three years ago, i joined a retreat in Germany, lead by Thich Nhat Hanh. I was impressed by his teaching, making it easy for everybody to understand Buddhas teaching, or at least as he understoods them.
    Anyway, along they offered to get connected with Thich Nhat Hanh by joining his community. Therefore you had to plead to be affiliated to buddhistic community before him and his monks and nuns and take vows connected the the eightfolded way.
    After this, you ve got an certificate with the vows AND a buddhistic name (no, i am not ordinated, pretty sure).
    To me, unfortunately, this name is in german, and not in vietnamese or maybe in japanese.

    My questions to you is: do you think i am allowed to translate this name (or let this name translated) in japanese? Yeah, maybe this sounds strange, but i feel more connected to Zen culture. The name given even refers to a picture i know from Zen culture (translated to english): "Everlasting recommencement of the heart". To me this refers to Suzukis "Zen Mind, Beginners Mind". What do you think? Maybe is there anybody in this Sangha who can help me out?

    Best regards & gassho, Stephan

  2. #2
    Hi Stephan,

    Welcome again.

    First off, a name is a name is a name ... a rose by any other name is as sweet ... what is your real name before your mother and father were born?

    But why not keep the name German? How is "Japanese" more "real Zen"? I did not know that Zen was a matter of German or Japanese. Nonetheless, you can also change it to Japanese if you wish. No reason not to do so either. German, Japanese or Swahili is all good.

    In fact, out of respect for tradition, I do hand out Chinese-Japanese names to folks each year as part of our Jukai. Kinda silly not to keep them in English or some other language (a few Sangha do so), but it just respects our Sino-Japanese roots. It may be a bit early for you to even to consider that, but you can read about it all here ...

    http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...I-TIME-2015%21

    If you would like my help to translate your name to Japanese, I will. Can you show me the picture? It would help.

    Gassho, Jundo

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  3. #3
    Thanks Jundo,

    i will consider the Junkai-Offer.

    Considering your last sentence: Do you mean a picture of this certificate from Thich Nhat Hanh? I can make scan and send it to you?
    The reason why its in german is that i got this name from a german nun on that reatreat, since we were divided into several small groups, lead by expirenced nuns and monks.

    Gassho, Stephan

    SatToday (straight like a queen and humble like a monk)

  4. #4
    Hi Stratoflash,

    No, I fully trust. It is just that I am not sure of the exact phrase, as there are a few possibilities. If it is not already written in Chinese characters, I can make something up for you.

    One thing, though, would you mind signing your posts with that name or Stephan, and posting a human face photo for all to see? As I wrote yesterday on another thread ...

    Though ... sorry to be pesky ... but avatars should be a human face (if not you actually ... we have some law enforcement folks who did not feel able to do that because of their work ... then someone in that general direction).

    Why? Although a picture of stones or the ocean is you, actually, in a very Buddhist way ...

    ... and none and all of that is your True Face Before Your Mother and Father Were Born (a famous Koan) ...

    ... also, we are human beings, and it is helpful for people to look into the eyes and see the smile of another human being. It is one of the little things we can do around here to make this place a bit more personal.

    So, sorry to ask, but please post an avatar of a human face. Thank you.

    Gassho, Jundo


    PS - Everyone should check out our confidentiality tips here, if you have not before ... it lets us open up to each other around here, but be smart about it too.

    http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...Sangha-Members
    Gassho, Jundo

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  5. #5
    Hi Jundo,

    well, i ve uploaded a picture. Up to now, i cant see it set to my posts, but i see it as avatar in my profile.

    Gassho, Stephan

  6. #6
    Hallo Stephan,
    I think this can be helped: go to "settings" (upper right), then look for "general settings" in the left column. Scroll down and select "show avatars". I can see your picture right now. You only need to change your own profile to view it yourself.
    PM me in German if I can be of help.

    If I may ask, what is the "Zen picture" your name is referring to?
    Is it an actual picture, like drawing or writing?
    And if your German dharma name means much to you, why not use it?
    I understand that Jundo would not mind.

    Viele Grüße,
    Gassho,
    Danny
    #sattoday

  7. #7
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by stratoflash View Post
    Hi Jundo,

    well, i ve uploaded a picture. Up to now, i cant see it set to my posts, but i see it as avatar in my profile.

    Gassho, Stephan
    Hello Stephan ... looks like you have everything setup just right with your Profile/Avatar photo, as I see you both on the forum threads and your profile. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    #sattoday

  8. #8
    Hi Danny, i guess this is a missunderstanding :-).

    I ve meant that this name, in german "Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens", (everlasting renewal of the heart), is to me a reference to one of the pictures / analogies that are used in the book "Zen Mind, Beginners Mind" for practitioners should keep a fresh mind toward things. Maybe this is not the same, but for me it is. I also found signs (vietnamese or japanese) near the german name. I guess i should scan it. Maybe someone of you could read it.

    Can i upload a file to post?

    Edit: I ll uploaded a scan on my public dropbox: see the signs by the german name https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...tratoflash.pdf

    Gassho,
    Stephan
    Last edited by stratoflash; 08-25-2015 at 08:18 PM.

  9. #9
    Ah, so the full phrase is the name that was given to you, I see.
    Maybe even a translation of the Vietnamese or Japanese writing?

    If you scan it or take a picture, you can upload it if you use the "Go Advanced" answering option.
    Maybe adjust file size. http://picresize.com can help you doing that.

    Gassho,
    Danny

  10. #10
    Ah, the Kanji written there are ...

    心常

    Shinjo = Heartmind/Always-lasting (actually, the "jo" is somewhat stretched in pronunciation, and is "jou" or "joo", but is okay to spell as "jo" in English. "Shin" sounds like the shin of your leg, and "jo" sounds like the man's name "Joe")

    新始

    Shinshi New/Beginning (this "shin" sounds also like the shin of your leg, and "shi" sounds like the "she" of "he and she").

    Thus: .... "everlasting renewal of the heart" or ""heart everlasting renewal"

    I believe that, in Buddhist terms, "Shinshi" is the daily use name (Shinjo the more formal full name we don't use, and which is not typical to give to people receiving Jukai). So, in Japanese you would be ...

    Shinshi

    However, I would so much like if you called yourself "Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens", and used that as your name. Really, long German names are SO COOL!

    Anyway ... a name is just a name is just a name ...

    Gassho, Jundo

    SatToday

    You can sign your posts either Stephan or Shinshi or "Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens", as you wish.
    Last edited by Jundo; 08-27-2015 at 12:39 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  11. #11
    Hi Jundo,

    thank you very much.

    I didnt know, that there were japanese Kanji written to it. But now i remember why: As i was given this certificat with the german name on it, i was a bit puzzled, for i would have expected to have a vietnamese name (Thich Nhat Hanh and his root temple are vietnamese CHAN buddhists ). On that retreat i made friends with a japanese nun. I asked her, what the vietnamese name would be, since she said that she could translate the german name to vietnamese. So her first translation step was to put the name to japanese (thats were the Kanjis are from) and then put the japanese to vietnamese, as you see also on the certificate above the Kanjis.

    Think, i would use "Shinshi", since "Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens" is quite long.

    Again, thank you very much.

    Gassho,

    Shinshi

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by stratoflash View Post

    Think, i would use "Shinshi", since "Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens" is quite long.

    Is the Buddha's True Name long or short, German or Japanese?

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  13. #13
    :-)

    Gassho, Shinshi

    SatToday

  14. #14
    Welcome, Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens (love that name).

    _/\_

    L.

    sat2day

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Luciana View Post
    Welcome, Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens (love that name).

    _/\_

    L.

    sat2day
    Me too. I want to be a Immerwährender Neubeginn des Herzens!

    _/\_
    If I'm already enlightened why the hell is this so hard?

  16. #16
    Very cool name.

    Gassho, sat today
    Welcoming Flower
    Geika
    Amelia
    求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
    I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.

  17. #17
    Nindo
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Amelia View Post
    Welcoming Flower
    Geika
    Amelia
    Maybe we should all translate our names to German

    Geika = Welcoming Flower = Willkommenheißende Blume

    Nindo = Path of Patience = Pfad der Geduld



    Gassho
    Nindo

  18. #18
    Thank you all.

    Gassho,

    Shinshi
    Gassho,

    Shinshi

  19. #19
    Sorry, but on reading this (about German long names) I just remembered a classical Monty Python's sketch. LOL!

    If it is inappropriate, please delete it.



    "Why is it that the world never remembered the name of Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern- schplenden- schlitter- crasscrenbon- fried- digger- dingle- dangle- dongle- dungle- burstein- von- knacker- thrasher- apple- banger- horowitz- ticolensic- grander- knotty- spelltinkle- grandlich- grumblemeyer- spelterwasser- kurstlich- himbleeisen- bahnwagen- gutenabend- bitte- ein- nürnburger- bratwustle- gerspurten- mitz- weimache- luber- hundsfut- gumberaber- shönedanker- kalbsfleisch- mittler- aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm?"

    LOL... Gassho.
    Last edited by Kyosei; 09-13-2016 at 08:51 PM.
    _/|\_

    Kyōsei

    強 Kyō
    声 Sei

    Namu kie Butsu, Namu kie Ho, Namu kie So.

  20. #20
    That's easy for you to say!


    Gassho
    Myosha
    sat today
    "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

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