Central China Normal University

I used to learn Chinese in Vietnam in 4 years, but I found a problem during my course of reading and studying Chinese literature, especially for classic references concerned to Buddhism. That problem is vocabulary. There are many words concerned to Buddhist terms in treasure of Chinese words. There are many words of notions and concepts concerned to Buddhist originated from Buddhist idioms. These words lent from Chinese have a slight change in their meanings, some are newly meanings, and some are derivative with their great difference with their original words. I do desire to learn this problem. Thus, it is my research subject as soon as I am a post-graduated in China.I select this topic based mainly on three dictionaries of idioms: Feng Shui's Dictionary of Common-used idioms, Ha Son's Dictionary of Computer Company, and Yang Ren Zhi's Grand Dictionary of Ancient and Modern idioms. By using methods of statistics and research to find out Buddhist terms, words, or Buddhist-originated sources, from which, based on relationship between Buddhist language and culture, I analyze Buddhist influence to Buddhist-originated idioms in Chinese. They are principally studying objects in this essay.Idioms are a shaped structure with their profound meanings in each sentence, and syntax that people used to them from a long time. They are a form of fixation aimed to express a complete content;it is, however, a characteristically part of linguistic vocabulary. Each language has a great amount of bright, living idioms. Their contents and forms display their nationally specific characteristics that are brighter and clearer than words. They are nationally cultural panorama, and also one of the most valuable form of display and the oldest human cultural characters. Idioms are not created overnight, but experienced through many generations. They are summarized from real life and labor. It can be said that they are results from human thought through observation and rationalism. They are products from human living experience. It is thus a subject of limits, restraints, and ties of social situation reality and natural world. Therefore, those who use idioms proficiently, are those whose knowledge, and awareness of the world are increased. Behind languages always contain a certain characteristics of humancivilization history and display of nationally cultural traditions as well. E. Safer said that: "Language cannot be escaped from cultural to exist and handed down as being escaped from society. Languages express custom of living appearance and religious whole."Principal contents of this essay consist of three parts:Chapter 1 consists of: a general introduction to Buddhism into China, Buddhist culture's influence to Chinese, how do Buddhist idioms incorporated into China system? A number of Buddhist idioms in the three above dictionaries, Buddhism - one of the oldest and most worldwide religions. Buddhism was born in India, by Gautama Buddha, and introduced into China at the late sixth and middle of the ninth centuries (i.e under Sui and Tang). This was its golden age in which Buddhist classical references were increasingly translated to make a great number of Buddhist terms from Sanskrit language, and to enrich Chinese vocabularies. This was also a period that opened idea and cultural exchange between China and outside world. India's old and bright idea and cultural that, through translated classic references, was introduced into China, nearly 200 years, absorbed into all social fields with its great influence. The exchange and toleration between cultures were reflected through languages.Chapter 2: by methods of analysis and demonstration, and illustrative examples to survey all sources of Buddhist idioms creation, then we introduced Buddhist idea reflected idioms from contents in Buddhism itself. In our daily living, a number of familiar words are not believed of Buddhism,, but in reality, Buddhism-originated idioms became an important part in treasure of Chinese vocabularies. Such examples of general dogmas as: "Mahabhuta", "the six organs and their purification in order to develop their unlimited power and interchange," " not to be infected by a grain of dust", "great loving-kindness", " to deliver or save all beings", "inability to personal doubt", "time's revenge of karma",etc. In legends there are: "borrow flowers to worship Buddha", "Goddesses disperse flowers", "house construction in air", etc. Other examples are: "innumerable", "the ocean of misery, to turn the mind from evil to good". In religious practices are idioms of: "think in flowers to smile", "the former state of things". Idioms of Buddhist rites are of "a milk product anointing", "five members of the body touching ground", "give one's whole mind at incense burning".Additionally, a number of idioms are made from Buddhist idioms as: "to cast pearls before swine", "to concern oneself with one's own duty", "create a block", "landbuffaloes into sea", "appeal to help of Buddhists idioms, yet simple, but contain a profound moral codes, living style of worldliness, richness in images, humoristic but metaphoric. They are conversational languages with their common idioms. It is a part to enrich the expressive characteristics in Chinese.Chapter 3 discusses about the semantic derivative in Buddhist idioms, while Chinese idioms are the inseparable part of Chinese culture, and they also contain Buddhist ideas. Learning and studying Buddhism-originated idioms help us both to understand Chinese idioms, learn further on the way of the world, customs, habits and cultural traditions of many different areas in China, and some Buddhist ideas.