I'm watching 'A Samurai in Time' and getting a little frustrated with the english subtitles compared with what the actors are actually say …anyway…
Just before a samurai dispatches a 'kirareyaku' he says something like "Joō Butsuyo" (1:31:45) which is translated as 'rest in nirvana'. Can anyone suggest what the actual expression is?
I'm watching 'A Samurai in Time' and getting a little frustrated with the english subtitles compared with what the actors are actually say …anyway…
Just before a samurai dispatches a 'kirareyaku' he says something like "Joō Butsuyo" (1:31:45) which is translated as 'rest in nirvana'. Can anyone suggest what the actual expression is?
No idea if this is correct but chatGPT thinks it knows the answer.
Yo Daddio, great catch — you're picking up on something a lot of subtitled martial arts and jidaigeki fans notice: poetic license in translation often bends the meaning for dramatic or cultural effect.
The phrase you heard — "Joō Butsuyo" — is likely a romanization of "浄土仏用" (Jōdo Butsuyō) or a similar-sounding Buddhist expression.
Let's break that down:
浄土 (Jōdo) = "Pure Land " — a Buddhist paradise or heaven, especially in Pure Land Buddhism (Jōdo-shū), which was popular among the samurai class.
仏 (butsu) = "Buddha"
用 (yō) = "service" or "use," but in this context, it may be more figurative or ceremonial
However, this isn't a standard phrase. More likely, what you're hearing is a stylized or slightly mispronounced version of:
"成仏せよ" (Jōbutsu seyo)
成仏 (Jōbutsu) = "to become a Buddha," meaning to pass on peacefully or achieve enlightenment after death.
せよ (seyo) = imperative form of "suru" (to do), so it's like a command: "Go become a Buddha."
So the samurai is essentially saying: "Go attain Buddhahood" or poetically, "Rest in nirvana" — which is a fair subtitle adaptation, even if it's not a literal translation.
This expression is quite common in samurai cinema when a character kills with mercy or honor, sending the soul to peace rather than damnation.
If you have the audio clip or can quote it more precisely, I can confirm the exact phrase. But "Jōbutsu seyo" is almost certainly what you're hearing.
One of my Iaido teachers suggested that at the end of a kata, once the coup de grâce, had been administered it might be respectful to say, internally, 'rise to heaven/Buddha/God'. 'Rest in Nirvana' sounded like a good thing to recite.
Be advised that nirvana is a not a concept taught in Pureland Buddhism. Because of this, translating a Pureland Buddhist's word into nirvana sounds very weird and will not make you any friends among Pureland Buddhists. And Pureland Buddhism is by far the largest denomination of Buddhism in Japan.
Also, nivana is not a place to rest, heaven is a place to rest.
Be advised that nirvana is a not a concept taught in Pureland Buddhism. Because of this, translating a Pureland Buddhist's word into nirvana sounds very weird and will not make you any friends among Pureland Buddhists. And Pureland Buddhism is by far the largest denomination of Buddhism in Japan.
Also, nivana is not a place to rest, heaven is a place to rest.
Buntaro, I suspect you didn't read the above posts very carefully, which is unfortunate.
1) ChatGPT san says halfway through its response, and after mentioning Pureland Buddhism, '…However, this isn't a standard phrase. More likely, what you're hearing is a stylized or slightly mispronounced version of:….' So it is dismissing its previous idea that it's anything to do with Pureland Buddhism. It then goes on to give a more likely interpretation.
2) I clearly stated that any phrase that I decided to adopted would be repeated 'internally', which means not out loud and in one's mind. Thus no proximal member of the Pureland sect would even be aware of any erroneous statement, which would not have been made anyway (see point 1).
I have a tessen with an inscription which I can't for the life of me, remember the translation. Google Translate isn't very helpful; one-eyed something or other. Can anyone help?
I have a tessen with an inscription which I can't for the life of me, remember the translation. Google Translate isn't very helpful; one-eyed something or other. Can anyone help? View attachment 127917
Can someone explain to me what does this word 手形 really mean here? ( my guess is some kind of commercial bill/paper ?)
context: protagonist A is working for a feudal lord during Sengoku era . One day the feudal lord of this clan ordered him to prepare things for a sudden field trip to Kyoto and Sakai. Then protagonist's subordinate B said she already took care of preparations for their trip (like money/food..etc)
Yes, nowadays its translated as "cheque". Not exactly sure from the context, but I'm guessing the format would be more like an IOU or some kind of Letter of Credit rom the daimyo , that a traveler could use as a cash equivalent.
During the Edo period, the shogunate prohibited the movement of people. But those with "Tegata" were allowed to travel.
The material is paper or wood. Officials and merchants who were constantly traveling carried wooden "Tegata". But farmers and women often had temporary paper "Tegata".
To be precise, there were no nationwide "Tegata" during the Sengoku period. Because there was no government that exercises control over the entire country. During the Sengoku period, there were many checkpoints that collected tolls by local lords.
And checkpoints were often built to maintain peace. To pass through the security checkpoints, the "Sekisho-Tegata" was required but not tolls. However, the checkpoints had many loopholes and were not very effective in maintaining public order. For this reason, checkpoints for the purpose of maintaining public order were not common during the Sengoku period.
What does 乗ってきたな mean here ?
=============================
I met this while reading an erotic novel, but not understand much and can only guess something as : "You're getting excited"
Hope someone knowledgeable in Japanese could explain clearly for me its meaning.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
…anyway…
