Could someone help me to translate the following Japanese text ?

[vmirinav]

If someone could help me translate the text above I would be very grateful.

 

[Glenn]

From what I can gather it's a Buddhist in, and it's name means something like "the in of becoming all things." The text describes how to do it, but I don't totally get the description. From another source I gather that the right hand goes on top of the left hand and the palms face each other, then there's more description about what to do with your fingers. I don't know what the English word for in would be, but it's what they use in Naruto to refer to the hand gestures/signs/whatever, if that helps.

 

[Toritoribe]

Mudra seems like the English translation of "in".

Mudra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There might be typos and omissions there. Google search says that the original is :

其印以定慧(The meaning is close to 恵, though)手。作不動尊刀印。以刀刃互挿掌中。即成。

刀印 refers to the mudra of the picture above. I don't know 不動尊刀印 is the same as this, though. It seems to say that 1)form this mudra with both hands, 2) insert the swords(the index finger and middle finger) of both hands to the other hand each other.

 

[Morphling]

It's arguable if its Japanese at all or 漢文. To me the grammar follows 文言 rules. Subject verb object.

 

[Glenn]

漢文 doesn't mean it isn't Japanese, but it could very well be Chinese. It's a bit ambiguous to me, although the sources I found were in Chinese.

 

[Toritoribe]

It seems to be quoted from a Buddhist scripture, so it would be Chinese. It can be read in Japanese using 訓読[くんどく], though.

その印をもって慧手を定む。不動尊（の）刀印を作る。刀刃をもって互いに掌中に挿す。即ち成る。
(I think その印、慧手をもって定む。 is more appropriate to the context. I'm not certain if it's possible to read it in this way, though.)

 

[Morphling]

(I think その印、慧手をもって定む。 is more appropriate to the context. I'm not certain if it's possible to read it in this way, though.)

後者の方がだと思いますね。多分

 

[Toritoribe]

Well, the problem is, I think, the order of the kanji should be 其印定以慧手 for the case. Hmm...