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From: Vsg [mailto:vsg-bounces@mailman11.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Alec Soucy
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2019 1:40 AM
To: mchale@gwu.edu
Cc: VSG <Vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Vsg] Pagoda vs. Monastery
Technically speaking a pagoda is a multi-tiered tower, as found in China and Japan. They are believed to have originated with Buddhist stupas, and often are used to house relics, as were the original stupas in India. For some reason that I have never discerned the French used “pagoda" to refer to chùa, though the it more exactly translates tháp. So, temple would be a better translation for chùa. However, I go back and forth with this in my own writing. The main reason I often stick with the French convention is that it usefully distinguishes between other non Buddhist temples in Vietnam, like đền and miếu. The main reticence I have to use “pagoda" as a translation for chùa is that scholars working on Buddhism outside of Vietnam (i.e. almost all) won’t necessarily recognize this convention. I would say that overall I use pagoda most often and usually add a note explaining the convention. If I was writing as a journalist for an international readership I would use temple.
Alec Soucy
On Nov 13, 2019, at 2:43 AM, Shawn McHale <mchale@gwu.edu> wrote:
The general translation of "chùa" is temple.
A "chùa" may or may not have a monastery attached to it.
The French, for some reason, seemed to use "pagode," or "pagoda," to refer indiscriminately to all Buddhist "chùa." But in my understanding, technically, a "pagoda" includes a Buddhist relic (like a fingernail, eye lash, or piece of bone of the Buddha, or from a well-known Buddhist).
Shawn McHale
On Tue, Nov 12, 2019 at 10:07 PM Paul Mooney <pjmooney@me.com> wrote:
Dear Friends,
I’ve been doing some research on the passing of Thích Trí Quang. He had been at the Chùa Từ Đàm in Hue. I’m wondering what the correct translation of chùa is? I see it often translated as pagoda, but in this case would monastery be more correct? My background is in China and pagoda seems to have a different meaning in the Chinese context.
Best,
Paul
Paul Mooney | Freelance Journalist | Hanoi +84 376 196 411 | pjmooney@me.com | www.pjmooney.com | Twitter @pjmooney | Skype pjmooney
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Shawn McHale
Associate Professor of History
George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052 USA
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