"Bhikkhu", before or after Dhamma name?
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:56 pm
Simple question, is there a reason why the title "Bhikkhu" is sometimes placed before the Dhamma name and sometimes after?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
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It seems likely to be because of the nature of Asian naming conventions. In some (if not most, maybe?) Asian languages, the family name comes first, the individual name comes second, and formal titles or honorifics come even after this. So... Shunryu Suzuki's name in Japanese is backwards: Suzuki Shunryu. And he's often referred to in both English and Japanese as "Suzuki Roshi" (Suzuki the Master). Also, in Japanese, there's the honorific "san" (Japanese equivalent of "Mr" or "Ms."). Instead of calling Suzuki, "Mr. Suzuki," you'd call him, "Suzuki-san."Tex wrote:Simple question, is there a reason why the title "Bhikkhu" is sometimes placed before the Dhamma name and sometimes after?
Thanks in advance.
Just regional conventions. 'Bhikkhu' before the name is the norm in Sri Lanka and Burma; 'bhikkhu' after the name is the norm in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. That's assuming the word bhikkhu is used at all, which isn't always the case; in Asia one more often finds 'thera' or some regional title such as 'chao khun' or 'sayadaw' used instead.Tex wrote:Simple question, is there a reason why the title "Bhikkhu" is sometimes placed before the Dhamma name and sometimes after?
Thank you, Dhammanando Bhikkhu.Dhammanando wrote:Hi Tex,
Just regional conventions. 'Bhikkhu' before the name is the norm in Sri Lanka and Burma; 'bhikkhu' after the name is the norm in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. That's assuming the word bhikkhu is used at all, which isn't always the case; in Asia one more often finds 'thera' or some regional title such as 'chao khun' or 'sayadaw' used instead.Tex wrote:Simple question, is there a reason why the title "Bhikkhu" is sometimes placed before the Dhamma name and sometimes after?
Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu