無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註 1.4

1.4

梵言優婆提舍，此間無正名相譯。若舉一隅，可名為論。所以無正名譯者，以此間本無佛故。如此間書就孔子而稱經，餘人製作皆名為子，國史國紀之徒各別體例。然佛所說十二部經中有論議經名優婆提舍，若復佛諸弟子解佛經教與佛義相應者，佛亦許名優婆提舍，以入佛法相故。此間云論，直是論議而已，豈得正譯彼名耶？又如女人，於子稱母、於兄云妹，如是等事皆隨義各別。若但以女名汎談母妹，乃不失女之大體，豈含尊卑之義乎？此所云論亦復如是，是以仍（因而音）存梵音曰優婆提舍。

The Sanskrit word upadeśa has no exact counterpart here for translation. If one were to give an approximate term, it could be called a treatise (śāstra). The reason there is no exact term to translate it is that originally there was no Buddha here. Just as writings in this land are called classics (jing) in reference to Confucius, while the compositions of other people are all called masters (zi), and the categories of dynastic histories and annals each have their separate formats. However, among the twelve divisions of scriptures taught by the Buddha, there is the discourse-sūtra named upadeśa. If disciples of the Buddha explain the Buddha's scriptural teachings in accord with the Buddha's meaning, the Buddha also allows it to be named upadeśa, because it conforms to the characteristics of the Buddha Dharma. The word "treatise" used here merely means discussion and argument; how could it be an exact translation of that term? Furthermore, it is like a woman who is called "mother" by her child and "younger sister" by her elder brother; such matters each differ according to context. If one merely uses the general term "woman" to speak loosely of mother and sister, though one does not lose the general nature of womanhood, how could it convey the sense of superiority and inferiority? The term "treatise" spoken of here is just like this. Therefore, we still retain the Sanskrit sound, saying upadeśa.