如來

See also: 如来

Chinese

		as (if); such as	to come
trad. (如來)		如	來
simp. (如来)		如	来

Etymology

Calque of Sanskrit तथागत (tathāgata).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rúlái

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨˊ ㄌㄞˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ loi⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yì-lòi
• Eastern Min (BUC): ṳ̀-lài / ṳ̀-lì
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): jû-lâi / lû-lâi / jî-lâi / lî-lâi
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zy-le

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rúlái
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨˊ ㄌㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rúlái
    • Wade–Giles: ju²-lai²
    • Yale: rú-lái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: rulai
    • Palladius: жулай (žulaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐu³⁵ laɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁴ loi⁴
    • Yale: yùh lòih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ loi⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ loi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ lɔːi̯²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yì-lòi
    • Hakka Romanization System: iˇ loiˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yi² loi²
    • Sinological IPA: /i¹¹ loi̯¹¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yì-lòi
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)iˇ loiˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yi² loi²
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i¹¹ loi̯¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ṳ̀-lài / ṳ̀-lì
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵³⁻³³ l̃ai⁵³/, /y⁵³⁻³³ l̃i⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jû-lâi
    • Tâi-lô: jû-lâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: julaai
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /zu²³⁻³³ lai²³/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lû-lâi
    • Tâi-lô: lû-lâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lulaai
    • IPA (Taipei): /lu²⁴⁻¹¹ lai²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jî-lâi
    • Tâi-lô: jî-lâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: jilaai
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /zi²³⁻³³ lai²³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lî-lâi
    • Tâi-lô: lî-lâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lilaai
    • IPA (Taipei): /li²⁴⁻¹¹ lai²⁴/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶zy-le
    • MiniDict: zy^去 le
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zr-le
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zz̩²² le⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: nyo loj

Rime
Character	如	來
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)	咍 (41)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I
Fanqie	人諸切	洛哀切
Baxter	nyo	loj
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵɨʌ/	/lʌi/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵiɔ/	/ləi/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑiɔ/	/lɒi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵɨə̆/	/ləj/
Li Rong	/ȵiɔ/	/lᴀi/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭo/	/lɒi/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯wo/	/lɑ̆i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	rú	lái
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu4	loi4

Noun

如來

1. (Buddhism) tathagata

   • 云何？諸賢，如來為善別法性知如是事，為諸天來語，乃知此事。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     云何？诸贤，如来为善别法性知如是事，为诸天来语，乃知此事。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 〈大本經〉"The Scripture of the Great Origin" in 《長阿含經》 Dirgha Agama, Later Qin, Hongshi era (399-416 CE), Chinese translation by 佛陀耶舍 Buddhayaśsa and 竺佛念 Zhu Fonian; English translation based on John Kieschnick 2016

     Yúnhé? Zhūxián, rúlái wèi shàn bié fǎxìng zhī rúshì shì, wèi zhūtiān lái yǔ, nǎi zhī cǐ shì. [Pinyin]

     How [does he know all this]? Oh sagely ones, it is because the Thus-Come-One is skilled in distinguishing the nature of dharmas that he knows all this, and because the devas speak to him that he knows this.

   • 如來神通，威力弘大。盡知過去無數劫事，以能善解法性故知，亦以諸天來語故知。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     如来神通，威力弘大。尽知过去无数劫事，以能善解法性故知，亦以诸天来语故知。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 〈大本經〉"The Scripture of the Great Origin" in 《長阿含經》 Dirgha Agama, Later Qin, Hongshi era (399-416 CE), Chinese translation by 佛陀耶舍 Buddhayaśsa and 竺佛念 Zhu Fonian; English translation based on John Kieschnick 2016

     Rúlái shéntōng, wēilì hóngdà. Jìn zhī guòqù wúshù jié shì, yǐ néng shàn jiě fǎxìng gù zhī, yì yǐ zhūtiān lái yǔ gù zhī. [Pinyin]

     A Thus-Come-One has divine powers, and his authority is vast. [He] know[s] entirely events from countless kalpas in the past. It is owing to [his] skill in understanding the nature of dharmas, and also because the devas come to speak to [him] that [he] know[s] these matters."

Derived terms

• 不空成就如來／不空成就如来 (bùkōngchéngjiùrúlái)
• 如來藏／如来藏

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (如來):

• → Japanese: 如來(にょらい) (nyorai)
• → Korean: 여래(如來) (yeorae)
• → Vietnamese: Như Lai (如來)

Further reading

• Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “如來” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].

Japanese

Kanji in this term
如	來
にょ Grade: S	らい Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 如來 – see the following entry.

【如来にょらい】 [noun] [from 766] (Buddhism) tathagata [proper noun] [from 766] the Buddha

(This term, 如來, is the kyūjitai of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
如	來

Noun

如來 • (yeorae) (hangeul 여래)

1. Hanja form^? of 여래 (“(Buddhism) tathagata”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
如	來

Noun

如來

1. chữ Hán form of Như Lai (“(Buddhism) tathagata”).