娑婆世界

Chinese

		world of endurance; outside world; this world	world; realm governed by a Buddha
trad. (娑婆世界)		娑婆	世界
simp. #(娑婆世界)		娑婆	世界

Etymology

From Sanskrit सहालोकधातु (sahālokadhātu).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Suōpó shìjiè

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄨㄛ ㄆㄛˊ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄝˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Suōpó shìjiè
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄨㄛ ㄆㄛˊ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄝˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Suopó shìhjiè
    • Wade–Giles: So¹-pʻo² shih⁴-chieh⁴
    • Yale: Swō-pwó shr̀-jyè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Suopor shyhjieh
    • Palladius: Сопо шицзе (Sopo šicze)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /su̯ɔ⁵⁵ pʰu̯ɔ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹/

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• Middle Chinese: sa ba syejH keajH

Rime
Character	娑	婆	世	界
Reading #	1/2	1/1	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	並 (3)	書 (26)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)	戈 (95)	祭 (35)	皆 (33)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I	III	II
Fanqie	素何切	薄波切	舒制切	古拜切
Baxter	sa	ba	syejH	keajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/sɑ/	/buɑ/	/ɕiᴇiH/	/kˠɛiH/
Pan Wuyun	/sɑ/	/buɑ/	/ɕiɛiH/	/kᵚæiH/
Shao Rongfen	/sɑ/	/buɑ/	/ɕjæiH/	/kɐiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sa/	/bwa/	/ɕiajH/	/kəɨjH/
Li Rong	/sɑ/	/buɑ/	/ɕiɛiH/	/kɛiH/
Wang Li	/sɑ/	/buɑ/	/ɕĭɛiH/	/kɐiH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/sɑ/	/bʱuɑ/	/ɕi̯ɛiH/	/kăiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	suō	pó	shì	jiè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	so1	po4	sai3	gaai3

Proper noun

娑婆世界

1. (Buddhism) the Sahā world-system (which includes the present world)

   • 時娑婆世界即變清淨，琉璃為地。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     时娑婆世界即变清净，琉璃为地。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Lotus Sūtra, translated by Kumārajīva circa 5^th century CE

     Shí Suōpóshìjiè jí biàn qīngjìng, liúlí wèi dì. [Pinyin]

     Then the Sahā world immediately became pure, with lapis lazuli for its earth.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (娑婆世界):

• → Japanese: 娑(しゃ)婆(ば)世(せ)界(かい) (shabasekai)
• → Korean: 사바세계(娑婆世界) (sabasegye)
• → Vietnamese: ta bà thế giái (娑婆世界)