Definition
西天 (Xī tiān) is a Buddhist term referring to the Western Pure Land (极乐世界), a paradise where Amitabha Buddha resides, and also a historical name for India, as the source of Buddhist scriptures. In modern Chinese, 西天 often appears in the idiom 上西天 ('to go to the Western Paradise'), a euphemism for death, or in the context of Journey to the West (西游记), where Tang Sanzang travels to the Western Heaven (India) to fetch sutras. The word carries strong cultural and religious connotations, so use it with awareness of context.
p.w.
(Buddhism) Western Paradisethe Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha(historical) India (as the origin of Buddhist scriptures)
Examples
- 西天。Táng Sēng dài zhe sān ge túdì qù Xī tiān qǔ jīng.Tang Sanzang, with his three disciples, went to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures.
- 西天。Fójiào xìntú xiāngxìn sǐ hòu néng qù Xī tiān jílè shìjiè.Buddhist believers trust that after death they can go to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss.
- 西天。Gǔrén rènwéi Xī tiān de fófǎ zuì zhèngzōng.Ancient people believed that the Buddhist teachings from the Western Heaven (India) were the most orthodox.
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