<p>Yeah; in the original text of The Bible (when Jesus is giving The Beatitudes, saying "Blessed are the 'this' &amp; Blessed are the 'that"), the word they translated "Blessed" actually means something more like 'deliriously, abundantly joyfully-happy.'</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-15T02:13:46.350Z
2016-11-15T02:13:46.350Z
Harry Jude
<p>Well the term is translated as The World Honored One in Chinese </p>

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2016-11-19T11:07:25.330Z
[Wikipedia says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood#Ten_characteristics_of_a_Buddha), `The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Lokanatha) or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Bhagavan).` "World Honored" is presumably *Lokanatha* rather than *Bhagavan*; I'm don't know why they're listed together. The root *Loka* means "world" or something like that.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T09:48:05.450Z
2016-11-19T09:48:05.450Z
O_O
<p>The Chinese name for "Buddha" is ”世尊", which means “The Respected One”。 “One” is with relation to the "法界"， or "The Dharma Realm" in English or scientifically speaking， “The Universe”</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T11:11:52.080Z
2017-01-25T11:11:52.080Z
Richard Wang
<p>The word is '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavan#Etymology_and_meaning">bhagava</a>', from '<a href="http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=pali&amp;query=bhagava&amp;matchtype=exact&amp;display=utf8">bhaga</a>'. </p>

<p>You may prefer 'Fortunate One' if you believe 'blessings' can only be given by a person or a god.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-13T11:19:28.043Z
2016-11-13T11:19:28.043Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>A couple of dictionary translations:</p>

<ul>
<li><blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.buddha-vacana.org/gloss.html#bhagava" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bhagavā</a>: venerable, fortunate, blessed, sublime. Generally designates the Buddha.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3436.pali" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bhagavant</a> (adj. n.) [cp. Vedic bhagavant, fr. bhaga] fortunate, illustrious, sublime, as Ep. and title "Lord." Thus applied to the Buddha (amhākaŋ Bh.) and his predecessors. Occurs with extreme frequency; of fanciful exegetic explns of the term &amp; its meaning we mention e. g. those at Nd1 142=Nd2 466; Vism 210 sq.; DA i.33 sq. Usual trs. Blessed One, Exalted One.</p>
</blockquote></li>
</ul>

<p>Also, perhaps as an etymology:</p>

<ul>
<li><blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3433.pali" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bhaga</a> [Vedic bhaga, bhaj, see bhagavant etc.] luck, lot, fortune, only in cpd. dub˚ (adj.) unhappy, unpleasant, uncomfortable It 90; DA i.96 (˚karaṇa). -- bhaga (in verse "bhagehi ca vibhattavā" in exegesis of word "Bhagava") at DA i.34 read bhava, as read at id. p. Vism 210.</p>
</blockquote></li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>Here are some <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blessed" rel="nofollow noreferrer">definitions of "blessed" from an American dictionary</a> (perhaps Protestant culture):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Simple Definition of blessed<br>
  : having a sacred nature : connected with God<br>
  : very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated</p>
  
  <p>Full Definition of blessed</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>a :  held in reverence :  venerated <br>
  b :  honored in worship :  hallowed <br>
  c :  beatific   </li>
  <li>:  of or enjoying happiness; specifically :  enjoying the bliss of heaven —used as a title for a beatified person  </li>
  <li>:  bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>I think you might see that many of these definitions are suitable.</p>

<p>You're right that it's probably not blessed in a Catholic sense, i.e. sanctified via the agency of a priest.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-13T11:29:01.667Z
2016-11-13T15:49:30.037Z
2016-11-13T15:49:30.037Z
ChrisW
<p>I found "The Blessed One" in English translation of Suttas. Because in Buddhism blessing is not legit/proper word to use to anyone, especially Buddha need not to be blessed, is it loosely translated or in purpose? I didn't see any part of Sutta that one can be blessed or a meaning that blessing can be done so far. What should be proper translation of "The Blessed One" in Sutta if it is bad translation?    </p>

<theravada><sutras><buddha><translation><english>
"The Blessed One", is it bad translation?
# "The Blessed One", is it bad translation?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-13)

I found "The Blessed One" in English translation of Suttas. Because in Buddhism blessing is not legit/proper word to use to anyone, especially Buddha need not to be blessed, is it loosely translated or in purpose? I didn't see any part of Sutta that one can be blessed or a meaning that blessing can be done so far. What should be proper translation of "The Blessed One" in Sutta if it is bad translation?

**Tags:** theravada, sutras, buddha, translation, english


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-13. Score: 7

A couple of dictionary translations:

* > [Bhagavā](http://www.buddha-vacana.org/gloss.html#bhagava): venerable, fortunate, blessed, sublime. Generally designates the Buddha.
* > [Bhagavant](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3436.pali) (adj. n.) [cp. Vedic bhagavant, fr. bhaga] fortunate, illustrious, sublime, as Ep. and title "Lord." Thus applied to the Buddha (amhākaŋ Bh.) and his predecessors. Occurs with extreme frequency; of fanciful exegetic explns of the term & its meaning we mention e. g. those at Nd1 142=Nd2 466; Vism 210 sq.; DA i.33 sq. Usual trs. Blessed One, Exalted One.

Also, perhaps as an etymology:

* > [Bhaga](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3433.pali) [Vedic bhaga, bhaj, see bhagavant etc.] luck, lot, fortune, only in cpd. dub˚ (adj.) unhappy, unpleasant, uncomfortable It 90; DA i.96 (˚karaṇa). -- bhaga (in verse "bhagehi ca vibhattavā" in exegesis of word "Bhagava") at DA i.34 read bhava, as read at id. p. Vism 210.

---

Here are some [definitions of "blessed" from an American dictionary](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blessed) (perhaps Protestant culture):

> Simple Definition of blessed  
> : having a sacred nature : connected with God  
> : very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated
>
> Full Definition of blessed
>
> 1. a : held in reverence : venerated   
>    b : honored in worship : hallowed   
>    c : beatific
> 2. : of or enjoying happiness; specifically : enjoying the bliss of heaven —used as a title for a beatified person
> 3. : bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune

I think you might see that many of these definitions are suitable.

You're right that it's probably not blessed in a Catholic sense, i.e. sanctified via the agency of a priest.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2016-11-13. Score: 5

The word is '[bhagava](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavan#Etymology_and_meaning)', from '[bhaga](http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=pali&query=bhagava&matchtype=exact&display=utf8)'.

You may prefer 'Fortunate One' if you believe 'blessings' can only be given by a person or a god.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-15. Score: 1

Yeah; in the original text of The Bible (when Jesus is giving The Beatitudes, saying "Blessed are the 'this' & Blessed are the 'that"), the word they translated "Blessed" actually means something more like 'deliriously, abundantly joyfully-happy.'


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-19. Score: 0

Well the term is translated as The World Honored One in Chinese

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: [Wikipedia says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood#Ten_characteristics_of_a_Buddha), `The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Lokanatha) or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Bhagavan).` "World Honored" is presumably *Lokanatha* rather than *Bhagavan*; I'm don't know why they're listed together. The root *Loka* means "world" or something like that.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-01-25. Score: 0

The Chinese name for "Buddha" is ”世尊", which means “The Respected One”。 “One” is with relation to the "法界"， or "The Dharma Realm" in English or scientifically speaking， “The Universe”


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