--- Bankei <bankei@...> skrev:

> I beleive Virupa is ordained in a Japanese Pure Land
> traditon, and therefore
> the word 'Priest' may be more suitable in that case.

In that case, it won't be a translation of "bhikkhu"
but of - what? Perhaps "bonze"?

Which perhaps brings us slightly outside the scope of
this group, but may still be interesting. In Swedish
"bonze" is sometimes translated by "präst", but when
studying English at school, I was taught that "priest"
in English has a more limited meaning and is mainly
used about Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and
sometimes about Anglicans.

Actually, a personal friend of mine is a Jodo Shinshu
bonze in Nagoya; but he is secretary of the Buddhist
Esperanto League, so we never communicate in English.

If I was mistaken in taking (Ven.? Rev.?) Virupa for a
Theravada bhikkhu, I can only say it wasn't the first
mistake I've done in this life, and I am sorely afraid
it may not be my last.

Gunnar