Conceptual metaphor in a Khotanese text

Cognitive science has found out that languages typically make use of conceptual metaphors to concretize abstract meanings. Conceptual metaphor explains a target domain which is abstract via a source domain which is concrete. In other words، conceptual metaphor compares an abstract domain with a concrete one and thus makes it understandable for listeners/readers. This article studies the conceptual metaphors used in an ancient text in Khotanese language. Khotanese is an Eastern Middle Iranian language. The text is the 20th chapter of the book of Zambasta، which contains valuable Buddhist poems. The 20th chapter contains advices of Buddha to young monks. Buddha wishes to teach these monks his complicated teachings and thus he may have made use of various conceptual metaphors in order to concretize his teachings. This article primarily shows that Khotanese، like all other languages، has profited from conceptual metaphors. Also، this article attempts to render a better understanding of Buddha''s teachings explained in this chapter.