Zhānbó bǐqiū jīng 瞻婆比丘經

Sūtra of the Monks of Campā (parallel to Madhyama-āgama sūtra 122, the Zhānbó jīng 瞻波經) by 法炬 (Fǎjù, 譯)

About the work

The Zhānbó bǐqiū jīng is a single-fascicle Western Jìn 西晉 translation of a discourse delivered by the Buddha at Campā 瞻婆 (恒伽 = the Ganges), beside the Lotus Pool of the Dharma (法賴池), to the assembled monks. The Chinese parallel is T26[122] (the Zhānbó jīng 瞻波經 of the Madhyama-āgama). The text continues the cycle of uposatha-themed discourses set at Campā, of which T33, T34 and T35 are the principal short Chinese versions; T64 differs from these in its specific doctrinal content (the Madhyama sūtra 122 in question concerns the eight reasons for which the assembly of monks may be censured — distinct from the eight ocean-similes of T26[37]).

Prefaces

The text bears no preface or postface. The only paratext is the Western-Jìn translator’s signature at the head: 「西晉三藏法師法炬譯」.

Abstract

T64 was produced during Fǎjù’s Western Jìn translation period (290–311 CE), recorded in the frontmatter. The Indic source is presumed lost.

Translations and research

  • Anālayo, Bhikkhu. A Comparative Study of the Majjhima-nikāya, vol. 2. Taipei: Dharma Drum, 2011.