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佛說未曾有正法經

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Text ID
KR6i0265
Date
980–1001
Dynasty
宋

Fóshuō wèicéngyǒu zhèngfǎ jīng 佛說未曾有正法經

Sūtra on the Wondrous, True Dharma as Spoken by the Buddha translated by 法天 (Fǎtiān / Dharmadeva, 譯)

About the work

T628 (six fascicles, alt. title 未曾有經; Sanskrit Ajātaśatrukaukṛtyavinodana-sūtra) is the Northern Song re-translation, by 法天 (Fǎtiān / Dharmadeva, d. 1001), of the same Indic sūtra on King Ajātaśatru previously rendered by Lokakṣema (T626) and by Dharmarakṣa (T627). It is the longest and most expansive of the Chinese versions and reflects the influence of the late-Indian paripṛcchā literature on the Song-period Indian translators stationed at the Yìjīng yuàn 譯經院 in Kaifeng.

Abstract

法天 (Fǎtiān, later renamed 法賢 in 982 by imperial decree, d. 1001) was an Indian-born monk active at the imperial Translation Bureau established by Emperor Tàizōng 宋太宗 in 982. T628 was completed during his Bureau years (982–1001); the Sòng huìyào jí gǎo and Fózǔ tǒngjì (T2035) record his ongoing translation activity throughout this period. Date bracket follows his Bureau period (980–1001). Compared with T626 and T627, T628 displays a much more expanded treatment of the bodhisattva-doctrine and incorporates vajrayāna-influenced terminology characteristic of the Pāla-period Ajātaśatru recensions. It also introduces extensive verse passages that have no parallel in the older Chinese versions and are presumed to reflect later Indic recensions.

The text is sometimes confused with the homonymously-titled Wèicéngyǒu jīng (T688), an entirely different work.

Translations and research

  • Sen, Tansen. Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade: The Realignment of Sino-Indian Relations, 600–1400. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2003. — context for the Northern Song Translation Bureau.
  • Jan Yün-hua. Buddhism in the Song Dynasty. (Studies on Song-period translation enterprise.)

No book-length English translation located.

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