Gēnběn shuōyīqiēyǒubù nítuónà mùdéjiā 根本說一切有部尼陀那目得迦

The Mūlasarvāstivāda Nidāna-Mātṛkā (Aetiological-Index) by 義淨 (Yìjìng, 譯)

About the work

A ten-fascicle Chinese translation of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Nidāna-mātṛkā — a paired collection of nidāna (origination-narratives) and mātṛkā (systematic indexes) supplementing the principal Vinaya. 尼陀那 nítuónà transliterates nidāna; 目得迦 mùdéjiā transliterates mātṛkā. Translated by Yìjìng (義淨) in the early 8th century.

Prefaces

Translator’s colophon: 大唐三藏義淨奉制譯.

Abstract

The Nidāna portion presents origination-narratives — the case-narratives explaining the institution of various Vinaya regulations, paralleling the vibhaṅga genre but for procedural rather than prātimokṣa rules. The Mātṛkā portion is the systematic index of doctrinal-procedural categories, a key abhidharma-style organising work. Together the Nidāna-mātṛkā is the principal exegetical-interpretive text of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya tradition. The Tibetan equivalent (gLeṅ-gźi gtsug-lag) is preserved in the bKa’-‘gyur; substantial Sanskrit fragments are extant.

Translations and research

  • Clarke, Shayne. Vinaya Mātṛkā — Mother of the Monastic Codes, or Just Another Set of Lists? Indo-Iranian Journal 47 (2004): 77–120.
  • Frauwallner, Erich. Die Abhidharma-Literatur. Vienna, 1971.
  • CBETA T24n1452
  • 義淨 DILA
  • Dazangthings date evidence (705): [ T ] T = CBETA [Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association]. Taishō shinshū daizōkyō 大正新脩大藏經. Edited by Takakusu Junjirō 高楠順次郎 and Watanabe Kaigyoku 渡邊海旭. Tokyo: Taishō shinshū daizōkyō kankōkai/Daizō shuppan, 1924-1932. CBReader v 5.0, 2014. (source)
  • Kanseki DB