Fó shuō bìchú wǔfǎ jīng 佛說苾芻五法經
The Sūtra on the Five Practices of the Bhikṣu by 法天 (Fǎtiān, 譯)
About the work
A one-fascicle Sòng-period translation of an Indian Vinaya-related sūtra on the five practices of the bhikṣu, translated by Fǎtiān 法天 (法天) at the imperial Yìjīngyuàn 譯經院 in the late 10th century. 苾芻 bìchú is the Sòng-period preferred transliteration of bhikṣu (replacing the older 比丘 bǐqiū).
Prefaces
Translator’s colophon: 宋天竺三藏法天奉詔譯.
Abstract
The “five practices” present a doctrinal-ethical framework for monastic conduct: typically the five comprise faith, vigour, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom (the pañca-bala “five powers”) applied to the disciplinary life of the monk. The text is one of the late-Sòng translations recovering Indian Vinaya material absent from the older Chinese canon, reflecting the Yìjīngyuàn project’s encyclopedic ambition.
Translations and research
- Sen, Tansen. Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade. Honolulu, 2003.