Lowe, Bryan D. “The Scripture on Saving and Protecting Body and Life: An Introduction and Translation.” Journal of Chinese Buddhist Studies 27 (2014): 1-34.
| Assertion | Argument | Place in source |
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"Soon after the appearance of these powerful deities [viz. the "six spirits" 六神] in Daoist scripture, Buddhist authors quickly adopted them in a text--the aforementioned [Yi suan jing 益算經]--that almost perfectly mirrors a Daoist one with the exception of a few key alterations, a common practice that may have emerged as priests and monks competed with one another for patronage." Lowe gives further details, and refers to Mollier (2008): 106-113 and 131-133; and Robson (2008): 163-166. |
10, 12 |
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"An entire text of spells known as the [Liu shen ming shenzhou jing 六神名神呪經] commonly attributed to Zhu Tanwulan [竺曇無蘭, appears in the medieval Chinese catalogues." Lowe mentions this text in the context of a discussion of the "six spirits" 六神 as a group of deities characteristic of Chinese religion and texts in the Six Dynasties period, likely having its origin in Daoist texts and ideas. |
11 |
Lowe discusses references to copying out the text on "fine paper" 好紙 as a possible sign of Chinese authorship. The only five texts in which this phrase appears, in the translation portion of the canon, are the 阿吒婆拘鬼神大將上佛陀羅尼神呪經 T1237; the 阿吒婆𤘽鬼神大將上佛陀羅尼經 T1238; the 梵天火羅九曜 T1311; the 陀羅尼雜集 T1336; and the 龍樹五明論 T1420. "Each of these hits points to sources that likely originated, at least in part, in China." The passages in question in T1237, T1238 and T1336 are identical, and feature a spell related to the deity Āṭavaka 阿吒婆拘. Āṭavaka is likely of Indic origin, but only found in Chinese texts, "and became particularly important in the sixth century...these spells include some Sinitic elements". T1420 "was composed in China"; Lowe refers to Strickmann (2002): 170, who argued for a date in the sixth century, but also states that Stuart Young argues "convincingly" for a later date in a forthcoming publication (Conceiving the Patriarchs, U. Hawai'i Press). T1311 was compiled by Yixing 一行 [see the note at the head of the text: 一行禪師修述, T1311:21.459b5---MR]. |
16-17 |
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The Taisho text is based upon Pelliot 2340; there also exists a Nanatsu-dera manuscript. The text is ascribed to Zhu Tanwulan by Fei Changfang (LDSBJ), but this ascription, like many to Tanwulan, is dubious. Lowe identifies the following signs of Chinese composition, and concerns typical of this period: 1) A vision of the endtimes as a 五濁惡世; 2) concern with practice of the "venomous arts" 蠱道; 3) recitation of the names of divine beings as an apotropaic measure, including deities with Daoist-sounding names; 4) a specific group of lesser known deities known as the 六神; 5) the idea of copying the text on "fine paper" 好紙 as a localised version of the more generalised "cult of the book", and another apotropaic practice to ward off the evils the text warns of. Lowe summarises: "The text...preserves the words of a Chinese author: it was likely composed in China in either the late Six Dynasties period (220-589) or the very early Sui period (581-618)." Lowe refers to Masuo 1996 for further details on dating. Lowe presents additional evidence that he thinks supports a dating to the six dynasties, based upon content: "...eschatological visions of venom sorcery and demon attacks, and...unusual references such as the six spirits and fine paper...placed this sutra within a cultic and material context of Six Dynasties China..." (18). |