Text: T0156; 大方便佛報恩經; Da fangbian Fo bao'en jing

Summary

Identifier T0156 [T]
Title 大方便佛報恩經 [T]
Date 431-490 [Naitō 1955]
Unspecified Anonymous (China), 失譯, 闕譯, 未詳撰者, 未詳作者, 不載譯人 [Shi Guanghui 2009]
Translator 譯 Anonymous (China), 失譯, 闕譯, 未詳撰者, 未詳作者, 不載譯人 [T]

There may be translations for this text listed in the Bibliography of Translations from the Chinese Buddhist Canon into Western Languages. If translations are listed, this link will take you directly to them. However, if no translations are listed, the link will lead only to the head of the page.

There are resources for the study of this text in the SAT Daizōkyō Text Dabatase (Saṃgaṇikīkṛtaṃ Taiśotripiṭakaṃ).

Assertions

Preferred? Source Pertains to Argument Details

No

[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.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Naitō 1955]  Naitō Ryūo 内藤竜雄. "Dai hōben butsu hō'on kyō ni tsuite 大方便仏報恩経について." IBK 3, no 2 (1955): 313-315.

Naitō argues that the 大方便佛報恩經 T156 draws upon various earlier Chinese texts (ranging in date down to about the S. Song, Guṇabhadra) and was apparently composed in China. The text contains about 20 stories of which only five so far have no known parallel. Parallels are found in the "Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish” 賢愚經 T202; the 雜寶藏經 T203; the 菩薩本行經 T155; the 六度集經 T152; the 菩薩本生鬘論 T160 [which is very late, but see Brough 1964-1965]; the 佛本行經 T190; and the 菩薩本緣經 T153. Among these texts, the relation with T202 is closest. The stories as found in T156 differ in various particulars from these parallels---setting, characters, plot order, and the insertion of Mahāyāna elements. Naitō characterises the text as unoriginal, in a manner which he states is rare in the sūtra literature. He characterises the text as a "sūtralization" [using Takasaki's term] of avadāna materials organised around a central theme. Material relating to ekayāna and the appearance of a jewelled stūpa show the evident influence of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka. The text also features "theoretical/doctrinal" sections, for which an extended parallel can be identified in the anonymous 薩婆多毘尼毘婆沙 T1440. Another identifiable source is Guṇabhadra’s 菩薩善戒經 T1582/T1583. Naitō thus regards it as highly unlikely that the text is a true translation. However, he also suggests that the content is not "sinified", and that perhaps it is more appropriate to think of it as having been compiled, edited or revised in China. He argues that the text should date sometime between 431 and 490.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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  • Date: 431-490

No

[Funayama 2013]  Funayama Tōru 船山徹. Butten wa dō Kan’yaku sareta no ka: sūtora ga kyōten ni naru toki 仏典はどう漢訳されたのか　スートラが経典になるとき. Tokyo: Iwanami shoten: 2013. — 138-139

In line with the general consensus, Funayama treats the Da fangbian Fo bao'en jing 大方便佛報恩經 T156 as composed in China. He lists a number of known sources: 薩婆多毘尼毘婆沙 T1440; 法句譬喻經 T211; 太子須大拏經 T171; 六度集經 T152; 大智度論 T1509; 大般涅槃經 T374; 正法華經 T263. He notes that it is particularly interesting that in its use of T1440, which is a "lecture text", this Chinese sūtra turns words originally composed as commentary on the 十誦律 (Sarvāstivāda-vinaya) T1435 into buddhavacana.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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  • Title: Da fangbian Fo bao'en jing

No

[Fajing 594]  Fajing 法經. Zhongjing mulu 眾經目錄 T2146. — T2146 (LV) 121c14

Treated as anonymous by Fajing.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[CSZJJ]  Sengyou 僧祐. Chu sanzang ji ji (CSZJJ) 出三藏記集 T2145. — T2145 (LV) 21c10

In Sengyou's Chu sanzang ji ji, T156 is regarded as an anonymous translation, that is to say, it is listed in the "Newly Compiled Continuation of the Assorted List of Anonymous Translations" 新集續撰失譯雜經錄:

大方便報恩經七卷.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Fei 597]  Fei Changfang 費長房. Lidai sanbao ji (LDSBJ) 歷代三寶紀 T2034. — T2034 (XLIX) 54b18

The dating of T156 to the E. Han in the present canon (the Taishō) probably dates back to LDSBJ, where it is entered among a list of anonymous texts at the end of Fascicle 4, which treats works of the Han dynasty. Fei cites CSZJJ 僧祐律師出三藏記, Gu lu and Jiu lu 古舊二錄, and Dao’an, 大方便報恩經七卷.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Funayama 2016]  Funayama Tōru 船山徹 [Chuanshan Che]. “Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing bianzuan suoyinyong di Hanyi jingdian 《大方便佛報恩經》編纂所引用的漢譯經典.” Translated by Wang Zhaoguo 王招國. Fojiao wenxian yanjiu 佛教文獻研究 2 (2016): 175-202.

Funayama identifies further Chinese sources of the Da fangbian Fo bao'en jing 大方便佛報恩經 T156.

Entry author: Michael Radich

Edit

No

[Radich 2019]  Radich, Michael. “Fei Changfang’s Treatment of Sengyou’s Anonymous Texts.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 139.4 (2019): 819-841.

According to the abstract, Radich argues:

"Fei Changfang/Zhangfang’s 費長房 Lidai sanbao ji 歷代三寶紀 T2034 (completed in 598) is a source of numerous problematic ascriptions and dates for texts in the received Chinese Buddhist canon. This paper presents new evidence of troubling patterns in the assignment of new ascriptions in Lidai sanbao ji, and aims thereby to shed new light on Fei’s working method. I show that Lidai sanbao ji consistently gives new attributions to the same translators for whole groups of texts clustering closely together in a long list of texts treated as anonymous in the earlier Chu sanzang ji ji 出三藏記集 T2145 of Sengyou 僧祐 (completed ca. 515). It is impossible that Sengyou grouped these texts together on the basis of attribution, since he did not know them. The most economical explanation for the assignment of each individual group to the same translator in Lidai sanbao ji, therefore, is that someone added the same attributions in batches to restricted chunks of Sengyou’s list. This and other evidence shows that Lidai sanbao ji is even more unreliable than previously thought, and urges even greater critical awareness in the use of received ascriptions for many of our texts."

Radich argues that the patterns of unreliable information he has here uncovered cast doubt upon the ascriptions of all the texts affected. Extant texts affected are the following (from Radich's Appendix 1; listed in order of Taishō numbering; listing gives title, Taishō number, Taishō ascription, and locus in LDSBJ):

七佛父母姓字經 T4, Anon., former Wei 前魏, 60b19.
尸迦羅越六方禮經 T16, An Shigao 安世高, 52a15.
善生子經 T17, Zhi Fadu 支法度, 68a17-18.
開解梵志阿颰經 T20, Zhi Qian 支謙, 57c22.
寂志果經 T22, Tanwulan 曇無蘭, 69c5.
頂生王故事經 T39, Faju 法炬, 67a19.
鐵城泥犁經 T42, Tanwulan, 70a14.
閻羅王五天使者經 T43, Huijian 慧簡, 93b10.
離睡經 T47, Dharmarakṣa 竺法護, 64b21.
求欲經 T49, Faju, 67a2.
受歲經 T50, Dharmarakṣa, 64a23.
苦陰經 T53, Anon., E. Han 東漢, 55a25.
苦陰因事經 T55, Faju, 67c18.
樂想經 T56, Dharmarakṣa, 64b25.
阿耨風經 T58, Tanwulan, 69c9.
瞿曇彌記果經 T60, Huijian, 93b19.
瞻婆比丘經 T64, Faju, 67b16.
伏婬經 T65, Faju, 66c26.
魔嬈亂經 T66, Anon., E. Han, 55a2.
弊魔試目連經/魔嬈亂經 T67, Zhi Qian, 58b23.
數經 T70, Faju, 66c20.
尊上經 T77, Dharmarakṣa, 64b25.
鸚鵡經 T79, Guṇabhadra 求那跋陀羅, 91c13.
意經 T82, Dharmarakṣa, 64a21.
應法經 T83, Dharmarakṣa, 64a22.
泥犁經 T86, Tanwulan, 70a15.
八關齋經 T89, Juqu Jingsheng 沮渠京聲, 92c23.
鞞摩肅經 T90, Guṇabhadra, 91c13.
婆羅門子命終愛念不離經 T91, An Shigao, 51b19.
十支居士八城人經 T92, An Shigao, 50c19.
相應相可經 T111, Faju, 67c15.
難提釋經 T113, Faju, 67c3.
波斯匿王太后崩塵土坌身經 T122, Faju, 67b2.
放牛經 = T123, Kumārajīva 鳩摩羅什, 78c5.
四人出現世間經 T127, Guṇabhadra, 91c7.
婆羅門避死經 T131, An Shigao, 51b24.
頻毘[v.l. 婆 SY]娑羅王詣佛供養經 T133, Faju, 67a26.
長者子六過出家經 T134, Huijian, 93b23.
四未曾有法經 T136, Dharmarakṣa, 64b3.
四泥犁經 T139, Tanwulan, 70a8.
阿那邠邸化七子經 T140, An Shigao, 50c18.
佛母般泥洹經 T145, Huijian, 93b22.
阿難同學經 T149, An Shigao, 52a12.
阿含正行經 T151, An Shigao, 52a24.
大方便佛報恩經 T156, Anon., E. Han, 54b18.
大意經 T177, Guṇabhadra, 91c18.
前世三轉經 T178, Faju, 67c16.
異出菩薩本起經 T188, Nie Daozhen 聶道真, 66a20.
十二遊經 T195, *Kālodaka 迦留陀伽, 70b27-c2.
興起行經 T197, Kang Mengxiang 康孟詳, 54b2.
雜譬喻經 T205, Anon., E. Han, 54b25.
猘狗經 T214, Zhi Qian, 58c7.
群牛譬經 T215, Faju, 67a6.
大魚事經 T216, Tanwulan, 69c5.
仁王般若波羅蜜經 T245, Kumārajīva, 78a23-24.
法華三昧經 T269, Zhiyan 智嚴, 112c27.
諸菩薩求佛本業經 T282, Nie Daozhen, 65c19.
無垢施菩薩應辯會 T310(33), Nie Daozhen, 66a2.
菩薩修行經 T330, Bo Fazu 白法祖, 66b4.
優填王經 T332, Faju, 67b3.
大乘方等要慧經 T348, An Shigao, 52b17.
寶積三昧文殊師利菩薩問法身經 T356, An Shigao, 52b10-11.
出阿彌陀佛偈 T373, Anon., E. Han, 55b24-25.
般泥洹後灌臘經 T391, Dharmarakṣa, 64a24.
迦葉赴佛般涅槃經 T393, Tanwulan, 70a19.
八吉祥神呪經 T427, Zhi Qian, 58b8.
八陽神呪經 T428, Dharmarakṣa, 64b4.
文殊師利般涅槃經 T463, Nie Daozhen, 65c7.
三曼陀跋陀羅菩薩經 T483, Nie Daozhen, 66a1.
六菩薩亦當誦持經 T491, Anon., E. Han, 54c19.
阿難問事佛吉凶經 T492, An Shigao, 51c22.
摩訶迦葉度貧母經 T497, Guṇabhadra, 91c26.
羅云忍辱經 T500, Faju, 66c22.
沙曷比丘功德經 T501, Faju, 67c13.
佛為年少比丘說正事經 T502, Faju, 67b24.
比丘避女惡名欲自殺經 T503, Faju, 67c10.
犍陀國王經 T506, An Shigao, 52b5.
阿闍世王問五逆經 T508, Faju, 67a24.
阿闍世王授決經 T509, Faju, 67a2.
採花違王上佛授決號妙花經 T510, Tanwulan, 69c12.
長者子懊惱三處經 T525, An Shigao, 50c13.
越難經 T537, Nie Chengyuan 聶承遠, 65b21.
樹提伽經 T540a/b, Guṇabhadra, 91c17.
摩鄧女經 T551, An Shigao, 52a6.
內身觀章句經 T610, Anon., E. Han, 55b4.
法觀經 T611, Dharmarakṣa, 64a21.
身觀經 T612, Dharmarakṣa, 64a20.
佛印三昧經 T621, An Shigao, 52b15.
自誓三昧經 T622, An Shigao, 51b5.
父母恩難報經 T684, An Shigao, 51a13.
盂蘭盆經 T685, Dharmarakṣa, 64a27.
未曾有經 T688, Anon., E. Han, 55a28.
作佛形像經 T692, Anon., E. Han, 54c2.
摩訶剎頭經 T696, Shengjian 聖堅, 83c9.
罪業應報教化地獄經 T724, An Shigao, 51c18.
分別善惡所起經 T729, An Shigao, 51a23.
處處經 T730, An Shigao, 51b9.
十八泥犁經 T731, An Shigao, 51c16.
罵意經 T732, An Shigao, 51b8.
堅意經 T733, An Shigao, 52a2.
鬼問目連經 T734, An Shigao, 51c15.
分別經 T738, Dharmarakṣa, 64a28.
慢法經 T739, Faju, 66c20.
忠心經 T743, Tanwulan, 70a6.
罪福報應經 T747b, Guṇabhadra, 91c5.
十二品生死經 T753, Guṇabhadra, 91c4.
四輩經 T769, Dharmarakṣa, 64a24.
四品學法經 T771, Guṇabhadra, 91c8.
賢者五福德經 T777, Bo Fazu, 66b14.
十二頭陀經 T783, Guṇabhadra, 91b25.
出家緣經 T791, An Shigao, 51a8.
貧窮老公經 T797a/b, Huijian, 93b14.
弟子死復生經 T826, Juqu Jingsheng, 93a3.
懈怠耕者經 T827, Huijian, 93b12.
阿難陀目佉尼呵離陀經 T1013, Guṇabhadra, 92a8.
呪齒經 T1327, Tanwulan, 70b11.
華積陀羅尼神呪經 T1356, Zhi Qian, 58b7.
玄師颰陀所說神呪經 T1378b, Tanwulan, 70b9.
檀特羅麻油述經 T1391, Tanwulan, 70b3-70b4.
摩尼羅亶經 T1393, Tanwulan, 70a24, 70b1.
犯戒罪報輕重經 T1467, An Shigao, 51b1.
大比丘三千威儀 T1470, An Shigao, 50a23-24.
沙彌尼戒經 T1474, Anon., E. Han, 54c27.
戒消災經 T1477, Zhi Qian, 58a11.
菩薩受齋經 T1502, Nie Daozhen, 65c18.
分別功德論 T1507, Anon., E. Han, 54b19.
阿毘曇甘露味論 T1553, Anon., Cao Wei 曹魏, 60b18.
請賓頭盧法 T1689, Huijian, 93b17.
迦葉結經 T2027, An Shigao, 52b16.

This CBC@ entry is associated with all of affected extant texts.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Fang and Lu 2023]  Fang Yixin 方一新 and Lu Lu 盧鹭. “Jin shiyu nian cong yuyan jiaodu kaobian keyi Fojing chengguo de huigu yu zhanwang” 近十余年從語言角度考辨可疑佛經成果的回顧與展望.” Journal of Zhejiang University (Humanities and Social Sciences Online Edition), Jan. 2023: 1–24. — 7

In a survey article of scholarship on questions of attribution in the Chinese canon published in the last decade, Fang and Lu state that various studies by Fang and by Fang and Gao in collaboration argue that the translation of the Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing 大方便佛報恩經 T156 postdates the Eastern Jin dynasty. They refer to

Fang Yixin 方一新. “Cong yiming yanbian kan yi yi Fojing de fanyi niandai” 從譯名演變看疑、佚佛經的翻譯年代. In Lishi yuyanxue yanjiu 歷史語言學研究, vol.1, edited by Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan yuyan yanjiusuo Lishi yuyaunxue yanjiu bianji bu 中國社會科學院語言研究所《歷史語言學研究》編輯部, 54–64. Beijing: Shangwu yinshu guan, 2008;

Fang Yixin 方一新. “Fanyi Fojing yuliao niandai de yuyanxue kaocha––yi Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing wei li” 翻譯佛經語料年代的語言學考察——以《大方便佛報恩經》為例. Gu Hanyu yanjiu 古漢語研究 3 (2003): 77–83;

Fang Yixin 方一新 and Gao Lieguo 高列過. Dong Han yi wei Fojing de yuyanxue kaobian yanjiu 東漢疑偽佛經的語言學考辨研究. Beijing: Renmin chubanshe, 2012: 289–336;

Fang Yixin 方一新 and Gao Lieguo 高列過. “Cong yiwenju kan Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing de fanyi niandai” 從疑問句看《大方便佛報恩經》的翻譯年代. Yuyan yanjiu 語言研究 3 (2005): 54–57;

Fang Yixin 方一新 and Gao Lieguo 高列過. “Cong Fojiao ciyu kaobian Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing de shidai” 從佛教詞語考辨《大方便佛報恩經》的時代. Zhejiang daxue xuebao (Renwen shehui kexue ban) 浙江大學學報 (人文社會科學版) 3 (2012): 139–147.

Entry author: Mengji Huang

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No

[Fang and Lu 2023]  Fang Yixin 方一新 and Lu Lu 盧鹭. “Jin shiyu nian cong yuyan jiaodu kaobian keyi Fojing chengguo de huigu yu zhanwang” 近十余年從語言角度考辨可疑佛經成果的回顧與展望.” Journal of Zhejiang University (Humanities and Social Sciences Online Edition), Jan. 2023: 1–24. — 7

In a survey article of scholarship on questions of attribution in the Chinese canon published in the last decade, Fang and Lu state that Hu Chirui argues that the use of newer vocabulary in the Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing 大方便佛報恩經 T156 differs from the usage typical of Eastern Han translations. They refer to

Hu Chirui 胡敕瑞. “Zhonggu hanyu yuliao jianbie shuyao” 中古漢語語料鑒別述要. In Hanyu shi xuebao 漢語史學報 vol. 5, edited by Zhejiang daxue Hanyu shi yanjiu zhongxin 浙江大學漢語史研究中心, 270–279. Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe, 2015.

Entry author: Mengji Huang

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No

[Fang and Lu 2023]  Fang Yixin 方一新 and Lu Lu 盧鹭. “Jin shiyu nian cong yuyan jiaodu kaobian keyi Fojing chengguo de huigu yu zhanwang” 近十余年從語言角度考辨可疑佛經成果的回顧與展望.” Journal of Zhejiang University (Humanities and Social Sciences Online Edition), Jan. 2023: 1–24. — 7

In a survey article of scholarship on questions of attribution in the Chinese canon published in the last decade, Fang and Lu state that Shi Guanghui argues that the vocabulary and grammar of the Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing 大方便佛報恩經 T156 are similar to those of the Western Jin translations. They refer to

Shi Guanghui 史光輝. “Cong yuyan jiaodu kan Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing de fanyi niandai” 從語言角度看《大方便佛報恩經》的翻譯時代. Gu Hanyu yanjiu 古漢語研究 3 (2009): 44–50.

Entry author: Mengji Huang

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No

[Shi Guanghui 2009]  Shi Guanghui 史光輝. “Cong yuyan jiaodu kan Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing de fanyi niandai” 從語言角度看《大方便佛報恩經》的翻譯時代. Gu Hanyu yanjiu 古漢語研究 3 (2009): 44–50.

The Da fangbian Fo bao’en jing 大方便佛報恩經 T156 is an anonymous text whose dating is controversial. Some scholars consider it a translation from the E. Han, while others, including Shi, disagree with this opinion. Shi explores the dating of this scripture from the perspective of vocabulary and grammar. Based on several instances (see below), he argues that there is a clear linguistic difference between T156 and other translations from the E. Han dynasty. He posits that the exact date of its translation is no earlier than the Three Kingdoms period, and that many of the terms used in it are much closer to the language found in scriptures from the W. Jin.

Shi categorizes the vocabulary that he analyzes in the essay into three groups:

a) Phrases from Indic languages (translation products): 如是我聞, 憍陳如, 耆婆, 摩睺羅伽, 夜叉, 緊那羅, 涅槃, 南無

b) Generic phraseology 一般詞語: 乞兒, 尋時, 一七, 足跟, 必定, 胡跪

c) Common phrases 常用詞: 側/邊, 放/牧

In terms of grammar, he gives two examples: 當是…… and 今……是.

Entry author: Mengji Huang

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