Text: T0067; Mo shi Mulian jing 魔試目連經; 魔嬈亂經; 弊魔試目連經

Summary

Identifier T0067 [T]
Title 弊魔試目連經 [T]
Date 西晋 [Hayashiya 1941]
Unspecified Dharmarakṣa 竺法護, 曇摩羅察 [Sakaino 1935]
Translator 譯 Zhi Qian 支謙 [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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  • Title: 弊魔試目連經
  • People: Zhi Qian 支謙 (translator 譯)
  • Identifier: T0067

No

[Nattier 2008]  Nattier, Jan. A Guide to the Earliest Chinese Buddhist Translations: Texts from the Eastern Han 東漢 and Three Kingdoms 三國 Periods. Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica X. Tokyo: The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, 2008.

Nattier does not regard the traditional ascription to Zhi Qian as reliable.

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Hayashiya 1941]  Hayashiya Tomojirō 林屋友次郎. Kyōroku kenkyū 経録研究. Tokyo: Iwanami shoten, 1941. — 1309-1316

Hayashiya's summary of the content of the catalogues on this and related titles is as follows:

Sengyou's recompilation of Dao'an's catalogue of archaic alternate translations 新集安公古異經錄:
A Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing 魔王入目犍蘭腹經 ["Sūtra on How Māra Entered Maudgalyāyana's Belly"; cf. Māratajjaniya-sutta, MN 50; Gombrich, How Buddhism Began, 79--MR] is listed in this catalogue, with the alternate titles Bi Mo shimo Mulian jing 弊魔試摩目連經 and Mowang ru Mulian fu zhong jing 魔王入目連腹中經. The text was extant at the time of Sengyou.

CSZJJ 出三藏記集:
Sengyou also listed the extant Mo raoluan jing 魔嬈亂經, stating that it is roughly the same as the Mowang shi Mulian jing 魔王試目連經, and the unseen Mo shi Mulian jing 魔試目連經, with the alternate title Bi Mo shimo Mulian jing 弊魔試摩目連經 in Sengyou’s catalogue of assorted anonymous scriptures 失譯雜經錄.

Hayashiya claims that probably the Mo shi Mulian jing 魔試目連經 and the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing 魔王入目犍蘭腹經 in Dao'an's catalogue of archaic alternate translations are the same text, since Sengyou did not see the former and the two shared the same alternate title Bi Mo shimo Mulian jing 弊魔試摩目連經.

Hayashiya also claims that the Mo raoluan jing and the Mowang ru Mujilan fu jing should be seen as different texts or alternate translations, even though one of the alternate title of the latter, Bi Mo shimo Mulian jing, may well be an alternate title of the Mowang shi Mulian jing, which Sengyou states is roughly the same as the Mo raoluan jing. Usually, when Sengyou says any two texts are “roughly the same”, the two are virtually identical, with minor differences made during the process of transmission. However, in this case, the claim that the Mo raoluan jing and the Mowang ru Mujielan fo jing are "roughly the same" is likely to have been taken from previous catalogues (because Sengyou did not see the Mo shi Mulian jing, which title seems to refer to the same text as the Mowang shi Mulian jing), and hence it is no indication of an independent judgement on Sengyou’s part.

Fajing’s Zhongjing mulu, Yancong’s Zhongjing mulu and Jingtai 靜泰錄:
In contrast to the considerations discussed by Hayashiya above, Fajing’s Zhongjing mulu took the view that the Mowan ru Mujielan fu jing, the Mo raoluan jing and the Mo shimo Mulian jing all refer to the same text, and Yancong and Jingtai followed Fajing in this regard. Jingtai showed the length of the text as eight sheets 紙. The way that these catalogues listed this group of titles show that there was only one extant text from the Sui 隋 period to the early Tang 唐 period.

LDSBJ 三寶記:
LDSBJ lists the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing (= Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing) as translated by Zhi Qian 支謙 in the Wu 魏呉 period, and the Mo raoluan jing as an anonymous scripture of the Latter Han 後漢 period.

DZKZM 大周刊定衆經目錄:
DZKZM followed LDSBJ in listing the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing and the Mo raoluan jing as different texts. It also added the length of the latter as eight sheets, following Jingtai. Hayashiya points out that DZKZM was careless in adding this length without providing good reasons, because while Jingtai regarded the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing, the Mo raoluan jing and the Mo shi Mulian jing as one and the same text, DZKZM thinks, following LDSBJ, that there are two texts referred to with this group of titles.

KYL 開元錄:
A text entitled the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing, five sheets long, was rediscovered at the time of Zhisheng 智昇. He listed this text as translated by Zhi Qian, following LDSBJ’s ascription. Moreover, Zhisheng added the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing as an independent text. Thus, KYL gives three separate entries: the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing, the Mo raoluan jing and the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing. Hayashiya criticises KYL, pointing out that, first, it uncritically takes over DZKZM’s careless attribution of the length (eight sheets) to the Mo raoluan jing; second, it regards the newly rediscovered Bi Mo shi Mulian jing as translated by Zhi Qian simply because it said so in the entry with the same title in LDSBJ; and thirdly, it lists the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing and the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing 弊魔試目連經 as different texts for no good reason, although the two titles are most likely to refer to the same text.

The Mo raoluan jing, regarded as eight sheets long by Jingtai, and the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing rediscovered at the time of Zhisheng are extant today as the Mo raoluan jing 魔嬈亂經 T66, and the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing 弊魔試目連經 T67 respectively. Hayashiya maintains that T66 and T67 are alternate translation of the same text, but clearly not composed by the same translator or in the same period.

Hayashiya then shows that it is a challenge to determinate which of T66 and T67 was the Mo raoluan jing 魔嬈亂經 or the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing 弊魔試目連經 as they appear in old catalogues, because they share the main story, and both contain the words rao 嬈 and Bi Mo 弊魔, and neither of them has 魔嬈亂 or 弊魔試目連. However, regarding the title Mowang ru Mijielan fu jing, Hayashiya argues, it probably refers to T66, because it contains a passage that directly corresponds to that title.

The vocabulary and tone of T66 and T67 show that both were composed in the W. Jin 西晋 period or earlier, and that T66 is older than T67. In addition, as stated above the content of T66 fits the title Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing better than T67. Thus, Hayashiya claims that T66 was the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing, as listed in Dao'an's catalogue of archaic alternate translations, and the most plausible date of composition for the text is the Wei-Wu 魏呉 period.

Hyashiya maintains that, given that T66 is likely to be the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing listed in Dao’an’s catalogue, and that the unseen Bi Mo shi Mulian jing in Sengyou’s catalogue of assorted anonymous scriptures was probably just an alternate title of the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing, the other surviving text, T67, must be the Mo raoluan jing of Sengyou’s catalogue of assorted anonymous scriptures. In fact, this title is listed with Mo raoluan jing as an alternate title in KYL and the Taishō. Thus, it is natural to regard T67 as the Mo raoluan jing of Sengyou’s catalogue of assorted anonymous scriptures. It is an anonymous scripture of the W. Jin 西晋 period.

LDSBJ and KYL’s attribution of T67 (listed as the Mo raoluan jing) to Zhi Qian is incorrect, since LDSBJ shows no solid grounds for the ascription, and the date of composition of T67 is the W. Jin 西晋 period, which is not the time of Zhi Qian. Moreover, even if the text they were referring to was actually T66, the vocabulary and tone of T66 are also clearly different from that of Zhi Qian.

Hayashiya concludes that the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing of Dao'an's catalogue of archaic alternate translations and the Mo raoluan jing of Sengyou’s catalogue of assorted anonymous scriptures were the only two alternate translations of the Xiang mo jing 降魔經 in the Madhyamāgama (MĀ T26(131)), and the Bi Mo shi Mulian jing of Sengyou’s catalogue is an alternate title of the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing. The surviving T66 and T67 should be recorded respectively as the Mowang ru Mujielan fu jing of the Wei-Wu 魏呉 period and the Mo raoluan jing of the W. Jin 西晋 period.

Entry author: Atsushi Iseki

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No

[Zürcher 1959/2007]  Zürcher, Erik. The Buddhist Conquest of China: The Spread and Adaptation of Buddhism in Early Medieval China. Third Edition. Leiden: Brill, 1959 (2007 reprint). — 50, 336 n. 137

According to Zürcher, Sengyou attributed thirty-six texts to Zhi Qian 支謙, of which twenty-three have survived. This entry lists texts which are ascribed to Zhi Qian in the present Taishō, yet do not appear among Sengyou’s attributions.

Entry author: Sophie Florence

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No

[Fei 597]  Fei Changfang 費長房. Lidai sanbao ji (LDSBJ) 歷代三寶紀 T2034. — T2034 (XLIX) 58b23, 66c16-17

The ascription of T67 to Zhi Qian found in the present canon (the Taishō) probably dates back to LDSBJ, which gives the title as 弊魔試目連經, and refers to the Jiu lu. A supposed second translation under the title 魔女聞佛說法得男身經 is ascribed to Faju, referring to the Shixing lu and Sengyou.

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) 33c21

In Sengyou's Chu sanzang ji ji, T67 is regarded as a missing 闕 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 (juan 4), in the section listing missing texts (beginning at 32a1):

魔試目連經一卷(或云弊魔試摩目連經).

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Fajing 594]  Fajing 法經. Zhongjing mulu 眾經目錄 T2146. — T2146 (LV) 129c14

This title is treated in an interlinear note in Fajing as a title of a text identified as an “alternate translation of a separate chapter from the Madhyamāgama” 中阿含別品異譯, without an ascription (though this title appears in a list that includes some ascriptions in interlinear notes). The entry, including an interlinear note, gives several alternate titles:魔嬈亂經一卷(一名弊魔試目連經一名魔王入目揵蘭腹經出第三十卷).

Entry author: Michael Radich

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No

[Sakaino 1935]  Sakaino Kōyō 境野黄洋. Shina Bukkyō seishi 支那佛教精史. Tokyo: Sakaino Kōyō Hakushi Ikō Kankōkai, 1935. — 141-145

As many as 70 titles newly ascribed to Zhi Qian by Fei Changfang in LDSBJ are found in the catalogues of lost scriptures in CSZJJ. In particular, 56 titles of the 70 feature in the “continuation of the catalogue of anonymous translations” 續失譯經錄, which was newly compiled by Sengyou himself. This strongly suggests that Fei arbitrarily assigned ascriptions to a large portion of the scriptures ascribed to Zhi Qian by taking titles in groups from Sengyou’s list.

Sakaino suggests that it is “so peculiar as to defy comprehension” (實に考えられない不思議のこと) that Sengyou’s list contains more than 860 anonymous scriptures in all, but Fei appears, apparently by sheer happenstance, to have found 14 titles translated by Zhi Qian concentrated in single stretch of only 26 titles (T2145 [LV] 28c3-28). Elsewhere (80-86), Sakaino argues further that Sengyou’s list is in fact organised by topic [it certainly could not be organised by translator, since he regards the texts it contains as anonymous], which makes this clustering of supposed Zhi Qian texts all the stranger. This is part of a broader pattern that Sakaino observes elsewhere in his book, whereby Fei repeatedly assigns new ascriptions holus-bolus, associating groups of texts from Sengyou’s list with the same purported translator. Sakaino does suggest that Fei seems to have referred occasionally to other sources in assigning some of these ascriptions to Zhi Qian, and might even have examined the content of a few texts himself. Sakaino also points out that if CSZJJ gives an alternative title, Fei uses that title, e.g., the 自守亦不自守經 in CSZJJ is listed as不自守意經 in LDSBJ (143-144).

Sakaino gives further arguments about some particular scriptures.

6 scriptures which did not appear in Dao’an, but then do appear in CSZJJ with a note that they are listed in the bei lu 別錄 (首楞嚴, 龍施女, 法鏡, 鹿子, 十二門大方等, and 頼吒和羅), are probably not to be regarded as Zhi Qian’s works. The two texts extant among those six (the *Nāgadatta-sūtra 龍施女 T557, and the *Rāṣṭrapāla-sūtra 賴吒和羅 T68), as discussed earlier (128, 134-135), should therefore not be ascribed to Zhi Qian.

21 scriptures that apparently were taken from sources other than CSZJJ are probably also not Zhi Qian’s works. However, Sakaino does except the 貝多樹經 T713 (*Nidāna-sūtra, Nagaropama-sūtra), the ascription of which to Zhi Qian he says should be accepted.

Entry author: Atsushi Iseki

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No

[Sakaino 1935]  Sakaino Kōyō 境野黄洋. Shina Bukkyō seishi 支那佛教精史. Tokyo: Sakaino Kōyō Hakushi Ikō Kankōkai, 1935. — 133

Sakaino argues that the Bimoshi Mulian jing 弊魔試目連經 [T67 ascribed to Zhi Qian] is Dharmarakṣa’s translation, because it uses the term yuai 愚騃 instead of yuyi 愚疑.

Entry author: Atsushi Iseki

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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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