Abstract
Zhi Qian (支謙, fl. ca. 220–257 CE), a prolific Yuezhi-Chinese translator of Indian Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, is widely known for his broad range of styles and terminology. For several decades, his translation activities and his legacy in the history of Chinese Buddhist literature have been a rich field of research, particularly within the context of the transmission of Buddhism from India to China. In the present article, as a follow-up study to “Buddhism for Chinese readers: Zhi Qian’s Literary Refinements in the Foshuo pusa benye jing,” recently published by the authors in this journal, we offer additional reflections on distinctive features of Zhi Qian’s language. We focus on four unusual and interesting renderings in the Foshuo pusa benye jing (佛說菩薩本業經, T. 281), namely (1) santu 三塗; (2) shezui 捨罪; (3) kong 空, wu xiang 無想 and bu yuan 不願; and (4) sishi buhu 四時不護. Through an analysis of these words and phrases, we discuss Zhi Qian’s translation techniques and lexical idiosyncrasies, highlighting their significance in our understanding of the dynamics of language contact and change in the early period of the Chinese Buddhist tradition. Thus, the paper investigates some key Buddhist terms as coined by the early translators on the basis of the classical Chinese and illustrates the semantic changes of the Chinese language taking place in the period as well as influence of Buddhist regimes of knowledge.
Highlights
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In the previous paper, entitled “Buddhism for Chinese Readers: Zhi Qian’s Literary Refinements in the Foshuo pusa benye jing (Han et al 2021),” recently published by the authors in this journal, we investigated Zhi Qian’s stylistic characteristics as represented in the Foshuo pusa benye jing (佛菩薩本業經, T. 281; referred to as Benye jing) from the terminological, formal, and conceptual points of view in conjunction with three related texts, the Foshuo dousha jing (佛兜沙經, T.280), the Zhu pusa qiufo benye jing (諸菩薩 求佛本業經, T. 282), and the Pusa shizhu xingdao pin (菩薩十住行道品, T. 283), all of which can be attributed to Lokaks.ema
Zhi Qian played a significant role in the introduction and spread of Buddhism in China during the Three Kingdoms period, and the Benye jing, one of his most influential pieces among his works, clearly documents his unique translation style and techniques
Summary
Zhi Qian was a prolific Yuezhi—but fully sinicised—translator of Indian Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, who was active in the third century CE, that is, the embryonic phase of Buddhism in China He is widely known for his broad range of styles and terminology, for his stylistic and terminological adaptation of already-existing translations by his predecessors, such as Lokaks.ema, An Xuan Through an analysis of these words and phrases, we will examine Zhi Qian’s translation techniques and lexical idiosyncrasies, highlighting their historical significance and implications in a broader context of the dynamics of language contact To this end, we partly rely on Karashima’s insightful studies on early Chinese Buddhist translations (e.g., Karashima 2001, 2013a, 2013b, 2016), the results of which can be roughly summarised as follows: (1) Zhi Qian’s translation procedure can be described as “sinicising” already-existing translations. This study refers to the Tibetan version of the larger Buddhavatam. saka, the Sans rgyas phal po che (D 44), translated in about 800 CE by two Indian masters, Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi, and the Tibetan translator-editor Ye shes sde, from which we can draw conclusions concerning the Indic text that underlies the Tibetan translation. When necessary, we consult Zhi Qian’s other works, the Da mingdu jing, the Weimojie jing, and the Faju jing 法句經 (T. 210), and their parallels in Sanskrit, Pali, and Gandharı if needed
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