Tibetan Evidence for the Sources of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvar?a-prabh?sottama-s?tra T 664 Ascribed to Param?rtha

Abstract

Four chapters survive of a supposed translation of the Suvar?a-prabh?sottama-s?tra by Param?rtha (499–569). Versions of these chapters are also found in a later Chinese version of the s?tra by Yijing. In earlier work, I have argued that these chapters were most likely composed in China, basing my argument upon extensive verbatim correspondences between these chapters and a number of earlier Chinese texts. However, a significant obstacle still stands in the way of this thesis. A Tibetan version of the s?tra (here called 'Tib II') also includes the same chapters, and Tibetan tradition holds that this version is a translation from Sanskrit. Here, I examine evidence that suggests that these portions of Tib II might in fact be translations from Chinese, despite the reports of Tibetan bibliographers. In closing, I consider some broader implications of my findings.