Introduction to the History of Buddhist Texts in China

Author: Chen Yuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: A historical record of Chinese Buddhist education, closely related to the history of various dynasties. Without cross-referencing, many historical records become obscure and difficult to understand. This treatise categorizes and summarizes the Buddhist historical texts essential since the Six Dynasties as a reference for historical research, not claiming to be a comprehensive Buddhist history. The texts discussed are mostly commonly read by scholars, frequently used in historical studies, and well-known works included in the Siku Quanshu. The selection prioritizes those related to Chinese history, such as The Collection of Records on the Translation of the Three Baskets and Biographies of Eminent Monks, while The Genealogy of Sakyamuni and The Record of Sakyamuni are briefly mentioned. The scope of Chinese Buddhist historical texts is roughly based on A Guide to the Buddhist Canon, categorizing the works of this land into directories, biographies, apologetics, compilations, and glossaries, arranged chronologically. Each book is listed with its full title, abbreviated title, variant titles, differences in volume counts, sources of editions, brief author biographies, and the content and structure of the book, as well as historical-related points. This book introduces the Buddhist historical texts frequently referenced in historical studies since the Six Dynasties, categorized by the time of their compilation. Regarding the full title, abbreviated title, variant titles, author biographies, volume differences, sources of editions, content and structure of each book, and other historical-related issues, the author uses abundant historical materials, cross-references extensively, and analyzes them objectively. Additionally, the author corrects the errors in the Siku Tieshu regarding Buddhist historical texts one by one.