"Buddhism for Chinese Readers": Zhi Qian's Literary Refinements in the Foshuo pusa benye jing

Abstract

The present article continues the modern scholarship on the transmission of Buddhism from India to China by focusing on one of the most influential figures among the early Chinese Buddhist translators, namely, Zhi Qian ((sic), ca. 193-252 CE). His translation style is characterized as "kaleidoscopic," as Jan Nattier describes, due to the high degree of diversity and variability in his language and terminology. In this study, we explore Zhi Qian's literary refinements from the lexical, stylistic, and conceptual points of view based on his Foshuo pusa benye jing ((sic), T. 281) in close conjunction with three related sutras, the Foshuo dousha jing ((sic), T. 280), the Zhu pusa qiufo benye jing ((sic), T. 282), and the Pusa shizhu xingdao pin ((sic), T. 283), all attributed to Lokaks.ema. We specifically discuss how Zhi Qian produced such a polished and "sinicised" version with various modes of literary modifications (e.g., using wenyan elements, four-syllable prosodic pattern, diverse vocabulary, and indigenous Chinese concepts) within the context of his life and times. In this article, we also argue that his main aim in producing the Foshuo pusa benye jing was to provide a more classical, elegant, and readable Buddhist scripture to the Chinese readers, but that he had to sacrifice being able to faithfully reflect the language used in the original Indic texts.