A Brief Examination of Zhi Qian's Terminology in the Fanzhi pin of the Faju jing

초록

One of the crucial factors in the influx of Indian Buddhism into Chinese religious and intellectual traditions was the translation activities that began during the late Han dynasty. Among the many translators who contributed to the spread and development of Buddhism in China, the role of third-century translator Zhi Qian is particularly noteworthy. He made Indian Buddhist scriptures accessible to a Chinese audience, unfamiliar with Buddhist concepts, through the use of polished, or “sinicised” translation language. In this paper, we analyze Zhi Qian's use of language, by examining four specific terms—daoshi (道士, “Masters of the Way”), she (蛇, “snake”), wei (畏, “fear”), and qian (塹, “trench”), found in the Fanzhi pin (梵志品) in the Faju jing (法句經 T210). The term daoshi was frequently used in early Chinese Buddhist translations to denote Indian religious practitioners, including brāhmaṇas, despite its Daoist connotations. This adaptation by translators, including Zhi Qian, reflects an effort to integrate Buddhist teachings into the existing Classical Chinese context, making them more readable to the Chinese audience. The other three terms, she, wei, and qian, exemplify Zhi Qian's approach to translation. First, his choice of she “snake” instead of “mustard seed” could be due to phonetic similarities in Sanskrit, implying a deliberate choice based on the reading of the manuscript, or a possible error, though his correct usage in other texts shows his knowledge of the term. The use of wei “fear” might suggest a misinterpretation of the term for “both,” as used in other versions, or it could indicate manuscript corruption as Zhi Qian accurately translates similar terms in other parts of the text. Last, the term qian “trench”, may reflect either a deliberate adaptation to resonate with his audience or a misreading of the original terms, influenced by phonetic similarities or manuscript corruption.

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