Dated Chinese Manuscripts in the Stein Collection

Author(s): Lionel Giles

Source: Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, Vol. 7, No. 4 (1935),
pp. 809-836
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the School of Oriental and African
Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/608272
Accessed: 18/11/2009 23:55

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless
you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you
may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.

Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at
http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=cup.

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed
page of such transmission.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

School of Oriental and African Studies and Cambridge University Press are collaborating with JSTOR to
digitize, preserve and extend access to Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London.

http://www.jstor.org
 Dated Chinese Manuscripts in the Stein Collection
By LIONEL GILES
(PLATE VII)
I. FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES A.D.
F the 7,000 manuscripts (including fragments) which were taken
by Sir Aurel Stein, almost at random, from the great hoard in
Tunhuang, some 380 bear dates, ranging from A.D. 406 to 995. Six
are of the fifth century, and forty-four of the sixth. A few of
the undated MSS. may be even earlier than 406, while it is highly
probable that others are later than 995, seeing that the date 1035
is found in the similar collection at Paris. But in any case the period
covered does not greatly exceed 600 years.
Most of these dates record not merely the year but the month
and the day, and in the earliest instance of all, even the hour. Many
of them occur in notes or colophons which set forth, often at some
length, the pious intention of monks or laymen who have caused
copies to be made of certain sfitras, and who wish to apply the " merit "
thus gained to the benefit and relief of dead relatives in their future
incarnations. Such colophons are of no little interest to students of
Buddhism, but few have as yet been translated.
Among the rolls of the fifth and sixth centuries the scarcity of
secular documents is noticeable. Of the Buddhist sitras, the
Parinirvana is on the whole the favourite, especially towards the end
of the period, while the proportion of commentaries is remarkably
large; in later times these very seldom occur with colophons or dates.
Most of the rolls lack some of the earlier sheets, which, of course,
would be most exposed to wear and tear.l
A marked change in the general style of handwriting becomes
apparent in the latter part of the sixth century, corresponding no
doubt to some increase of flexibility in the brush-pen. In the more
archaic manuscripts the characters are less eleganftlyshaped than they
began to be about the beginning of the Sui dynasty, and look as if
they had been made with a somewhat stubby instrument. The paper
and ink are of wonderfully good quality from the very first, though
1 An asterisk at the beginning of a transliterated title indicates that the first
part of the text under consideration is missing, while one at the end of the title means
that the last portion is incomplete. "N." stands for Bunyiu Nanjio's Catalogue,
and " K." for the Ky6to edition of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka.
VOL. VII. PART 4. 53
810 LIONEL GILES-

considerable improvement is shown in the texture of the paper as

time goes on, and also in the use of the beautiful yellow dye which is
characteristic of the Sui and early T'ang period. In this connection
I would call attention to a recently published book entitled Paper:
An Historical Account (Shakespeare Head Press, Oxford), in which
the author, Mr. R. H. Clapperton, gives a most interesting analysis
of some of the Stein papers, based on photomicrographs.

A.D. 406 (W. LIANG).

S. 797. Recto: A Vinaya text, *Pratimoksa of the Sarvastivadin,
which does not exactly agree with any in the present Canon.
There is an interesting colophon (see Plate VII): - ;? f 4
a Zf e += X i A
Bs0k ?E a )?fi A

rfnB ^ Sf AM^ MI E X I stR S;X

*aE m%R*lLatl *A{T_I R
"At the hsii hour of the 5th day of the 12th moon of the i-ssu
year, the first of the regnal period Chien-ch'u [i.e. between 7
and 9 p.m. on 10th January, 406], the bhikshu Te-yu, who received
the full disciplinary vows from the monk (upadhydya) Fa-hsing,
the master of discipline Pao-hui, and the master of doctrine
Hui-ying, south of the city of Tunhuang, and subsequently went into
retreat during the summer with his companions in the ceremony,
Tao-fu, Hui-yii, and others, twelve in all, has written out the com-
mandments for recitation as far as 'the completion of destiny',
merely copying the characters. The clumsiness of his hand causes
him shame, and he adds this note in the hope that readers may only
meditate on the sense and forbear to laugh at the handwriting."
In 406 Tunhuang formed part of the short-lived Western Liang
State under Li Kao, of which until the previous year it had been the
capital. The colophon proper is preceded by a j 31 or formula
to be recited at the ceremony of "receiving the commandments ",
and followed by directions as to the division of the text for purposes
of recitation. The exact meaning of 3,j ;_ jft i is not clear
to me.
Verso: A text, also imperfect at the beginning, which consists
of discourses by Buddha showing how such and such precepts of the
Vinaya came to be made. It resembles [I 4- e e Ssi fen ii tsang
(N. 1117), which was translated in 405. A note at the end shows that
the copy was made by the same scribe, Te-yu.
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 811

The roll is 23 feet long by 25 cm. wide, and consists of twenty-one

unequal sheets of paper in a good state of preservation, of which
Mr. Clapperton says: " It is of a soiled brownish buff colour, short
and hard in the tear, and with a tendency to split. The thickness is
*008-.009 inch. The surface and sizing are good ... The paper was
made on a laid mould with the laid lines about ten to the inch, and is
very strong and tough in one direction. Composition: Paper
mulberry." The ink is fresh and black, and the handwriting, though
not elegant, is perfectly clear and legible.
416 (W. LIANG).
S. 113. Recto: A slightly mutilated fragment of an official census
of ft Ai 95 t A Vt fi ~ g Pa _E Kao-ch'ang Li in
Hsi-tang Hsiang, Tun-huang Hsien, Tun-huang Chiin. There are
entries for ten separate families, and each entry is dated in the 1st
moon of the 12th year of Chien-ch'u (February-March, 416). The
writing is clear and distinct. This MS. was published with translation
and notes in T'oung Pao, vol. xvi, pp. 468-488.
Verso: Part of a commentary on K it **Miao
Mj fa
lien hua ching* (Saddharma-pundarika-suitra),p'in 1 and 2. That it
is later in date than the Census is proved by the fact that four sheets
of the latter, all of which are incomplete, have been used to make
a continuous roll for the commentary. The handwriting is smaller
and somewhat more cursive. Dimensions of the roll, 2 ft. 11 in. by
24 cm.

420 (N. LIANG).

S. 6251. A fragmentary list of articles which were apparently
enclosed in a tomb, bearing the date & -,f ?
$ t-- -
"1st day of the 11th moon of the 9th year of Hsiian-shih " [21st
December, 420]. The regnal period is that of Chi-ch'ii Meng-hsiin,
second ruler of the Northern Liang dynasty. These fragments of
paper, which are in a crumbling condition, were found on and below
the body. The largest piece is 11 x 51 in.
455 (N. WEI).
S. 2925. Recto: pl J ft [ l] jH IJ B *Mo ho
pan jo po lo mi, or Maha-prajnaparamita-sutra,p'in 4. One would
expect this to be Kumarajiva's translation (N. 3), which was completed
ca. A.D. 400, but it does not agree with the text in our present Tripitaka.
At the end are the characters e f a " iStra [owned by]
812 LIONEL GILES-

Chao Ch'ing-hsin" (the upasaka Chao). This is a fine MS. of archaic

type which may confidently be assigned to the early fifth century.
Verso: {^ - 0 t : * :: E F , *Fo shuo pien i
chang che tzil so wen ching (N. 769), in a much inferior hand. About
a third of the sftra has been torn away at the beginning.
Colophon: * - iE fl + A Hv 2
Wi t? E 3 4 A e, E[ ~I~
# ~tiA " Copying
completed on the 19th day of the 1st moon of Keng-yin, the 1st year
of T'ai-an [21st February, 455], by the bhikshu Shen-tsung of the
Southern Shrine at I-wu [Hami], a clumsy man with the pen. It was
hard to obtain paper and ink." [This may be an excuse for writing
on the back of the roll.]
The first thing to notice about this colophon is that the cyclical
date Keng-yin does not fall within the T'ai-an period, but might
represent 450 or 510. The next is that a is written minus its final
stroke, presumably for reasons of taboo, though the character does not
form part of the personal name of any Toba emperor. The sitra is
stated by Nanjio (p. 426) and Takakusu (No. 544) to have been
translated by it J; Fa-ch'ang in the period 500-515. The text,
however, agrees with K. xv. i. bbb, where it is said to have been
translated by j ; Fa-i, also of the Later Wei. Neither of these men
appears in Hackmann's index to the Kao seng chuan. The K'ai yiian lu,
ch. 6, f. 188 v?, says that the sftra was translated by Fa-ch'ang,
but points out that a sfitra of this name was already in circulation
under the Eastern Chin dynasty. Unless J in the Kyoto text is a
misprint, it may be that the real translator was one Fa-i who lived
in the fifth century but was afterwards confused with Fa-ch'ang.
The roll is about 10 feet long, and composed of the usual dull buff paper.

479 (N. WEI).

S. 996. X MiJBgtA8 t *Tsa a p'i t'an hsin ching, ch. 6,
corresponding to N. 1287, K. xxv. 4. g (which has ;f instead of g),
ch. 3. This is a commentary on the Abhidharma-hridaya-sastra, in
very good handwriting. At the end is a note: j i + i -
a "15 sheets of paper used. Revised throughout." Of these sheets
only the last five now remain, making the roll rather more than 7 feet
long. There is also a lengthy and difficult colophon, in which it is
said that the text was delivered orally by the mahasattva Fa-sheng
(~~ X;c?X * F)t -S). In our Tripitaka the author is given as
i a Fa-chiu (Dharmatrata). The present copy was made to the
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 813

order of Q | | Feng Chin-kuo, Governor of Lo-chou [Loyang]

and Prince of Ch'ang-li [in Ho-pei] (:r ,j M P_ fi ~ E)),
who was also General Superintendent of Military Affairs ($% '
~ !~) under the Northern Wei. The colophon contains a prayer
for the Emperor and Empress, and concludes with a eulogy of the work
in verse (t) and the date: f; i fll =. aA e *
+ e X W A fi H M 3&. Ww iit;
fl 0A
" Copying completed at Lo-chou on the 28th day, ping-shen, of the
10th moon, chi-ssu, of the 3rd year, chi-wei, of T'ai-ho in the Great
Tai dynasty " [27th November, 479]. Tai was the name of the district
in Shansi held by the Toba Tartars, who founded the Northern Wei
dynasty. It is interesting to find it used as a dynastic title instead of
3 Wei.
500 (N. WEI).
S. 2106. , ~ g, *Wei mo i chi, a commentary on the
Ai
Vimalakirtti-nirdesa-siitra, Kumarajiva's translation, from chapter 3
to the end (chapter 14). Written in a slightly cursive hand on thin
but compact paper, stained yellow. This is the first appearance of an
extraneous dye, an important landmark in the development of paper
for writing purposes. The roll is about 26 feet long, and at the very
end the original whitish colour is visible.
- -
Colophon: ! ) _ l -[ 7-- H Jt_ Af * t
,1 IS ^ ^ ~} p- "Copying completed by the bhikshu T'an-
hsing at the Feng-lo Monastery in Ting-chou on the 22nd day of the
2nd moon of the 1st year of Ching-ming " [6th April, 500].
Ting-chou is in the province of Hopei. Note j * instead of the
usual C;-s. In 496, only four years before the date of this MS., the
Wei emperor had changed the family name Toba into the Chinese
form xj Yuan; but there is no reason to suppose that the word
therefore became taboo; indeed, it appears in our very next colophon.
The title at the end is followed by a fairly long note on the sutra.
Professor Yabuki compared this text with numerous other com-
mentaries on the Vimalakirtti, but none was found to agree with it.
It stands next in date to the oldest commentary by Seng-chao of the
Later Ch'in (384-417).
504 (N. WEI).
S. 2660. S X ~ i, *Sheng man i chi, in 1 chiian. This is
the oldest extant commentary on the Srimala-devi-simhanada-sitra
(N. 59), which was first translated by Gunabhadra between 435 and
814 LIONEL GILES-

443. At the end of the text are the words .- "Collected by

Hui-chang ".
Colophon: iE - -C- -t 3 X ; f-m + --
VIt , f : A i?j A ;7 T " Copyingcompleted on the 14th
of the 2nd moon of the 1st year of Cheng-shih [15th March, 504].
Eleven sheets of paper used. [One only is missing.] Revised jointly
by the shang-jen (monks) Pao-hsien and Hsiian-chi."
The handwriting is good but rather small. The paper, originally
whitish and of the same kind as S. 2106, above, has been stained
a deep yellow, except at the end. The roll is nearly 17j feet long.

506 (LIANG).
S. 81. ji fj $S J *Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 11, p'in 6
and 7. This is N. 113: Maha-parinirvana-sftra, translated by
Dharmaraksha in 423.
Colophon (see Plate VII): :X TLif a --1{ -1 f H
a ^

?ff -- 4
Mt -e-e A aA R e stf itbE
x% A
*ft 3ta 4 1 A , P "<On the 25th day of the 7th
moon of the 5th year of T'ien-chien [29th August, 506] the Buddhist
disciple Ch'iao Liang-yung reverently caused a section of the Ta pan
nieh p'an ching to be copied at the Chu-lin (Bamboo Grove) Monastery
in Ching-chou [Hupeh] on behalf of his deceased father, praying that
all sentient beings of seven previous incarnations might speedily
ascend to the Dharmaraja's realm of fearlessness (abhaya). Prepared
for him by the bhikshu Seng-lun and Kung Hung-liang."
f4 ^ .-, like p P -. , " disciple of pure faith," indicates
a lay member of the Buddhist Church. _ in these colophons never
means " copied ", but always " had a copy made " by a scribe, for
payment. The actual copyists in this case are named at the end;
one of them was a layman. -I- -ft is a phrase constantly occurring in
combination with J -1 : "parents of seven previous incarnations."
" seventh
It is not to be translated "seven generations" or
generation " as is done by Dr. Stefan Balazs in " Die Inschriften der
Sammlung Baron Eduard von der Heydt " (OstasiatischeZeitschrift,
Jahrg. xx), pp. 11 and 13.
This is a fine manuscript, about 221 feet in length. The paper is
one of those examined by Mr. Clapperton, and I will quote his
description of it: "A very thin and tough ' bank-like' paper of a
pale buff colour with a good smooth surface on both sides. Thickness
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 815

?002-.0025 inch, crisp and transparent, with very close laid lines, about
24 or 26 to the inch, very regular and smooth. These lines seem to
have been made by fine grasses or very fine strips of bamboo. The
chain lines are about half an inch apart and very fine and straight
. . . Composition: Ramie."
508 (N. WEI).
S. 2733. No title remains to this MS., but it is a commentary on
the f i f X ,f Miao fa lien hua ching or Saddharma-pundarika-
sitra (N. 134), p'in 6-11, 13. The beginning is mutilated, and there
are holes along the bottom of the roll, which is 141 feet long. The paper
is thin and dyed yellow, and the handwriting is unusually good for
a commentary, though rather small.
The colophon is in two different hands. The older portion reads:
t i ;% X : "Property (?) of the bhikshu Hui-yeh"; and
in another column: g ~ , Jj ^ "Compiled by Shih Tao-
chou." Above and below these words, so as to form part of the same
column, was written later: iE L 4t 3f ,+ El . ?. .
4' J I -I p "Copying completed at the Kuang-te
Monastery in the Middle Capital [Loyang] on the 10th day of the 5th
moon of the 5th year of Cheng-shih " [23rd June, 508]. Loyang is
called 4 J in two other Stein MSS., one dated 762, and also * ,
and t H "eastern Capital " (once each).
511 (N. WEI).
S. 1427. ji f I *Ch'engshih lun, or Satyasiddhi-sastra (N. 1274),
ch. 14, p'in 136-140. The text agrees with K. xxiv. 9, except that
these chapters are now contained in ch. 10 and 11. It is a well-written
manuscript on a roll of rather stiff light yellow paper about
28 feet long.
Colophon: t , a e 5 E 7
-U- I

W A t UP JR Ofi E] 7 R 9 #M A X ,X
"Written out by the copyist Ts'ao Fa-shou. 25 sheets of paper
used. On the 25th day of the 7th moon of hsin-mao, the 4th year
of Yung-p'ing [3rd September, 511], the sastra copied by Ts'ao Fa-shou,
official scribe in Tun-huang Chen, was completed. Teacher of
scriptural texts, Ling-hu Ch'ung-che. Reviser of scriptures and
Tao-jen, Hui-hsien."
Ling-hu Ch'ung-cheis also described as f^ : in the colophons
Xfi
of the next four rolls. Exactly what this title implies is not easy to
816 LIONEL GILES-

determine, especially as he was a layman, not a monk. X J , too,

seems to be more than a general name for a Buddhist.

512 (N. WEI).

S. 1547. The title is given at the end as ] : $A --
+
*Ch'eng shih lun [chiian] ching, ch. 14, but it is really part of the
same text as the preceding roll, corresponding to ch. 11 (last part)
and ch. 12 (first part), and containing p'in 147-154. The handwriting
is similar but somewhat neater, and the paper is whiter and less crisp.
The roll is 153 feet long.
Colophon::J AE-F ' ^ E. ; $: A

a6 Ra X JA , If "28 sheets of paper used. [Only

thirteen of these remain.] On the 5th day of the 8th moon of the jen-
ch'en year, the 1st of Yen-ch'ang [1st September, 512], the sastra
copied by Liu Kuang-chou, official scribe in Tun-huang Chen, was
completed. Teacher of scriptural texts, Ling-hu Ch'ung-che. Reviser
of scriptures and Tao-jen, Hung-chiin."

513 (N. WEI).

S. 341. Chiian 7 of an unidentified sftra, containing the end of
p'in 11 and the whole of p'in 12, which is entitled X
p"f . The title
at the end is torn off. This is another neat MS. on crisp buff-coloured
paper forming a roll 121 ft. long, 26 cm. wide.
Colophon:E^ _- - I, na Bi S

,
t; a )\31A "On the [ ] day of the 6th moon
of the kuei-ssui year, the 2nd of Yen-ch'ang [July-August, 513],
the sfitra copied by Ch'ien Hsien-ch'ang, scribe in Tun-huang
Chen, was completed. 20 [sheets of] paper used. [Only 11 of these
remain.] Teacher of scriptural texts, Ling-hu Ch'ung-che. Reviser
of scriptures and Tao-jen."
A number in double figures is missing before E3. In this and the
next two colophons, no name is given for the reviser. There is a seal-
impression over the colophon which so far I have been unable to
decipher.
513 (N. WEI).
S. 2067. :JS *Hua yen ching (Avatamsaka-sutra), ch. 16,
corresponding to the second half of ch. 15 and the beginning of ch. 16
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 817

in the modern recension. This is a good bold MS. on light buff-coloured

paper. The roll is about 27 feet long.
Colophon: E 8 _ |~ - reC , -U )+ + ftL B Q
A
5 tt * 4E I3L(?) ;h X U ; ,z 4 At; A 4 *a
a a A A a SW 1t 6 fi n " On the 19th day of the 7th
moon of shui-ssu, the 2nd year of Yen-ch'ang [4th September, 513],
Ling-hu [Li ?]-t'ai, scribe in Tun-huang Chen, finished copying out
this sftra. 24 sheets of paper used. [22 of these remain.] Reviser
of scriptures and Tao-jen. Teacher of scriptural texts, Ling-hu
Ch'ung-che."
*,C is a curious variant of e,; 4C "water " being the element
that corresponds to the ninth and tenth celestial stems, X and A.
Over the colophon is an impression of the same seal as in S. 341, but
upside down.
514 (N. WEI).
S. 6727. :C )j X X J JB g *Ta fang tng t'o lo ni ching.
Though bearing the same title as N. 421, the present sftra does not
agree with it in any particular. There is a note at the end in a different
hand: - [= ij] , "One revision completed "; after which
comes the colophon proper, in the same hand as the text of the suitra:

MRb E t d e yh1 f- tmf A*wAMta

Q ;?t'" On the 12th day of the 4th moon of chia-wu, the 3rd
year of Yen-ch'ang [21st May, 514], the copy made by Chang A-sheng,
scribe in Tun-huang Chen, was completed. 21 sheets of paper used.
[Only eleven and a fragment remain.] Reviser of scriptures and
Tao-jen. Teacher of scriptural texts, Ling-hu Ch'ung-che."
The roll is of crisp lemon-yellow paper, and about 141 feet long.
515 (N. WEI).
S. 524. This is a very important roll, for it contains hitherto
unknown sfitra-commentaries on both sides. Recto, is a *commentary
on B X S Bi ]ji - g i y ~ Nr PA , gShengman shih
tzu hou i sheng tafang pien fang kuang ching (N. 59), in a rather small
neat hand on thin yellow paper. The roll is 40 feet long. It is not the
same text as Sheng man i chi (S. 2660, above).
Colophon: --- ,> I in Mf a fi %i 8 gf SE
-tf-_4 U -f 0
X X 6k _ AMA91
Z f i I A
- f ~) r I 1 "One revision completed. Commentary
by Chao, Master of the Law [of Huang-yu ?]. A copy of the
818 LIONEL GILES-

Sheng man su was made in the Ch'eng-mingMonasteryat the capital

[Loyang] on the 23rd day of the 5th moon of the 4th year of
Yen-ch'ang [20th June, 515], and offered as an act of worship by the
Tao-jen Te-shou, a visitor from Kao-ch'ang."
t is written in large characters, and appears again after the
first ij, but has been blotted out. Its meaning is obscure. For 1 as
a final particle, cf. supra, year 508, S. 2733.
Verso: X,. ,W
IB i id Wu liang shou kuan ching i chi,*
a commentary on the Amitayurbuddha-dhyana-sftra (N. 198) in
1 chiian, apparently incomplete. The handwriting is larger than on
the other side of the roll, and the text covers only about 8? feet of its
length. Its date may be late sixth or early seventh century.

521 (N. WEI).

S. 1524. :4 }tt ~ R 0. i I *Ta fang teng t'o lo ni ching
(Mahavaipulya-dharani-sfitra), ch. 1. Though containing several
variants, this text agrees roughly with N. 421, K. xi. 7. 1, ch. 1 and
the beginning of 2. A short piece at the end, concluding with a gatha,
is not found in the present Canon.
Colophon: IE :; - ?t ?
J_[i ~ & "Copying com-
pleted in the first decade of the 10th moon of the 2nd year of Cheng-
kuang" [15th-24th November, 521]. This is a good clear MS. on
whitish paper (showing wire line). The roll is 30 feet long.

521 (N. WEI).

S. 4823. + t 1 JJ ?t X { *Shih ti lun ch'u huan hsi
ti, ch. 1 (last portion only). It agrees with N. 1194, K. xxi. 9. a.
Colophon: ]iE ~ - E ~M 4:; . '~g t
"Copied by the scribe Po Tao-ch'e in the 2nd year of Cheng-kuang
[521]. 27 sheets of paper used." [Only 31 of these remain.]
This is a good MS. on a roll of thin, fibrous, whitish-yellow paper,
about 41 feet long, 27 cm. wide. Though of the same date, this paper
is of entirely different quality from S. 1524.

522 (N. WEI).

S. 2724. *Hua yen ching, ch. 3 (beginning mutilated). It corresponds
to N. 87, K. vii. 3, ch. 4, p'in 2 (3).
There is an elaborate colophon, of which I can only offer a
tentative translation: Akt,[ - l t& R fi .MA IQ
us * ^e X* <> 9 A t:
a -f 9X ffm S I
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 819
L
, m - * N - f^WBS 1&<>>
_=^1fi: Agi^^^ Xj e i
g f3 * t atX }rJu
X; i Al
t t t i ) aj -b

q fa
S BA
'J F f %* it:a j1s m
. m o fi e
-p
-
~ g <>
-* J :~ i mb-" . A " The wonderful
decree [of Buddha] is not to be expressed in words, hence we
must receive empirical teaching in order to reach the underlying
principle. The perfect body has no form, so we must avail ourselves
of [ ] in order to manifest the truth. That is why my late brother,
the sramana and karmadana Hui-ch'ao, realizing that this fleeting
existence is not to be depended upon, and knowing that the Three
Holy Ones may readily be trusted, [gave up] his property and sacrificed
all his wealth, regarding the merit [of good deeds] as alone of
importance; he painted the figure of the Golden Guest on the walls
of the monastery, and copied the scriptures on bamboo and paper;
but before he had completed his task he passed suddenly into another
life. And now his younger brother the bhikshu Fa-ting, beholding
with reverence the work he left behind, and feeling a great longing to
carry it to completion, has therefore painted the temple with lustrous
decoration, and has made extensive copies from a number of sftras-
the Hua yen, Nieh p'an, Fa hua, Wei mo, Chin kang pan jo, Chin
kuang ming, and Sheng man-and offers the resultant stock of
happiness to his beloved brother, that his soul may mount to the realm
of the absolute and his body travel to the Pure Land, that he may
thoroughly comprehend the principle of No-birth and soon [be
delivered from] the ocean of suffering; and that likewise all sentient
beings may share in this merit and attain to perfect intelligence."
The rhythm of the sentences shows that single words must have
been omitted by mistake after ], jf, and _. The last is probably
W. "Karmadana" is the second-in-command or sub-director of
a monastery. The Three Holy Ones are usually understood to be
Vairocana, Maijusri, and Samantabhadra. " The Golden Guest"
is a name for Buddha, and the principle of No-birth is of course
Nirvana. Before the colophon is the note )j -tJ- i (marked for
deletion by a dot at the side) .t: "27 sheets of paper used " [only
ten remain]; and at the end is the date: JC g jE y) - f
"
At 3E -l
~ ]R n A,H In Copy completed on the 8th day
of the 4th moon of jen-yin, the 3rd year of Cheng-kuang of the Great
Wei dynasty " [18th May, 522]. This is the first time that we find the
820 LIONEL GILES-

Wei dynasty mentioned by name. This is a good MS. on a roll of rather

thin yellow paper, over 13 feet long.

531 (N. WEI).

S. 4528. No general title remains, and the headings of the p'in
simply read f&t: t5 Pan jo po lo mi. But it is really *Fo
shuo jen wang pan jo po lo mi ching (N. 17, K. v. 6. j), p'in 5 (end
only) -8.
Colophon: * ft e P' g a + i H ^ -

3 A 4 - T^ S Bffi
A a/" Sft &i 4 a l AE A t +

- ? i 31 ffi An I; " On the 15th of the 4th moon of

the 2nd year of Chien-ming of the Great Tai [i.e. Wei] dynasty [16th
May, 531], the Buddhist lay disciple Yuan Jung, since he lives in
Mo-chieh in danger of his life, has long been parted from his home
and has a constant longing to return, therefore in his own person and
that of his wife and children, his male and female servants, and his
domestic animals, makes on behalf of the Celestial King Vaisravana
a donation to the Triratna of the sum of a thousand silver cash; and
as ransom money, a thousand cash to ransom himself and his wife and
children, a thousand cash to ransom his servants, and a thousand cash
to ransom his animals. The money thus paid to the Church is to be
used for copying sutras, with the prayer that the Celestial King may
become a Buddha, and that the disciple's family, servants, and live-
stock may be richly endowed with the blessing of long life, may attain
enlightenment, and may all be permitted to return to the capital.
This is his prayer."
For 4 {it, see S. 996 (A.D. 479). The period Chien-ming came to
an end in the 2nd moon of its 2nd year, but evidently the news had
not reached the writer two months later. Mo-chieh is probably not
Magadha, which is generally written jE X ), but some remote
kingdom of Central Asia. Vaisravana, guardian of the North,
is frequently invoked for protection. Here Yuan Jung, who is "in
danger of his life ", seeks his aid in a curiously roundabout fashion.
He gives a total of 4,000 cash for copying sftras, a quarter of the
resultant "merit" to be so applied that Vaisravana may attain
Buddhahood. The remainder is intended to " ransom " himself and
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 821

his household, and bring about their return to China. The inclusion of
animals as on a virtual level with human beings is due to the Buddhist
belief in universal reincarnation. M, originally a look-out tower,
then the gate of a palace, seems to be used by synecdoche for the
Imperial city, in this case Loyang.
Another good MS. The roll is made of yellow paper, and is nearly
15 feet long.
533 (N. WEI).
S. 2105. 1,4;J X l *M iaofa lien hua ching, ch. 10 (from
title at end), p'in 27 (from title at beginning). The modern text,
however, comprises only 7 chiian, and this MS. corresponds to ch. 7,
p'in 28 (complete).
The end of the colophon is unfortunately torn away. The first
portion runs: 7C r: ~ M: : -3 m
ff i Z Ma ^ g _ls- -t ff t

X j i6 i ~~ e ? n cc
"On the i-ch'ou day, the 25th of the
3rd moon, the first day of which was hsin-ch'ou, in the kuei-ch'ouyear,
the 2nd of Yung-hsing [4th May, 533], the gila disciple Ch'en Yen-tui
pays homage to the Triratna ever abiding throughout the three periods !
The disciple, having himself been guilty of insincere conduct in a
former existence, and similar sentient beings endowed with vile bodies
of wind-borne dust, doubly blind . . .
The Yung-hsing period of 533 was extremely short, lasting less than
a month in January and February; and there might seem to be some
ground for preferring the earlier Yung-hsing (also of the Wei dynasty),
which covered the years 409-414. But (1) the cyclical designation of
410 is keng-hsii, not kuei-ch'ou; (2) both paper and handwriting point
unmistakably to the later date; (3) Kumarajiva died in 415, and it is
unlikely that his translation was available so early as 410. The " three
periods " are past, present, and future. In T'ang times, AJ was
pronounced kai, as it is in the Cantonese dialect to-day. Hence we
have aq replacing it here as a homophone.
This is a fine MS. on yellow paper. The roll is about 51 feet long,
26.5 cm. wide.
533 (N. WEI).
S. 4415. Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 31. This agrees with N. 113,
K. viii. 6, but the chiian ends about three pages sooner than in the
modern text.
822 LIONEL GILES-

The sitra is written in a fine bold hand, but the colophon which
follows (see Plate VII) is rather crabbed : *fe* g 7C
^ --

I ' $
1. E ; Xk [?] a M -:
1 S% fi t

s oX A 1 i ' X -: m
am ^ 7T 0 S R, vZ3 , , [?]
- E Ai 7 " On the 15th day of the 7th moon of the 2nd
;a
year of Yung-hsi of the Great Tai and Great Wei dynasty [20th August,
533], the layman of pure faith (upasaka) Yuan T'ai-kuo, shih-ch'ih-
chieh, san-ch'i-ch'ang-shih, k'ai-fu with the same insignia of rank as
the three chief ministers, General Superintendent of Military Affairs
in Ling-hsi, Commander-in-chief of the Cavalry on active service,
Prefect of Kua-chou and Prince of Tung-yang, has reverently caused
sections to be copied of the Nieh p'an, Fa hua, Ta yiin, Sui yii, Kuan fo
san mei, Tsu ch'ih, Chin kuang ming, Wei mo, and Yao shih, totalling
one hundred rolls, in honour of the Celestial King Vaisravana, praying
that this disciple [i.e. the donor] may gain permanent relief from his
sickness and that his whole body may find repose. Such is his
prayer."
Here the same dynasty is denominated both Tai and Wei: cf. supra,
S. 996 (A.D. 479), in which MS. we also find the title "General
Superintendent of Military Affairs ". Ling-hsi may denote the country
west of the Nan Shan; I have not met this term elsewhere. Kua-chou
is the modern An-hsi, but the location of Tung-yang is doubtful.
4JC must refer to a lost translation of the Mahamegha-sutra, for
the three translations in the present Canon (N. 186-8) are all of later
date than 533. [ LE|and 3 - are texts that I cannot identify
in this abbreviated form, but Yao shih is doubtless the 12th sutra of
N. 167. f is not a recognized character, but it may stand simply for
/:C. In a larger hand at the end are the words - [for :] j "One
revision completed."
This is a good bold MS. on thin buff paper, forming a roll
152 feet long.

539 (W. WEI).

S. 2732. Recto: ,| i , ~ i& *Wei mo ching i chi, ch. 4.
This is the last chapter of a commentary on the Vimalakirtti-sutra
which is not included in the present Canon or in the Kyoto Supplement.
A. xxvii. 4 of the latter is a commentary of the same name in 8 chiian
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 823

by % x Hui-yiian of the Sui, that is, half a century later.

Professor Pelliot thinks it possible that the name and attribution are
false, and that there is only one genuine Wei mo ching i chi, in 4 chiian,
by another Hui-yiian of the fourth century, of which our MS. has
preserved the concluding portion.
The colophon consists of four notes in two distinct hands: (1)
Jc s $ + a -' t Er B HE g ?e M-i
"Copied for circulation by the bhikshu Hui-lung on the 12th day of
the 4th moon of the 5th year of Ta-t'ung " [15th May, 539]. (2) h[
-- _ 1 j t Ai t " [Text] jointly revised and determined by
two scholars of Lung-hua." (3) j i T - 7 i_ "Again revised
word for word throughout." (4) X ~ _ $ 3 4? )!
~ ~' & _h l T -] S, [mistake for ~] ~ ~ X
<
t J m -- X 0S "Private notes taken during the jen-wu
year, the 2nd of Pao-ting [562, N. Chou dynasty], when the ta-te
(bhadanta) Seng-ya lectured on the whole of the Wei mo ching in the
]irh-mien-kung Pavilion or under an elm tree."
These notes appear in the order 2, 3, 1, 4. (1) and (2) are in the
same bold hand as the MS. itself, whereas (3) and (4) are written in
much inferior style. Although different religions have never been so
sharply opposed in China as in Europe, it is unlikely that fll in this
place has its narrower meaning of " Confucianist ". There are several
towns called Lung-hua; but the name here probably refers to the
"dragon-flower tree " (naga-puspa) under which Maitreya is to hold
his three assemblies.
Verso: * -T
-g'- !
1J mo M Ta sheng po fa
ming men lun k'ai tsung i chiieh*, by the monk f ^ T'an-k'uang.
This is a lost commentary on the Mahayana-satadharma-vidyadvara-
sastra (N. 1213), of which several copies were found at Tunhuang.
There is a short but very important preface, dated * * J
):
L $ A i _3 J -tJ-_ j "the 23rd of the 3rd moon of
the [chia-]yin year, the 9th of Ta-li in the Great T'ang dynasty"
[8th May, 774]. Observe I, an unusual substitute for -. In this
preface T'an-k'uang tells how he composed the W1IJ]
E Chin kang
chih tsan in the Northern Regions (0JJ h'); then the ~ P N'
32 Ch'i hsin hsiao wen at Liang-ch'eng; and finally the A. X A J
HJ t Ju tao tz'u ti k'ai chiieh and the present Po fa lun k'ai
tsung i chi at Tunhuang.
The handwriting is clear and good, hardly lapsing at all into the
cursive. The date of copying is probably not much later than that of
824 LIONEL GILES-

the preface; but in any case it is remarkable that there should be so

long a gap as 250 years or so between the MSS. recto and verso. The
roll is of light buff-coloured paper, and nearly 44 feet long.
541 (W. WEI).
S. 2216. *Ta pan nieh p'an ching (N. 113), ch. 21, agreeing with the
modern recension, except that the chiian ends sooner.
Colophon: ;tg J / f t H A ft J at
; "Reverently copied and offered as an act of worship by Nieh
Seng-nu on the 28th of the 6th moon of the 7th year of Ta-t'ung"
[5th August, 541].
This is a fine MS. on a roll 26 feet long. But the chief feature to
be noted is the thin crisp paper, stained a beautiful golden-yellow,
which is so characteristic of the next hundred years.
543 (W. WEI).
S. 736. Sk ft; ? I ^? j *Ta pi ch'iu ni chieh mo. Maha-
bhikshuni-karman, or rules of Buddhist discipline for nuns. This
Vinaya text is in one chiian only, and not the same as N. 1116. The
major portion of the roll, which is over 21 feet long, consists of a well-
made light yellow paper, but towards the end six sheets of a thinner,
crisper texture have been inserted. The handwriting throughout is
very clear and neat.
Colophon: t* i L H * fJt

kk iIitk&
AE*J4 - E
-6E-AXuN +^^X S e X
* ; #EA
Au liW
- &Bt
4 S

X iftlnA 4 H e { An
A A t 4 * * X

JS)]fJ " Copying completed on the 6th day of the 7th moon, the
first day of which was chi-ch'ou, of the 9th year of Ta-t'ung [21st
August, 543], and offered as an act of worship by the bhikshuni
Hsien-yii. With pious intent, the bhikshuni Hsien-yii has caused a copy
to be made of the Chieh mo ching in one chiian, praying that the merit
thereby gained may reach the worlds in all the ten directions of space,
and all living beings in the six states of existence, opening their hearts
and expanding their minds, that they may turn their thoughts to the
Mahayana. She offers this her bodily life, that wheresoever she is born
she may constantly act as leader and guide to all beings of the ten
regions and the six states of existence, even as the Buddhas and the
BULL. S.O.S. VOL. VII, PART 4. PLATE VII.

FOUR COLOPHONS,
DATEDA.D. 406 (S. 797), 506 (S. 81), 533 (S. 4415),
568 (S. 616). From left to right.
[To face p. 824.
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 825

Bodhisattvas of the three periods (past, present, and future) work

for the salvation of all beings, equally and without any distinction.
And if any are able to read, recite and practice these precepts, may the
same merit accrue to them likewise. May the Great Holy One (Buddha),
possessor of the profound mind, grant that this prayer may be fulfilled,
that the fruits of Buddhahood may be attained, and that all beings
in the three unhappy states of existence may in due course obtain
deliverance."
The chief difficulty in the above is the character *, which is not
recognized by the dictionary, and appears in contexts that seem to
require two different meanings.
545 (W. WEI).
S. 4494. A collection of prayers, charms, and other religious
documents. One of these, a list of days suitable for the remission of
sin, is said to have been compiled in the 11th year of Hsiian-shih
[422], but the cyclical date given, C U[, does not agree.
Colophon: I+--- ZL - a H g L
[for p;] : * i 4 g "Copying completed on the 29th of
the 5th moon of the i-ch'ou year, the 11th of Ta-t'ung [24th June,
545]. Property of Tao-yang of the P'ing-nan monastery."
The roll, made of thin whitish buff paper, is about 73 feet long,
and the handwriting is fairly good-much better than that usually
found in similar compilations.
550 (W. WEI).
S. 6492. * _X *Ta i chang, ch. 5. This treatise, literally
"Chapters on the Great Meaning ", consists of questions and answers
on Buddhist doctrine. Chiian 5 contains eight chapters, the titles of
which are enumerated at the end of the roll; each has a preface and is
subdivided into several sections. The chapters are: (1) pfi * (missing)
"Cutting the knot ", or severing the bonds of passion, etc.; (2)
i9 E_i (sections 4, end, to 6) "The four immeasurables ", or
Buddha-states of mind, i.e. boundless kindness, pity and joy, and
limitless indifference (rising above these emotions); (3) / WW JP;
Eight stages of mental concentration leading to deliverance; (4)
A J 5t Eight victorious stages or degrees in meditation for over-
coming desire; (5) F "Aids to contemplation "; (6) Eq ;
"The four methods of non-obstruction "; (7) * j The six super-
natural powers acquired by a Buddha; (8) +- ? The ten forms
of understanding.
VOL. VII. PART 4. 54
826 LIONEL GILES-

At the end of the text is a note, ft "Property of Seng-pao ",

and colophon:: ~t -
$1 * A f---f
iz
El .tl * ' i A1 " Copied by the bhikshu Seng-pao in
the Ch'eng-men [City gate] monastery on the 21st day of the 2nd moon
of keng-wu, the 16th year of Ta-t'ung " [24th March, 550]. ;jj seems
to be required before j.
The handwriting is clear and neat. The paper is dyed a sulphur-
yellow, and the roll is about 401 feet long, 28 cm. wide.
550 (W. WEI).
S. 4366. *Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 12. At the end is a note,
Ik 4 -- , " Revised word for word throughout ", and a rather
-
long colophon: ?f igB ;t b 5 fi!i 3

n TNA 0 ' JV
E 91 2a A
Xn f AIt
A e J- t LeA
X 3X A a X ffi
*t + M^ ?AX Ant -Y. e tZtE * t N ,A *
S4 8 T * F$Au
a i1
3f -r tt
T; a a WWV a A
E It ^ J -tL- El " Happiness is not fallacious in its re-
sponse: pray for it, and the influence will be felt. Results do not come
of themselves: concentrate on the causes, and successful attainment will
follow. Thus, the Buddhist disciple and bhikshuni Tao-jung, because
her conduct in a previous life was not correct, has been reborn in the
vile estate which is that of a woman; and if she does not obey and
honour the wonderful decree [of Buddha], how shall she find response
in the effects which are to come ? Therefore, having cut down her
expenses in the articles of food and clothing, she has reverently caused
a section of the Nieh p'an ching to be copied, praying that those who
read it through may be exalted in mind to supreme [wisdom], and
that those who promote its circulation may cause others to be
influenced to their enlightenment. She also prays that in her present
life she may abide in meditation, without further sickness or suffering;
that her parents in seven other incarnations who have died in the past
or will die in the future, and her family and kinsfolk now living,
may enjoy surpassing bliss in the four realms [of earth, water, fire, and
air], and that what they seek may fall out according to their desire;
also, that all disciples [of Buddha] naturally endowed with perception
may be embraced in the scope of this prayer. Dated the 29th day of
the 4th moon of the 16th year of Ta-t'ung " [30th May, 550].
 ;

DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 827

- '
is an unexpected variant of the usual _. (appearing in
K'ang Hsi as Si) is an archaic form of 4. This is a fine MS. on a roll
of remarkably good lemon-coloured paper, 22 feet long. The colophon
is in a different hand.
561 (N. CHOU).
S. 2664. Part of a *commentary on a Vinaya text, without title.
Colophon: f t ' A$ * e X] T * 4A B k
~ S " Notes extracted by Hsiian-chiieh on the 8th of the
3rd moon, the first day of which was ting-wei, of hsin-ssui, the 1st
year of Pao-ting " [8th April, 561].
This is a fairly good MS. on unstained whitish paper, making a roll
about 24 feet long by 27 cm. wide. A few columns of the same text
have been written on the back.
561 (N. CHOU).
S. 2082. Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 18 (beginning mutilated).
Colophon: t t ; 1L X + -t Fl f3 g -
, ~ J ; ,/ --1 J ~- - a 4 m A "Reverently
copied for circulation on the 17th of the 9th moon of the 1st year of
Pao-ting [llth October, 561] by the Buddhist disciple Chang Pen-
sheng on behalf of the members of his family, large and small, and all
living beings."
This is a fine bold MS. on a roll about 29 feet long. The colophon
has been added in an inferior hand. This is what Mr. Clapperton has
to say about the paper: " Thin golden yellow paper . . . Thickness
?002--0025inch. A really beautiful, thin paper, very well made. The
fibres have been well beaten and the sheet is well closed. Very even
laid and chain lines, all square and rigid-looking, no sagging; 16 to
the inch and chain lines two inches apart. The paper is tough, trans-
parent and strong, and very evenly made. As good a paper as could
be made at the present time. Close, smooth surface, excellent handle
and rattle. Very hard-sized: takes and holds ink as well as a good
modern, tub-sized paper. Composition: Paper mulberry and Ramie."
564 (N. CHOU).
S. 1317. *Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 1.
Colophon: X E a> q A F -- iJ < E> ? -

t E :7 ~ a]: [l m [r m ~M J 11l m
% # 3g } 7j M ;; [for M] -' - m M [for g] 4j| ^;
828 LIONEL GILES-

)aB V d t * [for 9E] i *^ ffi f i ? ^ 'M E

x A p <W XJSfi ig X t x x
"On the jen-tzu day, the 25th of the 6th moon, the first day of which
was mou-tzu,in the 4th year of Pao-ting [19th July, 564], the bhikshu
Tao-chi reverently caused one section of the Nieh p'an ching to be
copied out, by cutting down expenditure on clothes and sparing what
he could out of alms received. The stock of happiness thus acquired he
offers to his cherished parents in seven previous states of existence
and those connected with him by relationship, that they may be
removed for ever from the sources of sufferingand ascend to the fruition
of paradise. May his present life be tranquil and prosperous, all his
woes be dispersed like clouds, and every kind of happiness alight upon
him. And when he casts off this vile body, may he straightway be
reborn in the Tushita heaven and behold the merciful countenance [of
the Buddha], feast on the teaching of the Law, individually awaken
to the truth of Nirvana, and enter into the state of purity. Next, he
prays that the troubles of the State may soon be allayed, that all the
people may dwell in peace and joy, that wind and rain may come in
their due season, that crops and fruit may be produced in rich
abundance, and that the sentient beings of the universe, ascending
together to the Temple of the Law, may all in due course attain
Buddhahood."
f ~ may indicate the realm of dharma, or Nirvana. This is
a fine MS. on a roll of yellow paper about 27- feet long and nearly
25-5 cm. wide.

565 (N. CHOU).

S. 1945. *Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 11, p'in 6, 7.
Colophon: J X Z iA T L - I: i 3 E

't. X%1I
39_f ] -m NS ,
*_ 4m-
^ 1=
V -fASA it -*
N a -a a]
s
F- 3E Ih J - , -$ g fMi 3 [for1]

t - )i4 - <j)> f "On1 the 1st day of the i-yu year, the 5th of
Pao-ting in the Chou dynasty [16th February, 565], the bhikshu
Hung-chen, whose foolish heart is filled with deep sorrow and regret
that in a previous existence he was obstructed [by his passions]
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 829

and hindered from entering the correct path, and looking up with
adoration to the Great Holy One, has for the edification of
monks and laymen caused copies to be made of the 1,500 Buddha's
names in 100 rolls, of the charms of the seven Buddhas and
the eight Bodhisattvas in 100 rolls, and of 3,000 miscellaneous
charms, and has furthermore had copies made of a section of
the Nieh p'an ching, a section of the Fa hua ching, two sections
of the Fang kuang ching, one section of the Jen wang ching
with commentary, one section of the Yao shih ching, one section of
the Yao wang yao shang p'u sa ching, and a Vinaya text in one roll with
commentary, to the end that this stock of merit may be used on behalf
of all the sentient beings of the universe, that they may ascend to the
first assembly of Maitreya and in due course attain Buddhahood."
j hsien has much the same sense as ,i. In the middle of the last
column of this colophon is the note, " 18 sheets of paper used "; of
these, eleven now remain, forming a roll about 141 feet long, 26 cm.
wide. This is another fine MS. on very thin dark yellow paper.

568 (N. CHOU).

S. 616. m
_ )] , *Chin kuang ming ching (Survarna-prabhasa-
sutra, ch. 4, p'in 14 (end only) -16, translated by Dharmaraksha
(N. 127). This is the earliest specimen of a sfutrawhich was afterwards
to become extremely popular at Tunhuang in j] F I-ching's
translation.
Colophon (in a different hand from the text of the sutra; see
Plate VII): A t .X fgH 7 7 ; m~ ~ %
Pi _ s J 3 -_ X -_ g m t A EE p
?ffi 7AS
7I m X
m W X t ; A
XaAf t5 & S9 A
k .& * A ,p <a
,> _ A
-& ffj Aq -~ - C"On behalf of the deceased bhikshu Yung-pao,
Keeper of the Lung-ch'iian cave-temples, copies have been reverently
made of sections of the Chin kuang ming, the Sheng man, and the
Fang kuang sftras, with a prayer that the deceased may be reborn
in the land of Buddha and behold his merciful countenance, forever
escaping from the three [unhappy] paths of existence, and ever
divorced from suffering. Whatever rebirths he may undergo, may he
meet with good friends and acquire true enlightenment. And may
[this stock of merit] reach all living beings, so that they may speedily
attain Buddhahood. Dated the 21st of the 5th moon of mou-tzu, the
3rd year of T'ien-ho " [1st July, 568].
830 LIONEL GILES-

We do not know the whereabouts of the Lung-ch'iian caves; but

a district (JO) of the same name is mentioned in S. 6014. The Fang
kuang sftra is the Avatamsaka, jl ), {l | a1 $,, usually
called the Hua yen, as above, A.D. 522 (S. 2724). ] ; _ - seems
to be a mistake for;-C i - t.
This is another fine MS. in very black ink on yellow paper of good
quality. The handwriting is less archaic in appearance than that of
previous rolls, and marks the transition stage between the clumsier
style of the Six Dynasties and the graceful strokes of the T'ang. The
roll is just over 11 feet long.
569 (N. CHOU).
S. 2935. *Ta pi ch'iu ni chieh mo ching, in 1 ch. The same text as
S. 736 (A.D. 543).
Colophon: ngI , a * A ES
^N7tCX 4 E Ft X t EI
{ ll !t "Copying
completed on the 8th of the 6th moon of chi-ch'ou, the 4th year of
T'ien-ho [7th July, 569]. Received as her property and offered as an
act of worship by Chih-pao, a nun in the Yung-yiin Convent. Extracts
completed by the bhikshu Ch'ing-hsien." This text, then, would seem
to consist of extracts from a longer treatise. Whether Ch'ing-hsien
was the actual copyist is doubtful. The handwriting is good. The roll,
29 feet long, is of crisp lemon-yellow paper.
583 (Sui KINGDOM).
S. 3935. k, i ; *f A , *Ta fang teng ta chi ching
(Mahavaipulya-mahasannipata-sftra), ch. 18, p'in 4, 5. The text
corresponds to ch. 20 of N. 61, K. vi. 6.
Colophon: M a _ $ m v M ~i i q e1- A 3l ~
gij (?for l) $ ' *X E t e a fi a * t
mg7 -r% W t
mi0 g * A 0 XM
Is f~a DF
% a 3- Ns !i t 9 9 i i6 m
7X - m /iA X S

At t )q] aJ J ffi , "On the 28th of the 5th moon of

the kuei-maoyear, the 3rd of K'ai-huang [23rd June, 583], the Wu-hou-
shuai and MilitarySuperintendent Sung Shao, having met with domestic
affliction, has made a vow on behalf of his deceased father and mother
to read a section of each of the following sutras: Ta chi ching, Nieh
p'an ching, Fa hua ching, Jen wang ching, Chin kuang ming ching,
Sheng man ching, and Yao shih ching. He prays that the spirits of
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 831

the deceased may travel to the Pure Land, eternally exempt from the
three unhappy states of existence and the eight calamities, and
constantly hear the Law of Buddha. He also prays that happiness may
attend the members of his family, both great and small, to their hearts'
content, that blessings of all kinds may daily descend upon them, and
that all evils may be dispersed like clouds; that the King's highway
may be free and open, and that robbers and thieves may be driven
away; that pestilence may not prevail, and that wind and rain may
come in their due season; and that all suffering beings may speedily
obtain deliverance. May these prayers be granted !"
There is a companion roll to this, S. 582, containing Ta chi ching,
ch. 25, with an undated colophon in the same hand referring to this
vow: f ^ -T J5 5X X X H 1i t~ j " The Buddhist
disciple, Sung Shao, has read seven sections in order that his prayer
might be granted." The King of Sui had deposed the Chou emperor
in 581 and taken the year-title of K'ai-huang, which he retained after
he had become emperor of a united China in 589. j { Rp appears
to have been a kind of military police officer. The " eight calamities "
are states of existence in which one is shut off from the sight of Buddha
or the hearing of his Law; they include the jE :i and the _- .
Here, however, in view of the fact that the three unhappy paths have
already been mentioned, the eight calamities may be those of a more
popular series: (1) Hunger; (2) Thirst; (3) Cold; (4) Heat; (5)
Flood; (6) Fire; (7) the Knife, i.e. a private vendetta; (8) War.
ff is a rare character with the same meaning as g " to ward off";
but here it seems to be used for f in the sense of j,.
A good MS. on whitish paper, making a roll about 29 feet long,
26 cm. wide. The colophon, however, is written in a very careless
hand with much-diluted ink.

588 (Sui KINGDOM).

S. 4020. ,Fg : A *Ssu i ching (N. 190), ch. 4, p'in 15-18.
Colophon: * g , El ~ ~ A
HA

itt N, fi $
f M-a S l A
X
P? , a " On the 8th day of the 4th moon of mou-shen,the 8th year
of K'ai-huang of the Great Sui dynasty [8th May, 588], the Lady Ts'ui,
consort of the Prince of Ch'in, on behalf of all the living beings of the
universe, reverently caused copies to be made of the Tsa a han and
other sitras, amounting to 500 rolls, for universal circulation, offering
832 LIONEL GILES-

them as an act of worship. Superintended by Wu Kuo-hua, yiian-wai

san-ch'i ch'ang-shih. Revised by the monk Hui-k'uang of Cheng-ting
in Hsiang-chou."
Note that the Sui kingdom had already assumed the style of an
imperial dynasty, although the ] Ch'en still ruled in the south.
Hsiang-chou is X X Hsiang-yang in Hupeh, but the location of
Cheng-ting is doubtful.
A fine MS., nearly 241 feet long, on thin crisp golden-yellow paper.

588 (Sui KINGDOM).

S. 3518. *Nieh p'an ching, ch. 4 (correspondingto ch. 4 and part

of 5 in the modern recension).
Colophon (in the same hand, though smaller than the text of
the sftra): W _a A /A A )JR - H
A f~
( -6

V* s J 3t a - MI S
aBf Jit X .te a *
3E ,* V 1f f mJ m E " On the 3rd of the
8th moon of the 8th year of K'ai-huang [29th August, 588] the Buddhist
disciple Chao Sheng, fu-kuo chiang-chiin and chung-san tu-tu, deeply
regretting that in a previous existence he did not meet Sakyamuni
when he went through the eight phases of his life and attained Buddha-
hood; and as regards the future, not yet having received [instruction
from] the three assemblies of Maitreya : has therefore, in the illusory
conditions of this present state, assuming the mind of bodhi [i.e. the
awakened or intelligent mind that believes in moral consequences],
reverently caused a section of the Ta pan nieh p'an ching to be copied,
so as beneficially to affect both himself and the members of his family,
great and small; above him, the Dragon King, the ruler of the State,
and universally, all living beings endowed with perception, that they
may together rise to perfect enlightenment."
The eight phases of Buddha's life, as given in the Ch'i hsin lun,
are: (1) Descent into and abode in the Tushita heaven; (2)
Conception; (3) Abode in the womb; (4) Birth; (5) Leaving home;
(6) Attaining enlightenment; (7) Turning the Wheel of the Law, or
preaching; (8) Entrance into Nirvana. " This present state " is the
second of the " three periods " of Buddhism: the real, the formal,
and the final; they last 500, 1,000, and 3,000 years respectively, after
which Maitreya comes to restore all things. He will sit under a
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 833

"dragon-flower" tree and preach the Law to three successive

assemblies.
A fine MS., about 27 feet long, on thin golden-yellow paper.
589 (Sui).
S. 2154. There are two separate texts in this roll. The first has no
'
general heading, but I have been able to identify it as -1 RI ft
Ffg j gi mf ~ *Samantabhadra-bodhisattva-sfutra(N. 1104), p'in
2-5. The last p'in is wrongly numbered 6. Curiously enough, Nanjio
also gives the sfitra six chapters, though K. xvii. 2. q only has five.
The second text is { & XX: * 4 I , Fo shuo shen
shen ta hui hsiang ching (N. 471), complete.
Colophon: :*C9i- fq &- hLA H g JR A. i*- S
_ ~e - -IJ
_ XS f4 " On the 8th of the 4th
moon of the 9th year of K'ai-huang of the Great Sui dynasty [27th
May, 589] the Empress reverently caused copies of all the sutras to
be made and circulated as an act of worship, on behalf of the living
beings of the universe."
This roll, then, formed part of a complete manuscript copy of the
Sitra-pitaka. It is beautifully written on thin golden-yellow paper,
over 141 feet long. The empress in question was the consort of Yang
Chien.
593 (SvI).
S. 227, 5130, 457, 4967, 4954. k P Pt Ta chih lun (N. 1169),
ch. 41, p'in 7, 8; ch. 42, p'in 9 (1); ch. 44, p'in 11, 12; ch. 47, p'in
17 (2); ch. 50, p'in 19, 20.
The above, together with several other MSS., form a series by the
same copyist. S. 5130 (28 feet long, 26 cm. wide) is complete, the others
are slightly imperfect at the beginning. The numbers of the p'in do
not agree in every case with the modern recension. All five bear
the same colophon, written in a careless hand: m +-

Reverently copied and offered as an act of worship by the disciple

Li Ssui-hsien on the 8th day of the 4th moon of the kuei-ch'ou year,
the 13th of K'ai-huang " [13th May, 593].
All these are fine MSS. on thin golden-yellow paper. S. 227 is
describedby Mr. Clappertonas follows : " Thickness -0025--00325inch.
Strong and tough with very long fibres, well brushed out and put
together. Very clean and free from blemishes. Fairly well sized,
16 laid lines to the inch. The mould on which the sheet was made was
834 LIONEL GILES-

a good one, all lines being evenly spaced and parallel. The surface is
covered with fine, long, silky fibroushairs, but quite smooth to write on.
The papers feel like a thin strong modern ' bank'. Very even texture
in 'look-through'; free from pin-holes. Composition: Paper
mulberry."
596 (SvI).
S. 635. f - ; {j ~ . *Fo shuo fo ming ching, ch. 5 (end
only). This is an uncanonical version of the Buddhanama-suitra.
Colophon: +-
tf; $ t a, A H EMP l W
"Offered as an act of worship by the bhikshini Ming-hui on the
8th of the 5th moon of the 16th year of K'ai-huang" [9th June, 596].
This is a good MS., in a hand which seems to belong to an earlier
period, say, the first half of the sixth century. The colophon is in
a decidedly later hand; and it will be noticed that the sfitra is not
said to have been copied, but only offeredin 596. Roll of bright yellow
paper, about 21 feet long.
597 (SvI).
S. 2527, 6650, 4520, 1529, 5762. *Hua yen ching, ch. 9, p'in 14-17
[now in ch. 10 and 11]; ch. 30 [now ch. 35, p'in 32 (3)-ch. 36, p'in
32 (4)]; ch. 47 [now ch. 55-6]; ch. 49 [now ch. 59].
This is another fine series of rolls by the same copyist, and all
bearing the same colophon (with a few slight variants).
S. 5762 contains the colophon only, which runs as follows:

[for ] n ;t 1 ta
m- 1 -*s
7Jpb + ^ m^si
B [for j1] J rS [ [S. 1529 i] i M M M [S. 1529 I]
s f 7ic mf X R 9 X [s. 1529 --t m
X mi t W m SEX@ @ W a[S. 4520XXIJ]
X M Mm
X MS5 X
_vr- ,IItS UA
^i X It
"On the 1st of the 4th moon of the 17th year of K'ai-huang
[22nd April, 597] the upasika of pure faith [i.e. a female lay
member of the Church]Yian Ching-tzii, having scrupulously cut down
her personal expenses, has reverently caused a section of this sftra
to be copied as an ever-enduring act of worship, praying that from
now onward calamitous obstructions may be swept away and blessings
showered down; that the State may be ever prosperousand the people
happy and contented; and she prays that the spirits of her ancestors
of seven previous incarnations may all be released from suffering and
obtain peace, travelling in spirit to the Pure Land; that their sins
 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION 835

may be wiped out and happiness accrue to them, free from all trammels
[of passion]; and that all those in the three regions and six paths
of existence, friends and enemies alike, including all living beings
whatsoever, may together ascend to the land of Buddha."
_[ " obstruction " is a term applied to all delusions that hinder
enlightenment. " The three regions" (trailokya) are (1) the region of
sensuous desire (kimadhdtu); (2) the region of form (rupadhdtu);
(3) the region of formlessness or pure spirit (arapadhdtu). --- t E
is omitted in S. 6650, and the passage from .a to j1| 4_ in S. 1529.
All these MSS. are on thin golden-yellow paper, and (with the
exception of S. 5762) vary in length from about 211 to nearly 30 feet.
598 (SuI).
S. 2791. *Ta pan nieh p'an ching, ch. 38, p'in 12-13.
Colophon: * Ip g At A
+ JR A a t -k * 7E
4q i j)im i tl 4^^%
a Y6 % A t PR ^ JL
m ra ^
iNig1ttIL: i P -?t 1 Q [for E] E S E)
A ^a n t X a
4 2 aXMi it W XEA 'it 4 t
MP A iE - " On the 8th day of the 4th moon of the 18th year
of K'ai-huang of the Great Sui dynasty [18th May, 598] the Princess
[Imperial Concubine of the 2nd Grade] Fan, a female lay member
of the Church, realizing that the body is like unto froth and bubble,
and that human life is as insubstantial as wind or light; having
understanding of the four negatives and cherishing Triratna in her
heart, has accordingly diminished her outlay on food and clothes so
as to have a copy made of a section of the Nieh p'an ching on behalf
of her deceased husband. In consequence of this meritorious act,
she prays that her late husband's spirit may travel to the Pure Land,
and that her parents of seven previous incarnations, and her family
in the present world, wherever they are born, may haply meet Buddha
and hear his Law; and that in the topmost reaches of heaven or in
the extremities of the boundless earth all things of the universe
possessing form may together ascend to a state of pure enlightenment."
Je or Ye Fan, though a rare surname in China as a whole, was one
of the commoner ones in the Tunhuang region. The writer was
apparently the concubine of a local chieftain. I have not been able to
discover what " the four negatives " denote.
This is a fine MS. on thin golden-yellow paper, about 181 feet
long. The colophon is written in a much more crabbed hand.
836 DATED CHINESE MANUSCRIPTS IN THE STEIN COLLECTION

599 (SuI).
S. 2502. This is part of a commentary on Jen wang hu kuo pan jo
po lo mi ching (N. 17). It is not N. 1566, but cousists merely of an
explanatory note on - f in the sftra, followed by commentary on
certain extracts. The beginning is imperfect, and there is no title at
the end.
Colophon: g ++ ) Lt - ;
"Copying of extracts completed on the 2nd day of the 6th moon of
the 19th year of K'ai-huang " [30th June, 599].
This is a fairly good MS. on rather coarse whitish paper. The last
sheet is thinner than the rest. The roll is about 51 feet long and
28-5 cm. wide.
(To be continued.)