In the Song dynasty, three records of Buddhist sutras were compiled, namely the Dazhong xiangfu fabao lu (大中祥符法寶錄), Tiansheng shijiao zonglu (天聖釋教總錄) and Jingyou xinxiu fabao lu (景祐新修法寶錄), recording many aspects of the translation system for Buddhist sutras in the Song dynasty. Specifically, they recorded the establishment of the official translation institute in the Song, the process of sutra translation, the official titles for monks who participated in the translation, the officials who supervised and edited the translated sutras, as well as the memorials to the throne indicating the submission of such translated sutras. These three records are precious materials for research on the sutra translation system in the Song dynasty or even the sutra translation system in ancient China as a whole. Based on these three records and other related materials, this article explores the sutra translation system by studying the establishment of the translation institute, the format and language of translated sutras, the process of sutra translation and the royal rewards for those participating in the process. In this way, this article hopes to present a more detailed historical picture, linking the Buddhist records with the history of sutra translation. Moreover, this article presents several new ideas about the translation system, including the order of seats for monks with different positions, the selection and promotion of the monks in the translation institute, as well as the reward system.
Song dynasty, sutra translation, monks’ official titles, reward system
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