UCLA

This dissertation illuminates the protracted period of pre-institutional Buddhist traditions through a comparative analysis of the Aṭṭhakavagga, the Pāli recension of the Arthapada, and its Chinese counterpart, the Yizujing 義足經 (the Sūtra of Poetic Aphorisms, T198), translated from another Indic recension in the late third century CE. I suggest the content of this rich textual composite spans several centuries and can be broadly divided into two contrasting chronological layers: verses composed during the pre-institutional phase of Buddhist traditions and those crafted during the incipient stages of Buddhist institutionalization. I argue that the composers of the earlier verses did not yet possess an acute sense of a distinctive Buddhist identity. Even during the early institutionalization process, multiple contradicting ideas coexisted with minimal overt conflict among the compilers who canonized this ancient text. To substantiate my argument, I examine epithets used in the text to depict the spiritual paragon and marshal a range of statistical data on these epithets, including terms that may blur the line between epithets and adjectives. The data reveal that the text employs epithets that were shared among other Indian religious subgroups of the time. It also lacks epithets considered emblematic of Buddhism and commonly found in other canonical Buddhist literature. This evidence suggests that the Arthapada derives from an early phase of the religion, a period I designate as ‘pre-institutional phase of Buddhist traditions.’ As a vital component of this research, I offer an annotated translation of the Chinese Yizujing alongside its Pāli parallel verses from the Aṭṭhakavagga. A significant portion of the contribution this dissertation makes to Buddhist studies stems from this annotated translation of the Yizujing. This aspect is particularly notable given that the Yizujing has received scant attention in the field since P. V. Bapat’s problematic 1951 translation. Furthermore, Bapat’s translation, while groundbreaking at the time of its publication, relies far too much on its Indic-language parallel and does not fully capture the nuances of early Chinese literary idioms and conventions. By providing a statistical analysis of epithets in the Arthapada, this research has the potential to invigorate scholarship on early Indian religious traditions, such as Brahmanism, Jainism, and Ājīvikism. These traditions, like early Buddhism, most likely experienced formative stages when their denominational identities were not yet fully established. Additionally, this study may stimulate wider discourse in the field of History of Religions, particularly within theoretical studies of the emergence of religious traditions. As such, the impact of this work extends beyond Buddhist studies, potentially informing and reshaping our understanding of the formation and institutionalization of religions more broadly.