Chang ahan jing 長阿含經

Chang ahan jing 長阿含經, the Sutra of Long Sermons, is a fundamental scripture of early Buddhism. It one of the four Āgamas (Ch. ahan 阿含) of "Northern", i.e., Chinese and East Asian, Buddhism. It was translated in the Later Qin empire 後秦 (384-417) by Buddhayaśas (Ch. Fotuoyeshe 佛陀耶舍, c. 400) and Zhu Fonian 竺佛念 (c. 400).

The work is divided into four sections and four recitation groups, comprising twenty-two juan in total and containing thirty individual sūtras (sermons or lectures). Its Sanskrit original, Dīrghāgama-sūtra, belonged to the Dharmaguptaka School (Ch. Fazang bu 法藏部), but only fragmentary manuscripts of the original text have been discovered in Central Asia.

The Chinese version of the scripture broadly corresponds to the Dīgha-nikāya of the Theravāda Buddhism. The Dīgha-nikāya contains thirty-four sermons. Of these, four have no Chinese translations. The Sanshi'er jing 三十二相經 (Lakkhaṇa Sutta) and the Nianchujing 念處經 (Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta) are translated into Chinese but are included instead in the Zhong ahan jing 中阿含經). Conversely, the Southern tradition's Dīgha-nikāya does not contain the Zengyi jing 增一經 (see Zengyi ahan jing 增一阿含經), the Sanjujing 三聚經 "Sutra of the Three Aggregates", or Shijijing 世紀經 "Sutra of the World Epochs", all of which are found in the Chinese tradition. It is generally held that the Northern tradition tends to group sutras with similar content, whereas the Southern tradition's arrangement more fully preserves the original sequence, reflecting the order in which the sutras were formed.

The collection Chang ahan jing summarises and explains the fundamental doctrines of Buddhism, mainly in the Shishangjing 十上經 (Dasuttara-sutta), the Zengyijing (Ekottarika-sūtra), and the Sanjujing. These sermons classify Buddhist teachings into distinct categories and arrange them in numerical sequences. Their defining feature is concise enumeration. The doctrines discussed include the Four Noble Truths (sidi 四諦), the Noble Eightfold Path (bazhengdao 八正道), the Four Meditative Absorptions (dhyānas, sichan 四禪), the Five Aggregates (wuyun 五蘊), dependent origination (yuanqi 緣起), the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (shi'er yinyuan 十二因緣), impermanence (wuchang 無常), non-self (wuwo 無我), karmic causality and retribution (yinguo baoying 因果報應), and the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra, shengsi lunhui 生死輪回). Sermons that focus on detailed doctrinal exposition include the Dayuan fangbian jing 大緣方便經 (Mahānidāna-sutta), which elucidates the profound meaning of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, and the Shijijing, which explains in detail "this world and the other world", the six realms of rebirth (liudao 六道), and the three realms together with their three modes of cyclical existence. Similar in nature are the Qingjingjing 清凈經 (Śuddha-sūtra) and the Zi huanxi jing 自歡喜經 (Sampasādanīya-sutta).

The scripture further describes the Buddha and the spiritual practices and missionary activities of his direct disciples. The Youxingjing 遊行經 (see Nirvana Sutra) records the Buddha's awakening, his preaching activities, and his parinirvāṇa (final extinction). The Shenshengjing 善生經 (Sigālovāda-sutta) recounts how, during his missionary work, the Buddha instructed the elder's son Sigālovāda on six matters: managing a household, proper conduct in daily life, and filial respect towards parents, among others. From these accounts, it is evident that the Buddha, as a religious teacher, was not detached from reality, yet he is already portrayed with a superhuman character. The text narrates the Buddha's past lives and stories across kalpas (Ch. jie劫, eons), aimed at promoting Buddhism and exhorting people to take refuge in the "Three Jewels" (triratna, sanbao 三寶). These narratives are mainly found in the Da benyuan jing 大本緣經 (Mahāvadāna-sutta), the Zhuanlun Shengwang xiuxing jing 轉輪聖王修行經 (Cakkavattisīhanāda-sutta), and the Dianzunjing 典尊經 (Mahāgovinda-sutta).

Finally, the book refutes heterodox (non-Buddhist) schools. It criticises Brahmanical (Boluomen jiao 婆羅門教) teachings, including the caste system, sacrificial rituals, and the supremacy of Brahmā (Ch. Fantian 梵天). These critiques appear in texts such as the Xiaoyuanjing 小緣經 (Aggañña-sutta), the Amozhou jing 阿摩晝經 ( Ambaṭṭha-sutta), and the Jiuluotantou jing 究羅檀頭經 (Kūṭadanta-sutta). The sermons likewise refute the materialist schools of ancient India, such as the Lokāyata or Carvaka School (Ch. Shunshilun 順世論), for denying future lives, karmic retribution, and cyclical existence. For example, the Bisujing 弊宿經 (Pāyāsi‑sutta) specifically targets their views denying the existence of other worlds or karmic consequences. Third, the sermons critique ascetic and renunciation doctrines, such as those of Jainism (Ch. Qinajiao 耆那教), which emphasise extreme self-mortification and the annihilation of karma, to show that asceticism alone is not the correct path. These criticisms are mainly found in the Anouyi jing 阿㝹夷經 (Ānupiya-sutta), the Qingjingjing, and the Santuona jing 散陀那經 (Sandhāna-sutta).

Critiques of non-Buddhist schools are scattered throughout various sermons. In refuting these heterodox teachings, the texts also provide a comprehensive survey of sixty-two doctrinal views representing the major religious and philosophical schools of the time. Among those enumerated are influential and representative groups, such as the so-called Six Heretical Teachers (liushi waidao 六師外道). These discussions are found primarily in sutras such as the Fandongjing 梵動經 (Brahmajāla-sutta), the Shamenguo jing 沙門果經 (Samaññaphala-sutta), and the Buzhabolou jing 布吒婆樓經 (Poṭṭhapāda-sutta).