Dajijing 大集經

Da fangdeng daji jing 大方等大集經, Sanskrit title Mahāvaipulya-mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra, is a Buddhist canonical scripture. It is a compilation of various Mahāyāna sutras and is commonly abbreviated as the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra (Dajijing 大集經, "Great Collection Sutra") or "Mahavaipulya Sutra".

Scholars hold differing views on the time and place of its emergence. The prevailing view is that this scripture was gradually assembled and edited over several historical stages. The earliest portions are generally thought to date from the period between the lifetime of Nāgārjuna (Ch. Longshu 龍樹, c. 150–c. 250 CE) and the appearance of the tretaise "Awakening of faith in the Mahāyāna" (Dasheng qixin lun 大乘起信論), roughly the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE. Some scholars further suggest that the Ratnakūṭa-sūtra (Ch. Baodingjing 寶頂經), which may have existed before Nāgārjuna, is closely related to this collection. As a unified compilation, the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra (Ch. Da fangdeng jing 大方等經) was likely edited around the year 400 CE, though some scholars place its final redaction after the 5th century. Fragmentary Sanskrit manuscripts of the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra have been discovered in Gilgit, Pakistan. The Sanskrit text titled Ratnakūṭa-dhāraṇī-sūtra (Ch. Daji jing baozhuang tuoluo jing 大集經寶幢陀羅經) corresponds to the "Ratnakūṭa Section" (Baozhuang fen 寶幢分) of the Mahavaipulya Sutra.

The Chinese translation was produced in the Northern Liang kingdom 北涼 (398-439/460) by Dharmakṣema (Ch. Tanwuchen 曇無讖, 385-433 or 439), in a version of 30 juan. During the Sui period 隋 (581-618), this 30-fascicle translation by Dharmakṣema was expanded by incorporating several additional scriptures compiled and translated by Narendrayaśas (Ch. Naliantiyeshe 那連提耶舍, 489-589), including the Mahāyāna-mahāvaipulya-sūryagarbha-sūtra (Ch. Dasheng da fangdeng rizang jing 大乘大方等日藏經 "Sun Treasury Sutra"), the Mahāvaipulya-mahāsaṃnipāta-candragarbha-sūtra (Ch. Da fangdeng daji yuezang jing 大方等大集月藏經, "Moon Treasury Sutra"), and the Mahāyāna-mahāsaṃnipāta-sumerugarbha-sūtra (Dasheng daji Xumi zang jing 大乘大集須彌藏經, "Mt. Sumeru Treasury Sutra"). In addition, the Mingdu wushi xiaoji jing 明度五十校計經 (chapter Shifang pusa pin 十方菩薩品), translated during the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220 CE) by An Shigao 安世高 (2nd cent.), was also included. Together, these texts formed a composite collection of 60 juan.

The latter half of the Suryagarbha Sutra (Rizangjing 日藏經), namely the "Chapter on protecting stupas" (Huta pin 護塔品), compiled by Narendrayaśas, was composed in Kashgar (Ch. Shule 疏勒), present-day Xinjiang. The earlier form of the Candragarbha Sutra (Yuezangjing 月藏經) may have originated in India around the mid-2nd century CE, but the extant Khotan (Ch. Yutian 于闐) version did not appear until the 4th century. The Mahavaipulya Sutra states that the sacred lands of Buddhism include China (Zhendan 震旦), Khotan, Kucha (Ch. Qiuci 龜茲), the "Wu region" (Wu di guo 吳地國), and Shanshan 鄯善, with greater emphasis on China than on India itself. The Chinese translation of the Candragarbha part also refers to doctrines such as the "Twelve Palaces" (shi'er gong 十二宮) and the "Five Agents" (wuxing 五行), demonstrating that its compilers and translators were well acquainted with Chinese and Central Asian astronomy and geography.

The Mahavaipulya collection is divided into seventeen sections. Sections 1–11 (26 juan in total) and section 13 (3 juan) were translated by Dharmakṣema. Section 12 (4 fascicles) was translated in the Liu-Song empire 劉宋 (420-479) by Zhiyan 智嚴 and Baoyun 寶雲. Sections 14–16 (25 juan) were translated by Narendrayaśas. Section 17, with 2 fascicles, is the product of An Shigao. In addition, there exist some variant translations and independent editions. Fragments were also preserved among the Dunhuang 敦煌 manuscripts.

The collection primarily expounds the Six Pāramitās or "Perfections" (liu boluomi fa 六波羅蜜法) and the doctrine of the emptiness of all dharmas (faxing kong 法性空).

Yet the text also contains esoteric (tantric, Ch. mijiao 密教) teachings. Some chapters include information on dhāraṇīs (Ch. tuoluoni 陀羅尼, mantras or spells) and describe celestial guardian deities (Tian hu fa 天護法). Some chapters describe Māra (Ch. Mawang 魔王), asuras or demigods (Ch. axiuluo 阿修羅), and other celestial guardian deities, which later contributed to the development of the idea that Māra and the Buddha are ultimately non-dual, forming one unity. Other parts of the collection teach that different disciples may individually uphold the Tathāgata's (Ch. Rulai 如來, i.e., the Buddha's) twelvefold division of the Canon (shi'er bu jing 十二部經), thereby foreshadowing later divisions within the system of Buddhist schools.

Certain chapters also promote the doctrine of the Final Age of the Dharma (mofa 末法). These ideas later provided doctrinal foundations for Xinxing's 信行 (540-594) establishment of the Three Stages Teaching (sanjie jiao 三階教) and for Daochuo's 道綽 (562-645) advocacy of Pure Land Buddhism (Jingtu Zong 淨土宗). In addition, certain parts of the text reflect knowledge from ancient India, Central Asia, and China on embryological development, as well as achievements in astronomy, geography, and calendrical science.