Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

Many scholars theorize that the Avataṃsaka Sutra was compiled in central Asia, particularly in Khotan 于闐. In the author's previous paper, I assumed that the location where the Avataṃsaka Sutra was compiled would be as follows: 1) a society in which Buddhist stupas were actively worshipped, 2) where the Mahayana sutras were condemned as not being the Buddha's teachings, and 3) where the appearance of Mahayana sutras was so consistent such that the Mahayana sutras were so condemned. In other words, my analysis of the Avataṃsaka Sutra suggested that the area in which it was composed would have been a society where Abhidharma Buddhism was so dominant that Mahayana texts were publicly condemned, but also where the worship of Buddhist stupas was very popular. According to this previous conclusion, I explore in this paper whether the Sanskrit text of the Avataṃsaka Sutra, especially the 60-volume Sutra, was indeed compiled in Khotan. From this examination, I assert as follows. The first is the question of the Khotan provenance of the 60-volume Sanskrit Avataṃsaka Sutra, which originated the theory that the Avataṃsaka Sutra was compiled in Khotan. Although the word Khotan is found in the Huayanjingji 華嚴經記 (Postscript of the Avatamṃsaka Sutra) and Jñānagupta's 闍那崛多 words cited in the Lidaisanbaoji 歷代三寶紀 (Outlines of the Three Treasures throughout Successive Generations), this only confirms where the 60-volume Avataṃsaka Sutra was distributed early on, rather than being solid evidence for the location of compilation. Second, when examining the geographical locations mentioned in the “Chapter of the Bodhisattvas’ Staying Place” 菩薩住處品, I believe that the compiler of the 60-volume Avataṃsaka Sutra had the focus of their geographical horizon set for northwestern India rather than for Khotan. Third, there are many words that indicate conscious responses to Abhidharma Buddhism, such as Śrāvaka 聲聞 or Pratyeka-buddha 緣覺. These words are found in not only in the partial sutras of the Avataṃsaka Sutra, but also in the addenda that went into the full sutra. Therefore, I conclude that the place where the Avataṃsaka Sutra was compiled was dominated by Abhidharma Buddhism until at least the middle of the 4th century. Fourth, Khotan has some buddhist relics which are thought to reflect the Avataṃsaka Sutra, made not long after the compilation of the full Avataṃsaka Sutra. Also, Jñānagupta 闍那崛多’s testimony makes clear that the faith around the Avataṃsaka Sutra in and around the area of Khotan appeared from very early on. Thus, considering when this faith appeared, it is more likely that the compiled Avataṃsaka Sutra was introduced to Khotan than compiled in Khotan. Fifth, as I mentioned in my previous paper, because the Avataṃsaka Sutra is based in the worship of Buddhist stupas, we can consider that an area where the worship of stupas was dominant is one of the conditions for where the Avataṃsaka Sutra was compiled. From these things, I think the Avataṃsaka Sutra was compiled in the northwestern India rather than in Khotan.