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

The Shi moheyan lun (釋摩訶衍論) is an annotated book of the Awakening of Mahāyāna Faith (大乘起信論). This book has been thought to be written by Nāgarjuna (龍樹) and translated by Vṛddhimata (筏提摩多) in 401. However, there are problems; neither the record of this book nor the name of the translator Vṛddhimata can be found in compilation of notes on the translation of the Tripiṭaka such as the Chu sanzang jiji (出三藏記集), etc. From these reasons, many controversies about the writer and translator continue. Many scholars, like Mochizuki Sinkou, Tanigawa Taikyou, Morita Ryusen, Kagawa Eiryu, Nasu Seiryu, and so on, studied the time of writing and presented various theories. In relation to this debate, this study tries to examine the writer and translator of the Shi moheyan lun, preceding studies through 100 sutras which the Moheyan lun (摩訶衍論) is based on, along with several quoted sutras in this book. One result of this study is, sutras which were written after Nāgarjunaand translated after the 5th century are quoted in the Shi moheyan lun. Therefore, it is noted that the record of the preface that mentioned Nāgarjuna (龍樹) and Vṛddhimata (筏提摩多) as the writer and translator respectively is not true. Furthermore, the time of writing is considered by focusing on people like Śikṣānanda (實叉難陀), Fazang (法藏), Śubhakarasiṃha (善無畏), Vajrabodhi (金剛智), Kaimyo (戒明), and Zongmi (宗密). Consequently, it was found out that a sentence of Dasheng qixinlun yuji (大乘起信論義記) of Fazang is cited in the Shi moheyan lun. Also, the sutras, which were translated by Śubhakarasiṃha and Vajrabodhi, and their ideas were not reflected in the Shi moheyan lun. Based on these facts, the Shi moheyan lun was probably written from Fazang's later years to before the time in which Śubhakarasiṃha (AD. 716) and Vajrabodhi (AD. 719) came to the Tang Dynasty.