First, the Eastern Han Dynasty, the initial translation period:
When Emperor Han Ming was in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the imperial court sent messengers to invite two monks from the Western Regions-She Moteng and Zhu Falan. These two monks brought not only the Buddha statues of the Western Regions, but also Buddhist scriptures. Because these Buddhist scriptures are Sanskrit scriptures handed down from India, in order to facilitate missionary work, Sher Morten and Zhu Falan translated them into Chinese. Since then, monks from China and China have been in constant contact, and more Buddhist scriptures have been introduced. Through the efforts of more than 200 translators 10 century, the number of China Sanzang translated from Sanskrit has reached 1690, with more than 6,420 volumes, which systematically introduced the theories of Buddhism, such as listening, riding, sexuality, imagery and metaphysics, into China, thus forming China Buddhism.
The earliest Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures in China is forty-two chapters, which are said to have been translated by She Moteng and Zhu Falan. This is the beginning of China's translation of Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures. Thanks to Mr. Jin Yong for popularizing this classic through the film of Duke of Lushan. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, most of the monks who translated scriptures came from the western regions, among which An Shigao, the prince who was at rest, and Gao Jia, the intellectual building of a great Yue family in the western regions, were the most famous. During this period, the translation of Buddhist scriptures in China is still in the primary stage, and it is not possible to carry out planned and systematic translation. Translation of classics is rarely a complete translation, and there are many problems in translation. At this time, the scale of the translated scriptures increased in multiples of parallel lines, and Buddhism has occupied a place in China's ideological circle.
Second, the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Sui Dynasty, the official translation period:
From the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures were widely introduced into China. During this period, Buddhism gained the belief of the rulers, and the translation of Buddhist scriptures was supported by the government, from folk translation of Buddhist scriptures to official translation of Buddhist scriptures. At the beginning of Qin dynasty, the collective translation work organized by the government began, and the Buddhist scriptures were translated by the monk Daoan. It is said that this is the earliest large-scale Buddhist scripture translation site in China. More than 20 years later, Kumarajiva, a westerner, organized an official translation workshop in Chang 'an, where 800 monks gathered to translate Buddhist scriptures. After Kumarajiva, foreign translators came one after another, and the main classics were constantly translated, which formed the first climax of Buddhist translation in China.
Third, the Tang Dynasty, the heyday of translation:
By the Tang Dynasty, Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures were translated comprehensively and systematically, and the official translation field was larger and more comprehensive. This is even more thanks to the contribution of Tang Priest. Due to the great sensation caused by Buddhist scriptures, Tang Priest was able to persuade Li Shimin to use the official power to organize translation, bringing together the highest-level scholars, eminent monks, great virtues and linguists in China. (Moreover, the Tang Dynasty was the dynasty in which the Chinese civilization evolved to its peak. Unlike now, technology and culture are always evolving, but human moral civilization is declining. Let's not start this. We just need to think about the Ming and Qing novels in the Book of Songs, Chu Ci, Han Fu, Tang Poetry, Song Ci and Yuan Qu, and we need to think about it now. Text messages? Yellow jokes? Modern poetry? Wechat? ), so the translation scale, rigorous translation style and rich translation achievements of the Tang Priest system have left a brilliant example in the translation history of China.
Since then, China Buddhism has formed eight sects, marking the maturity of China's Buddhist theory. Not only do all sects have their own classics and writings, but also the only Buddhist scripture in China, namely the Tanjing of Zen. The number of Buddhist scriptures in China is increasing day by day.
Fourthly, after the Song Dynasty, the period of woodcut translation:
In the seventh year of the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 982), Song Taizong reorganized the translation field and resumed the translation of Buddhist scriptures that had been interrupted for more than 100 years since the sixth year of Tang Yuanhe (AD 81).
Since the Song Dynasty, the translation of Buddhist scriptures has gradually decreased, but due to the wide application of block printing technology, the printing and circulation of Buddhist scriptures have been accelerated. During the Kaibao period in the Northern Song Dynasty, the official of the Song Dynasty presided over the completion of the first block-printed Buddhist tripitaka Kaibao in China.
So, to sum up, Buddhist scriptures have today's scale, and this fertile soil of Chinese civilization has contributed. If there were no Chinese civilization, maybe Buddhism would only exist in a few countries, so it was a very far-sighted decision for Master Dharma to see the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty in the east and let his disciples preach Buddhism in the past!