An Shih Kao
Encyclopedia
An Shigao (in the Wade-Giles transcription system, An Shih-kao) (?-~168 AD) was a prince of Parthia
, nicknamed the "Parthian Marquis
", who renounced his claim to the royal throne of Parthia in order to serve as a Buddhist missionary
monk in China
.
The prefix An
in An Shigao's name is an abbreviation of Anxi
, the Chinese name given to the regions ruled by the Arsacid
s. Most visitors from that country who took a Chinese name received the An prefix to indicate their Anxi origin.
In 148 AD, An Shigao arrived in China at the Han Dynasty
capital of Luoyang
, where he produced a substantial number of translations of Indian Buddhist texts and attracted a devoted community of followers. More than a dozen works by An Shigao are currently extant, including texts dealing with meditation, abhidharma
, and basic Buddhist doctrines. An Shigao's corpus does not contain any Mahāyāna
scriptures, though he himself is regularly referred to as a "bodhisattva
" in early Chinese sources. Scholarly studies of his translations have shown that they are most closely affiliated with the Sarvāstivāda
school.
An Shigao is the first Buddhist translator to be named in Chinese sources. Another Anxi translator, a layman named An Xuan
, worked in Luoyang (together with a Chinese collaborator, Yan Fotiao) slightly after An Shigao's time, producing a translation of a Mahāyāna scripture, the Ugraparipṛcchā-sūtra (in Chinese, the Fajing jing, Taishō no. 322) c. 181 AD.
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
, nicknamed the "Parthian Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
", who renounced his claim to the royal throne of Parthia in order to serve as a Buddhist missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
monk in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
The prefix An
An (Chinese name)
The surname An , literally means "peace" or "tranquility", also serves as an abbreviation of Anxi , meaning "Arsacid" in Chinese. Visitors to China who came from Arsacid-held territories often took the name An....
in An Shigao's name is an abbreviation of Anxi
Anxi
Anxi may refer to:* Anxi County, a county in Fujian province, south-eastern China* Guazhou County, formerly Anxi County, in Gansu province, central China* Guazhou Town, formerely Anxi Town, in what is now Guazhou County....
, the Chinese name given to the regions ruled by the Arsacid
Arsacid Dynasty
The Arsacid Dynasty may refer to:* Arsacid dynasty of Parthia, see List of Parthian kings*Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia*Arsacid dynasty of Iberia*Arsacid Dynasty of Caucasian Albania*List of rulers of Parthian sub-kingdoms...
s. Most visitors from that country who took a Chinese name received the An prefix to indicate their Anxi origin.
In 148 AD, An Shigao arrived in China at the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
capital of Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, where he produced a substantial number of translations of Indian Buddhist texts and attracted a devoted community of followers. More than a dozen works by An Shigao are currently extant, including texts dealing with meditation, abhidharma
Abhidharma
Abhidharma or Abhidhamma are ancient Buddhist texts which contain detailed scholastic and scientific reworkings of doctrinal material appearing in the Buddhist Sutras, according to schematic classifications...
, and basic Buddhist doctrines. An Shigao's corpus does not contain any Mahāyāna
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
scriptures, though he himself is regularly referred to as a "bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
" in early Chinese sources. Scholarly studies of his translations have shown that they are most closely affiliated with the Sarvāstivāda
Sarvastivada
The Sarvāstivāda were an early school of Buddhism that held to 'the existence of all dharmas in the past, present and future, the 'three times'. Vasubandhu's states:-Name:...
school.
An Shigao is the first Buddhist translator to be named in Chinese sources. Another Anxi translator, a layman named An Xuan
An Xuan
An Xuan was a Parthian layman accredited with working alongside 安世高 in the translation of early Buddhist texts in Luoyang during the Later Han Dynasty....
, worked in Luoyang (together with a Chinese collaborator, Yan Fotiao) slightly after An Shigao's time, producing a translation of a Mahāyāna scripture, the Ugraparipṛcchā-sūtra (in Chinese, the Fajing jing, Taishō no. 322) c. 181 AD.