Jesus Sutras
Encyclopedia
The Jesus Sutras are early Chinese language
manuscripts of Christian teachings. They are connected with the 7th century mission of Alopen
, a Nestorian bishop from Persia.
The sutra
s date from between 635 AD, the year of Alopen's arrival in China, and around 1000 AD when the cave at Mogao
near Dunhuang
in which the documents were discovered was sealed. Four of the sutras are now (2011) known to be located in a private collection in Japan
, while one is in Paris
. Their language and content reflect varying levels of interaction with Chinese culture, including use of Buddhist and Taoist terminology.
Stele was erected in 781 to commemorate the propagation of the Da Qin Luminous Religion ("Da Qin" is the Chinese term for the Roman Empire), and covers the preceding 150 years of Christianity in China.
Martin Palmer recently claimed, on the basis of research conducted by scholars in the 1930s, that a pagoda near Lou Guan Tai was part of a Da Qin monastery. Lou Guan Tai
was the traditional site of Lao Tze's composition of the Tao Te Ching
. Buried during a time of religious persecution in the 9th century, the stele was re-discovered in 1625 and is now on display in nearby Xi'an, the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty.
(literally "binding thread") is a Sanskrit term referring to an aphorism
or group of aphorisms. It was originally applied to Hindu philosophy
, and later to Buddhist canon
scripture. In the case of the Jesus Sutras, the term applies indirectly. In Chinese
, all religious and classical books are referred to as jing (經), including indigenous Chinese works, Buddhist scriptures, and other foreign works such as the Bible
and the Koran. In the context of Buddhist scriptures, jing is conventionally translated as "sutra". The Jesus Sutras do not carry canonical status but they do comingle Christian philosophy with Buddhist and Taoist thought. A more neutral translation for jing (經) might simply be "book."
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
manuscripts of Christian teachings. They are connected with the 7th century mission of Alopen
Alopen
Alopen is the first recorded Christian missionary to reach China, during the Tang Dynasty. He was a Nestorian, and probably a Syriac-speaker from Persia...
, a Nestorian bishop from Persia.
The sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s date from between 635 AD, the year of Alopen's arrival in China, and around 1000 AD when the cave at Mogao
Mogao Caves
The Mogao Caves or Mogao Grottoes , also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas , form a system of 492 temples southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China...
near Dunhuang
Dunhuang
Dunhuang is a city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shāzhōu , or 'City of Sands', a name still used today...
in which the documents were discovered was sealed. Four of the sutras are now (2011) known to be located in a private collection in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, while one is in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Their language and content reflect varying levels of interaction with Chinese culture, including use of Buddhist and Taoist terminology.
List of sutras
The following list gives some approximate English titles for the various writings, and an indication of the present location of the manuscript where known. Scholars are still debating the best translation for many of the terms. Until a good modern edition appears, P. Saeki remains the most convenient source for the Chinese texts.Doctrinal sutras
- Sutra on Almsgiving of the World-Honored One, Part Three (一神(天)論(世尊布施論第三; Yī shén (tiān) lùn (shìzūn bùshī lùn dì sān)); once known as the Tomioka manuscript; now held in Osaka, Japan, by Kyōu Shooku library, Tonkō-Hikyū Collection, manuscript no. 460.
- Sutra on the Oneness of Heaven (一天論第一; Yītiān lùn dì yī); apparently in same manuscript as no.1.
- Sutra on the Origin of Origins (大秦景教宣元本經; Dàqín jǐng jiào xuānyuán běn jīng); now held in Osaka, Japan, by Kyōu Shooku library, Tonkō-Hikyū Collection, manuscript no. 431. An inscribed pillar discovered in LuoyangLuoyangLuoyang 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...
in 2006 supplements the incomplete version from DunhuangDunhuangDunhuang is a city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shāzhōu , or 'City of Sands', a name still used today...
. Kojima manuscript B (last known to be in the Dōshista University library, Kyoto, in 1963) was at one time thought to be the conclusion of this work; see below ref. to Kazuo Enoki, p.68. - Sutra of Hearing the MessiahSutra of Hearing the MessiahSutra of Hearing the Messiah is a Chinese language manuscripts about Nestorian Christian teachings with Buddhist terminology. It was written in the 7th century and is one of the Jesus Sutras. The former part of the sutra deals with doctrines, and the later part are accounts of the stories of Jesus...
(序聽迷詩所經; Xùtīng míshīsuǒ jīng); once known as the Takakusu manuscript; now held in Osaka, Japan, by Kyōu Shooku library, Tonkō-Hikyū Collection, manuscript no. 459.
Liturgical sutras
- Da Qin Hymn of Perfection of the Three Majesties (大秦景教三威蒙度贊; Dàqín jǐng jiào sān wēi méng dù zàn); now held in Paris, Bib. Nat., Collection Pelliot chinois, no. 3847. This manuscipt also contains a work called "Venerable Books"(尊經; Zūn Jīng), which is list of sacred books followed by a short note.
- The Sutra of Ultimate and Mysterious Happiness (志玄安樂經; Zhìxuán ānlè jīng); now held in Osaka, Japan, by Kyōu Shooku library, Tonkō-Hikyū Collection, manuscript no. 13.
- Let Us Praise (大秦景教大聖通真歸法贊; Dàqín jǐng jiào dàshèng tōng zhēn guī fǎ zàn). Kojima manuscript A. This text is suspected of being a modern forgery.
The Xi'an Stele
The Xi'anXi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
Stele was erected in 781 to commemorate the propagation of the Da Qin Luminous Religion ("Da Qin" is the Chinese term for the Roman Empire), and covers the preceding 150 years of Christianity in China.
Martin Palmer recently claimed, on the basis of research conducted by scholars in the 1930s, that a pagoda near Lou Guan Tai was part of a Da Qin monastery. Lou Guan Tai
Lou Guan Tai
The Louguantai Temple , in Tayu village , Zhouzhi county, Shaanxi province, about 70 km, west of Xian, is the place where tradition says that Lao Tze composed the Tao Te Ching....
was the traditional site of Lao Tze's composition of the Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching
The Tao Te Ching, Dao De Jing, or Daodejing , also simply referred to as the Laozi, whose authorship has been attributed to Laozi, is a Chinese classic text...
. Buried during a time of religious persecution in the 9th century, the stele was re-discovered in 1625 and is now on display in nearby Xi'an, the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty.
Sutra
SutraSutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
(literally "binding thread") is a Sanskrit term referring to an aphorism
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
or group of aphorisms. It was originally applied to Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
, and later to Buddhist canon
Tripiṭaka
' is a traditional term used by various Buddhist sects to describe their various canons of scriptures. As the name suggests, a traditionally contains three "baskets" of teachings: a , a and an .-The three categories:Tripitaka is the three main categories of texts that make up the...
scripture. In the case of the Jesus Sutras, the term applies indirectly. In Chinese
Chinese written language
Written Chinese comprises Chinese characters used to represent the Chinese language, and the rules about how they are arranged and punctuated. Chinese characters do not constitute an alphabet or a compact syllabary...
, all religious and classical books are referred to as jing (經), including indigenous Chinese works, Buddhist scriptures, and other foreign works such as the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and the Koran. In the context of Buddhist scriptures, jing is conventionally translated as "sutra". The Jesus Sutras do not carry canonical status but they do comingle Christian philosophy with Buddhist and Taoist thought. A more neutral translation for jing (經) might simply be "book."