This currently underway project contains a Sanskrit diplomatic edition of the manuscript (based on the facsimile ed. published by Taisho Univ.), a Sanskrit critical edition (collated with the Shukla, Wayman, etc. editions), Tibetan translation (Peking, Golden Tanjur, Narthang, Derge, Cone), and Chinese translation (Taisho, Zhonghua da zajing, Qisha, Manji zokyo, manuscripts from Dunhuang and Japan). Variant readings, scribal mistakes, differences between translations and extant manuscript, etc. will be included in the philological footnotes accompanying these editions.
Ideally, the layout will have the Sanskrit diplomatic and critical editions on one page and the Tibetan and Chinese translations on the facing page. In order to facilitate an easy comparison of the edited text with my English translation, the latter will be included in a second volume. Endnotes discussing historical and doctrinal aspects will follow the translation.
The study will be divided into three parts. The first one will deal with the philological facet and will discuss palaeographic and linguistic details related to the manuscript (probably dating from the 11th to 12th centuries), various editions and manuscripts of the Tibetan and Chinese translations, modern research and editions. The comparison of the five Tibetan editions might be particularly interesting for Tibetologists, since it will, I hope, further our knowledge on the stemma pattern in the Tanjur transmission. (My preliminary conclusion with the
In Part Two, dedicated to the historical aspect, I shall give a brief survey of early meditation literature, analyse the formation of the `Sraavakabhuumi, and discuss the commentaries as well as place of the text in Buddhist literature.
The doctrinal facet will be dealt with in Part Three, which will include a synoptic presentation of the text and a study of the mundane (laukikamaarga) and supramundane (lokottaramaarga) paths of spiritual cultivation from early Buddhism to Yogaacaara Abhidharma. The existence of an enstatic contemplative method, on the one hand, and an observational meditative approach, on the other, is a major theme in Buddhist literature and has huge philosophical consequences. The `Sraavakbhuumi, in the good tradition of the `sraavakyaana soteriology which it basically reflects, considers that only the supramundane path (observational meditation on the Four Truths) can lead to Awakening. The mundane way is not, however, completely rejected being considered useful for certain categories of persons, e.g. non-Buddhists, Buddhists whose spiritual faculties are weak and who have previously practised tranquility (`samatha), etc.
At the present stage the major obstacle appears to be the growing length of my notes. As there is little I can do to stop this proclivity (anu`saya?) and, objectively speaking, I hope that the difficulty of the text does require substantial annotations, it is likely that the work will be published in installments (most probably two, corresponding to the two scrolls in the Chinese translation).
The work is done under Professor Lambert Schmithausen's supervision and will be submitted to Hamburg University as a Ph.D. thesis. It goes without saying that any comments (off-list) will be greatly appreciated.