Buddhist literature and its context

A new era for research on the history of Buddhism in India was ushered in with the January 2004 signing of a general agreement between the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC) in Beijing for the joint editing of the CTRC`s copies of Sanskrit manuscripts from the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Religious works and works from the domain of religious philosophy, all of which had previously been available only in Tibetan or Chinese translations and whose original Sanskrit had been considered lost, have been taken up first for editing. It is essential that diplomatic and critical editions of the original texts be made available to the international scholarly community as quickly as possible. The editions will be supplemented with translations and studies dealing with the development of ideas, with the latter based on the new editions and other primary sources, for which manuscripts of any provenance (Patna, Rome, London, Nepal, etc.) will be considered. Both the translations and the studies will take into account, to the extent possible, a broad contextual background: they will consider, on one hand, specific concepts that developed within the religiously influenced Buddhist philosophical traditions and as a result of intra-Buddhist debates, and on the other hand, the reactions of other Indian religious groups, as well as the appropriation and adaptation of the various Buddhist traditions in Tibet. The studies will deal with fundamental Buddhist theories such as the theory of the fallacious reasons, the differences between Dharmottara and Prajnakaragupta regarding these reasons, as well as Candrakirtis understanding of Yogacara doctrines and their refutation. The most important text editions (some with translations) include: Jinendrabuddhis Pramanasamuccayatika (chapters 3, 4 and 5); Dharmakirtis Hetubindu; Dharmottaras Pramanaviniscayatika (chapters 2 and 3); Candrakirtis Madhyamakavatara; Candrakirtis Prasannapada (chapter 1, with trans.); Ratnakarasantis Prajnaparamitopadesa (with trans.); Sthiramatis Abhidharmakosatika Tattvarthavyakhya; Samayavajras Pancakramapanjika; Abhayakaraguptas Pancakramatatparyapanjika; Santaraksitas Tattvasiddhi (with trans.). The following works will be translated:; Dharmakirtis Pramanavarttikasvavrtti (pp. 1 -24, 93 -107); Dharmottaras Pramanaviniscayatika (chapter 3, fols. 61 -111, explaining Dignagas hetucakra in PVin 3.33 -66); Candrakirtis Madhyamakavatara (chapter 6, vv. 45 -97). The translation will be accompanied by studies which present the relevant topics in a historical, philosophical and religious context.

The project pursued two goals: One was the preparation of critical editions of important Buddhist Sanskrit texts, which were preserved in Tibet for centuries and which have been made accessible only recently in their original language of Sanskrit. These are texts on the Buddhist theories of epistemology and logic, the two main philosophical traditions of the Indian Mahayana Buddhism, scholasticism and Tantrism. Until recently, all of the texts in question were only available in Tibetan or Chinese translations. It is thanks to a cooperation agreement reached in 2004 between the Austrian Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC), which has since been renewed every three years that this material in Sanskrit is now accessible.In 2012, project researchers organized the Panel on Sanskrit Studies in Beijing. The fact that the panel was made possible through a formal invitation of the organizers of the 5th Beijing International Seminar on Tibetan Studies shows that the CTRC continues to take a great interest in the success of this cooperation, and that it strives to pursue the collaborative work in order to preserve and make this cultural heritage accessible.The series Sanskrit Texts from the Tibetan Autonomous Region issued collectively by the China Tibetology Publishing House and the Austrian Academy of Sciences Press has reached its sixteenth publication. Further issues are in preparation. The contract between the AAS and the CTRC has been extended to January 2016.A second goal, closely linked to the first, was to conduct studies on characteristic themes of the religio-philosophical tradition of Buddhism and its context, as well as to produce editions and translations, both from the original language and from Tibetan or Chinese translations, of relevant texts of this tradition. The emphasis was placed on the teachings of the epistemological school as well as on the Madhyamaka and Yogacara schools.The monographs and articles published during the project period and the papers presented at international conferences and universities bear witness to the successful work of the project researchers. Moreover, it was possible to make substantial progress in work on numerous texts, work that is being continued in various follow-up projects. Highlights among the published and submitted studies include the translation of the logical passages of Dharmakirtis Pramanavarttika, the edition and translation of the first chapter of Candrakirtis Prasannapada as well as the edition of the second chapter of the Pramanasamuccayatika.