Buddhism from India to China via Turfan: Investigation of Tocharian Buddhist Scholastic Texts based on the Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese and Tibetan Parallels

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20021
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0102:Literature, linguistics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Pan Tao 京都大学, 文学研究科, 特定講師 (40961553)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Tocharian / Buddhism / Linguistics

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The principal investigator (PI) has re-edited and translated Tocharian texts, specifying their parallel texts in Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese and other languages so as to decipher unclear Tocharian words based on the parallel texts or the original Sanskrit terms in the case of loan translation. Research on Tocharian Abhidharma and other Buddhist texts has been carried out. The relevant Tocharian texts are re-edited and translated into English with philological and buddhological commentary. Computer-assisted philological investigation and linguistic analysis of Tocharian lexemes are performed.
PI has published several papers on Tocharian lexicon and Buddhism, given talks on Tocharian in Germany, China and Japan. PI has attended conferences in Tokyo and discussed research problems with Japanese and foreign colleagues. PI has conducted field work and research in archaeological sites in Xinjiang China. International cooperation with colleagues in China and Europe is proceeding smoothly.

Free Research Field

Tocharian and Linguistics

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

By opening up new avenues for the investigation of Tocharian scholastic texts and translation strategy, this research will contribute to the understanding of scholastic affiliation of Tocharian Buddhism and influence of Tocharian language on the transmission of Buddhism from India to China.