Research on the Versions of the Platform Sutra

Abstract

The Platform Sutra is a Chan Buddhist text dictated by Chan sixth patriarch Huineng at Shaozhou Dafan Temple, and edited by Fahai under the orders of the Shaozhou government officials Wei Qu. In its process of transmission, its content has been added, deleted and falsified and there were more than ten kinds of different versions. However, all these different versions can be classified into five types: The Dunhuang Version of the London Museum, The Dunhuang Version of the Dunhuang Museum, Huixin Version, Qisong Version, Zongbao Version. This paper makes a textual research on different versions, discussed their editing time, editors, copy editing process, text numbers and social background, the earliest version discovery, collation, editing and proofreading process, along with their historical development of various versions.