The Compilation And Collation And Research Of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra

The full name of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra is The Mahāyānā Lotus Matou Rakshasa Sutra,which has been classified as a suspected pseudo scripture in historical records.This Buddhist sutra originated in the 6th century,initially passed down in the form of independent scriptures.However,in order to maintain the legitimate status of the "true scriptures" in Buddhism,ancient Buddhist bibliographists "eliminated falsehood and preserved authenticity" in different historical backgrounds,which prevented most of the Buddhist apocrypha from entering the canon of Buddhist writing and led to their destruction and prohibition.As a result,The Matou Rakshasa Sutra was lost.There are three versions of the existing The Matou Rakshasa Sutra system,namely the Dunhuang A version,the B version,and the passed down version,all of which are attached to The Buddha’ s name Sutra.Among them,65 volumes related to the Dunhuang version of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra have been checked and can be divided into two versions: the first version is segmented and excerpted after each volume of the twenty volume version of The Buddha’ s name Sutra,with existing preface and sixteen stories;The second edition exists in The Buddha’ s name Sutra twelfth volume of the sixteen volume,with a preface and a story.The handed down version of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra is excerpted from each of the thirty volume versions of The Buddha’ s name Sutra collected in the Goryeo Zang and Da Zheng Zang,and is complete in three parts.From the existing situation of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra it can be seen that this scripture is closely related to The Buddha’ s name Sutra.On the one hand,the dissemination of the version of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra has been continuously developing with the continuous evolution of The Buddha’ s name Sutra.On the other hand,as a Buddhist spiritual experience,the description of the retribution of hell in The Matou Rakshasa Sutra is a supplementary explanation to The Buddhist Name Sutra,enhancing the persuasiveness of believing in The Buddha’ s name Sutra.The Buddha’ s name Sutra is also an important basis for eliminating the crimes in the Matou Rasha Sutra.The Matou Rakshasa Sutra mainly tells the story of Baoda Bodhisattva who was sent by the Buddha to visit the underworld due to salmons evil deeds.Through the forms of questioning and answering,Baoda Bodhisattva exposed salmon’s actions of disobeying and wrongdoing,ultimately rescuing the sinners in hell and leading them to hear the Buddha’s teachings.The Matou Rakshasa Sutra creates a system of names and organizational structures for the underworld,fictionalizes the story of Baoda Bodhisattva ’s journey to the underworld,describes the various hellish punishments that salmons endured after breaking the precepts,and elucidates the Buddhist concept of karma and retribution.The Matou Rakshasa Sutra focuses on the various violations and wrongdoings of the underworld salmon in terms of money,fame and fortune,clothing and diet,respect for Buddha,and the relationship between teachers and disciples.It is based on the practical considerations of the 6th century monastic order,criticizing the current situation to warn the current shaman of strict discipline and conveying the author’s thoughts on protecting the Dharma and assisting in teaching.The handed down version of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra describes Baoda Bodhisattva’s escape from the evil salmon of hell,reflecting the Bodhisattva’s salvation thought that is similar to the nature of the earth treasury.Through the above ideas,it is intended to trigger the reflection of Shaman in the present world and endow The Matou Rakshasa Sutra with the function of repenting and extinguishing sins.The content of The Matou Rakshasa Sutra also provides substantial textual sources for later Buddhist classics such as the "Biography of the Dharma Flower",the "Practice Instrument of the Yuan Jue Sutra",and the "Di Cang Bodhisattva’s Original Wish Sutra".In addition,this sutra is a product of the convergence of Chinese and Indian cultures,which to some extent also promoted the process of localization of Buddhism.