"Six Degrees Collection" And The Study Of Bodhisattva Thought

The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra is the earliest collections of Jataka tales spreading in China.According to Tang Yongxuan,Shi Yinshun and others,study,this Sutra was not translated from Sanskrit or other languages' Buddhist literature,but the integration of many Jataka tales by Kang Senghui.Combined with Kang Senghui's featured thought,The Colletion by Six-paramites Sutra has also acquired strongly Confucian culture feature.In the process of later dissemination,this Sutra has experienced at least two modifications and reorganizations.Finally,it was established in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and has been passed down to this day.Through the examination of The Recording about the translation of Sanzo,The Miraculous stories in Buddhist Sutra and Precepts,The recording of Buddhism in Kai Yuan,and The Garden of Pearl and Grove of Dharma,it was found that the quantity of the Sutra excerpted from The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra almost occupied the half of this book since Liang dynasty to the Sui and Tang dynasties.So we can see how widespread of The Collction by Six-paramites Sutra.In addition,it was found that there were two Sutra deleted in the process of later generations' disseminationin.and there are 13 Sutra of The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra now we can see which are not existed in the original version of this book.The bodhisattva thoughts in The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra are discussed mainly combined with the Six-paramites of Buddhism,in addition,there are also has some other bodhisattva thoughts.Judging from the textual characteristics of The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra,it also clearly merges Confucian traditional ideas of "Ren" and"Xiao".Chinese Buddhism is mainly to Mahayana Buddhism,and The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra is a text of Jataka tales which born in early period of Mahayana Buddhism.It was in the transition stage from Theravada Buddhism to Mahayana Buddhism,so there must have the fusion with Chinese Mahayana Buddhism's bodhisattva thoughts.The story of the "Changti Bodhisattva" in Mahayana Buddhism is exactly the story of "Changbei Bodhisattva" of The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra.Judging from the influence of The Collection by Six-paramites Sutra in China,the deliberate transformation of Chinese elements in the text is very representative.This kind of transformation has not only affected the sacredness of Buddhist Sutra,but has further promoted Buddhism's development in China.