Two Old Uighur Vajracchedikā Sūtra Fragments from the National Library of China

Abstract

There are more than 10 block-printed and hand-copied versions of the Vajracchedikā Sūtra (The Diamond Sūtra) in Old Uighur preserved in Berlin, Paris and St. Petersburg. Recently, two block-printed fragments of Vajracchedikā Sūtra in Old Uighur, which are of the same origin as those in Berlin, were found in the National Library of China. Based on a comparative study, these items are believed to be translated from a Sanskrit version while referencing the Chinese translation by Dharmagupta. This paper presents a textual examination of the two Old Uighur Vajracchedikā Sūtra fragments.