[Study of "The Sūitra of the tranquilization of hemorrhoids" and other relevant material].

Abstract

The present paper focuses primarily on a philological and historical study of the Arśapraśamanisūtra ("The Sütra of the tranquilization of hemorrhoids"). This Sūtra is one of the Buddhist scriptures that are characterized by the magico-religious treatment of various diseases, especially by means of "healing spells" (skt. dhāranī or mantra), as shown by the preliminary survey in our previous paper "The Tradition of healing with magical spells as seen in Buddhist texts", Journal of the Japan Society of Medical History 55/1 (2009), 77-96. The original text of the Arśapraśamanisūtra, most probably written in Sanskrit, is lost whereas its Chinese and Tibetan translations have survived. After an introductory summary, we provide critically edited texts of the Tibetan and Chinese translations accompanied by their Japanese translations with critical notes and annotations. In particular, the Tibetan translation presented here has been critically edited for the first time on the basis of collation of the five editions of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon. In our next paper we will analyze the descriptions of hemorrhoids as found in the Sūtra in comparison with those illustrated in classical Ayurveda literature. And we will also offer further observations about the methods and principles for the treatment and healing of hemorrhoid that are attested in Buddhist scriptures.