Turning the Wheel of Dharma Adhyeṣaṇā Fragments in Old Uighur Referring to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra and the Suvarṇaprabhāsasūtra

Abstract

The Old Uighur fragment (GT15-64) preserved in National Library of China, Beijing and its parallel fragments (Ch/U 6005 + Ch/U 6411 + Ch/U 7287) preserved in the Berlin Turfan collection are different copies of the same text. This text consists of two parts, an adhyeṣaṇā verse that extols the merit of good deeds, which is immeasurable when one implores the Buddha to turn the dharma-wheel, and a colophon. Although the adhyeṣaṇā part contains many quotations from the Suvarṇaprabhāsasūtra, the colophon indicates that it is an original literary work by Buddhist monks who praise the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra.