Adaptation and Continuity in the Early Translation of Buddhist Astrology from India to China

Chinese translations of the Buddhist astrology text ārdūlakarn āvadāna and other scriptures preserved the main elements of Indian astronomy such as terminology divination by naka ̄ s tras the Hindu calendar solar shadow data instrument design and so on􀆰 Within this continuity the original text was changed according to the natural environment and social and cultural traditions􀆰 For example some texts added Chinese geographical names or used Chinese seasonal divisions and calendrical data􀆰 From the perspective of translation style the astronomical translations were mainly based on quality combining literal and free translation􀆰 The translation team hosted by some re ̄ nowned monk scholar cooperated and used the strategy of a unified combination of domestication and foreignization when translating􀆰 The translated works included both mathematical and astronomical content popular with intellectual elites of the time as well as describing timing instruments and sim ̄ ple divination technique that could be easily disseminated among the common people􀆰 This article uses the Buddhist translation methodologies such as the five kinds of lost originations and five principles not to translate to analyze continuity and adaptation in the early astronomical translations of Han Buddhism in terms of the characteristics of the stars calendar timing and astrology􀆰 It then explores the adaptive strategies adopted by translators in cultural exchanges and attempts to analyze which scientific texts could be effectively disseminated􀆰 Overall it concludes that the longitudinal in ̄ spiration of a knowledge communication strategy is that knowledge and technology with universal val ̄ ue can be preserved in cultural exchanges and that the horizontal inspiration of a knowledge dissemi ̄ nation strategy is that foreign knowledge and technologies that resonate with the local culture of the target country or region can be better integrated.