On votive colophons of Mahaparinirvaa-mahasutra from Dunhuang (5th - 8th cc.)

The paper presents some results of the study of colophons written on Chinese manuscripts of Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra from Dunhuang. The corpus of colophons taken from Dunhuang collections worldwide has been introduced into scientific use since the publication of Ikeda On's «Collected colophons of ancient Chinese manuscripts». Previous scholarship divided colophons into several types amongst which the «colophons of dedication» («votive colophons») type is represented most widely. It should be noted that the perspectives of the isolated study of colophons from the single sutra is based on the hypothesis that the choice of the text had certain value for the donor. Apparently, the choice of sutra for copying was not strictly regulated. The reasons for such choice are interesting but obscure. Besides, the devotees seemed to share the view that the power of merit increased proportionally with the number of copied sutra. The paper gives an attempt at analysis of 50 votive colophons of Mahāparinirvāṇa-mahāsūtra dated from the 5th to 8th centuries. On its basis, it is possible to figure out some statistics about devotees who participated in popular practice of copying Buddhist scriptures; reveal their motivation and determine scriptures which were used as votive offerings. Some statistics about social origin of donators is given below: Most of the donators (30/50) were laity, and the rest (20/50) were members of the sangha. At least 8 of 30 laymen were officials. The ratio of men and women among the laity was about 25/5. The ratio of men and women among the sangha was about 14/6. Votive colophons demonstrate the aspiration of the people of that time for attainment and accumulation of religious merit and faith in the possibility of transferring of merits to the account of the deceased relatives. Total number of colophons dedicated to the deceased person is 10 (9 was made by laymen and 1 by bhikṣu). There are smaller numbers of colophons representing other motives: 2 colophons suggest hope of recovery; 2 colophons suggest hope to be born in a male body in the future life; 1 colophon suggests hope for reunion with family. There are also 15 short entries, leaving no room to make any conclusions about the intentions and wishes of the donator. Others contain good wishes that lay people were more likely to address to the family (which seems quite logical), and the monks to all beings.