सद्धर्मपुण्डरीक (Lotus Sutra — Kern translation from Sanskrit, 1884)

copy a passage from it as quoted in the Catalogue of the Tripitaka the three baskets of the Buddhist canon original: Sûtra Pitaka, col. 45:

‘The translations of Ku Fâ-hu, No. 138, and Kumâragîva, No. 134, were most probably made from two different texts. In the repository of the Canon, I (the author of the preface) have seen two texts (or copies of the text, of the Saddharma-pundarîka); one is written on palm leaves, and the other in the letters of Kwei-tsz’, or Kharakar, Kumâragîva’s maternal country. The former text exactly agrees with No. 138, and the latter with No. 134. No. 138 omits only the Gâthâs verses of the Samantamukha-parivarta chapter of the universal gate, chapter 24. But No. 134 omits half of the Ôshadhi-parivarta chapter of medicinal herbs, chapter 5, the beginning of the Pañkabhikshusata-vyâkarana-parivarta chapter on the prophecy regarding the five hundred monks, chapter 8, and that of the Saddharmabhânaka-parivarta chapter of the preacher of the good law, chapter 10, and the Gâthâs of the Devadatta-parivarta chapter regarding Devadatta, chapter 12 In the Nepalese manuscripts and the European translations the latter part of chapter 11, and those of the Samantamukha-parivarta, chapter 25. Moreover, No. 134 puts the Dharmaparyâya-parivarta chapter on the exposition of the doctrine (the last chapter of the Sûtra) before the Bhaishagyarâga-parivarta chapter of the King of Medicinal Herbs, chapter 23. Nos. 138 and 134 both place the Dhâranî-parivarta chapter of mystical incantations next to the Samantamukha-parivarta, chapters 24 and 25 respectively. Besides these, there are minor differences between the text and translation. The omission of the Gâthâs in No. 134, chapters 12 and 25, has since been filled in by some wise men, whose example I wish to follow. In the first year of the Zan-sheu period, 601 A.D., I, together with Gñânagupta and Dharmagupta, have examined the palm-leaf text, at the request of the Sramana ascetic, Shân-hhiñ, and found that the beginning of two chapters, 8th and 10th, are also wanting in the text (though No. 138 contains them). Nevertheless, we have increased half of the 5th chapter, and put the 12th chapter into the 11th, and restored the Dhâranî-parivarta and Dharmaparyâya-parivarta to their proper order, as chapters 21 and 27. There are also some words and passages which have been altered (while the greater part of No. 134 is retained). The reader is requested not to have any suspicion about these differences.’