Sutra on Three Past Lives (Qian Shi San Zhuan Jing) 前世三轉經

Translated by Fa Zhu in 1 scroll

Colophon

前世三轉經 西晉 法炬譯 共 1 卷 Sutra on Three Past Lives (Qian Shi San Zhuan Jing); translated by Fa Ju in the Western Jin in 1 scroll.

Notes

Date 306 from Lancaster (Lancaster 2004, 'K 251')

English Translations

None

Summary

The Buddha, in the presence of a large assembly, emits radiant light and smiles, prompting Ananda to inquire about the reasons behind this extraordinary display. The Buddha recounts a past life where he was a woman who sacrificed her breasts to feed a starving mother, later transformed into a man-king who ruled with righteousness and generosity, and finally, as a Brahmin who offered his body to a starving tiger. This story illustrates the Buddha's past lives of intense devotion and self-sacrifice, emphasizing the immense merit gained through acts of generosity and compassion. (AI generated)

Primary Source

Fa Ju, trans., 《前世三轉經》 'Qian Shi San Zhuan Jing,' in Taishō shinshū Daizōkyō 《大正新脩大藏經》, in Takakusu Junjiro, ed., (Tokyo: Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō Kankōkai, 1988), Vol. 3, No. 178, Accessed 2016-07-05, http://tripitaka.cbeta.org/T03n0178.

References

  1. Lancaster, L.R. 2004 The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue, http://www.acmuller.net/descriptive_catalogue.

Collection vocabulary analysis