Traces and fragments of early Prajñāpāramitā exegesis in anonymous quotations in the Da zhidu lun 大智度論 (*Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa)

Thesis

This study systematically examines the anonymous quotations in the Da zhidu lun, the earliest extant major Indian commentary on the Larger Prajñāpāramitā, preserved only in Chinese. It demonstrates how such quotations reflect the scholarly and religious context of the commentators and reveal the commentarial process. They are also historical artefacts, preserving fragments of early Prajñāpāramitā exegesis, thereby offering insights into lost interpretative traditions.

Anonymous quotations, introduced by phrases such as “some say” or “others say”, are a historically significant feature of Buddhist commentaries. While they have been studied in Pāli scholarship, a systematic analysis of their function in Mahāyāna is lacking. This study addresses that gap by examining 450 anonymous quotations in the Da zhidu lun, responding to Zacchetti (2021), highlighting their role in shaping Prajñāpāramitā sūtras and their exegesis. This research integrates comparative textual analysis to trace the sources, textual reuse, intertextuality, intratextuality, and interpretative function of these quotations.

The quotations often serve as exegetical building blocks, facilitating textual adaptation and transmission while bridging diverse Buddhist traditions, particularly between Mainstream, Sarvāstivāda, and early Mahāyāna, as well as within the Prajñāpāramitā commentarial traditions, the Da zhidu lun itself and the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. The Da zhidu lun’s borrowing, reformulating, and repackaging of pre-existing exegetical materials, particularly from the Abhidharma tradition via anonymous quotations, reflects a broader process of textual compilation in Buddhist scholastic traditions and offers rare insights into lost Prajñāpāramitā exegetical traditions. By foregrounding anonymous voices, this study highlights the Da zhidu lun’s multi-layered, polyphonic nature. It was both a preserver of early exegetical materials, safeguarding diverse interpretations, and an active force shaping the development of Prajñāpāramitā literature. I demonstrate that commentaries were shaped not only by named individuals but also by the collective contributions of anonymous exegetical voices, offering a new perspective on Mahāyāna exegesis and enriching Buddhist commentarial studies more broadly.

Authors: Huynh, QT

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-prgore8rr
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: anonymous quotations; Da zhidu lun 大智度論; Mahāyāna sūtra commentary; Prajñāpāramitā exegesis; *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa
• Subjects: Mahāyāna Buddhism; Prajñāpāramitā exegesis (Buddhism)