This site will share the collated versions of the Mahāyāna sutras prepared by our project.

In attempting to understand the Mahayana scriptures from a philological perspective, the comparison of existing versions of the texts is a fundamental part of the research process. By comparing and contrasting the various versions of the texts that have been preserved in different languages, such as Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese, we can clarify the differences between them and explore the changes in the texts and thought based on them.
While Sanskrit versions have an incomparable value in conveying the original language of the texts, many of the existing Sanskrit manuscripts were copied long after the texts were compiled.
On the other hand, many of the Chinese and Tibetan translations have roughly known dates of translation, and since they often date back further than the existing Sanskrit manuscripts, they are valuable texts in giving us an idea of a more ancient version of the scriptures. In particular, when there are several versions of Chinese translations from different time periods available, it is usually possible to read in detail how the contents of the source texts have changed over time.

Untill now, the collated texts of the Mahayana sutras have been mainly available in the form of printed publications, but this site attempts to present them on the Web on a searchable plateform. By making the materials available in this way, we hope to overcome the limitations of earlier, paper based collations and make it possible for a broad range of researchers to find innovative ways to use the data for philological research on the Mahāyāna sutras.

The framework of this website was created mainly by Prof Miyazaki, a co-investigator, and was constructed as an attempt by a researcher specializing in Buddhist studies.
We used Django, a web application framework based on Python, and Bootstrap, a front-end web library. PostgreSQL is used for the backend database, and nginx and Gunicorn are used for the web server system. In constructing this site, we have used various modules and information obtained from the web.

At the same time, this site would not have been possible without the cooperation of those who have helped with data entry and verification, as described below. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of them.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following people for their cooperation in entering and checking the data available on this site.

• Daśabhūmika（Assigned investigator: Prof. Miyazaki）
• Suguru Ishimura
• Yukihiko Matsumura
• Ryō Watanabe
• Lin Chiawei (Providing data for the Dharmarakṣa's version; Supervisor Prof. Michael Radich, Heidelberg Univ.)

• Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha（Assigned investigator: Prof. Sasaki）
• Jin Yamana
• Mayu Yasukawa
• Mika Fukuma

• Saddharmapuṇḍarīka（Assigned investigator: Dr. Ikuma）
• Suguru Ishimura
• Yukihiko Matsumura
• Ryō Watanabe

• English proofread by Prof. Michael Conway

This site is currently being established and maintained as the website for the KAKEN-HI project. Now, its main purpose is to announce the information and share the achievements of the current KAKEN-HI project. We would also like to create and publish a wider range of content for after the completion of the project. We intend to announce our future prospect through this website.