Indian Astral Science; Indian Astronomy; Indian Astrology; Buddhist Astronomy; Chinese Buddhist Texts; 印度天文學; 印度星占佛教天文學; 漢譯佛經
摘要
This paper attempts to compare the astronomical content of the Chinese Buddhist texts with the extant Indian astronomical works in Sanskrit, and to thereby analyze the development of Indian astronomy from a historical and text-critical perspective. Based on this analysis, the author points out that Indian astronomy may be divided largely into three periods: 1. Old (Vedic peroid to 3rd century CE); 2. Transitional (ca. 6th century), and; 3. New (8th century onward). Within the Chinese Buddhist corpus, each of these three peroids is characterized by different equinoctial coordinate (vernal equinox), astral system and descriptions of asterisms and planets and so on. This paper focuses in particular on the Mahasamnipatasutra which demonstrates the transitional nature of Indian astronomy between the 4th and 6th century and how such transformation might have taken place.
Classification of Jyotisa Literature p.3 Chinese Translations of Jyotisa Materials p.6 The Transitional Character of MSN p.8 a) Intertextuality b) Lunar mansions c) Luminaries d) Zodiac e) Astronomical measurements Conclusion p.14
