Conventional beliefs hold that Dharmaraksa,the famous Buddhist sutra translator,respectably called"Dunhuang Bodhisattva",was an Indo-Scythian who lived in Dunhuang all his life time.The present paper,based on relevant documents and the Buddhist development in Dunhuang at that time,suggests that,Dunhuang was dominantly of the Han Chinese culture,while Dharmaraksa was illiterate in Chinese in his early life,which evidences that Dharmaraksa was not born at Dunhuang,but a wandering monk who came into China by way of the Western Regions.The appellation"Dunhuang Bodhisattva"was given to him only because his translation work was mostly accomplished there.The historical documents recording him as"an Indian Bodhisattva"who later"lived at Dunhuang after he arrived at Yumen"from the Western Regions is much more credible.
