The identities of the translators of almost all the Chinese sutras have until now been estimated from descriptions in the Chinese catalogues. However, as pointed out by previous studies, in order to clarify the actual translator and the circumstances of the translation, the style and terminology of each text must be closely investigated. In this respect this article concerns evaluations of the Asheshi wan jing 阿闍世王經(T626: AWJ), which the Chinese catalogues unanimously purport to have been translated by Lokaks.ema 支婁迦讖. First of all, a review of the descriptions of this sutra in the Chinese catalogues shows almost identical descriptions are given in these records, which seem to succeed to that in the Chu sanzang jiji 出三蔵記集(T2145: CSJJ). The CSJJ attributes the AWJ to Lokaks.ema based solely on Dao’an’s 道安presumption. Secondly, however, an evaluation of the style of the AWJ in comparison with that of other of Lokaks.ema’s translations reveals that the AWJ has two notable features; ① it includes the opening formula, ”Thus have I heard once...” 聞如是一時, and ② includes more than one inserted note. Each of these features is unusual for Lokaks.ema’s translations. However, among Lokaks.ema’s translations only the AWJ and the Dun zhentuoluo suowen rulai sanmei jing 伅眞陀羅所問如來三昧經(T624: DZJ) contain both. Third, and lastly, the AWJ, when compared with the Daoxing banruo jing 道行般若經 (T214) in the same manner taken in Harrison[1993], shows general agreement in terminology with some exceptions. These exceptions are remarkable in terms, first, that they are shared only between the AWJ and the DZJ, and second, that they are not the terminologies usually regarded as common to Lokaksema’s translations. Thus it can be surmised that the AWJ and the DZJ must have been rendered into Chinese in close circumstances.
