The extant sources for the `Mahayana Mahaparinirvanasutra` comprise two Chinese translations, one of which is a complete work，two comparatively late Tibetan translations a few Sanskrit fragments, and one Sogdian fragment. The companison between the Chinese versions and the very"Limited"Sanskrit materials which were discovered at the beginning of this century in Japan and Xinjiang shows some discrepancies. It is not possible to explain all these discrepancies as mistraslations as elaborations added during the translation process. The originals from which the Chinese versions were rendered，rather differed more or less from the sanskrit text we have in hand today. And indeed，relevant information in Chinese Buddhist scriptures catalogues and historical texts indicate that `Mahayana Mahaparinirvana sutra` was, when Chinese Buddhist began to learn of it，was indeed transmitted throughout India and Central Asia in different vesions with different site and in a changing state. Like many other Buddhist texts, it must have undertone a course of development before it assumed its present form. The earliest Chinese translations might offer some further clues to this fact.
