The present paper takes up the questions surrounding the different editions of the Fanwang jing, and tries to show that they can be differentiated into two lineages, one of which is older than the other. The conclusions of this investigation are as follows. First, it is possible to make a rough division of the editions of this text into what I will call type α (The Kaiyuansi edition, the Sixi edition, etc) and type β (The Korean edition, etc.). Second, it seems that that those editions of type α are the oldest, and the type β version of the text appears only beginning from sometime between the end of the seventh and beginning of the eight centuries. Third, a careful analysis of the section of the text dealing with 48 minor precepts reveals that there also exists certain texts that can be considered intermediate versions in between type α and type β. Fourth, while the Kaiyuansi edition does generally preserve the oldest form, it cannot be considered exactly equal to the original form of the Fanwang jing. Fifth, our ability to realize the existence of the two lineages of the text relies crucially on the the Fangshan edition and the edition represented by the manuscript held in the Kyoto National Museum. Detailed comparisons between the various versions are shown in the two tables.
