Our research aims to comprehend the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya Saṃghabhedavastu [SBhV] translated by Yijing (635-713) (T no. 1450, 24.99a-206a: Junjirō Takakusu and Kaigyoku Watanabe (eds.), Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō [THe Taishō New Edition of Buddhist Canon; a modern Japanese edition of the East Asian Buddhist canon], Taishōshinshūdaizokyōkankōkai, 1924-34/1960-78). In this paper, we present a bibliographical introduction of SBhV and its annotated Japanese reading of its first volume. THe Japanese reading of SBhV is already available (Ryūzan Nishimoto [translation] and Makio Takemura [emendation], Ritsubu [the Vinaya Scriptures] 24, Kokuyaku Issaikyō [Translation of the Complete Chinese Buddhist Canon into Classical Japanese in Kakikudashi Style], Daito Publishing Co., Inc., 1934, Revised Edition: 1975). While taking this historic research accomplishment into consideration, we incorporate recent developments in this field into our research, by referring to variants of the text, including the newly discovered Sanskrit Gilgit Manuscripts (edited by R. Gnoli [Part I: 1977, Part II: 1978]), and reviewing issues in previous studies. By so doing, we present the new reading and understanding. Furthermore, based on the stories, subtitles are added for an easier and better understanding of the text. In our bibliographical introduction of SBhV, we include a table comparing the subtitles added to the Chinese SBhV (Nishimoto 1934/75: 2-4) and Sanskrit SBhV (Gnoli 1978: 299-308), as well as summarize the history of research on SBhV and present outlines of individual studies.
