ABSTRACT

Āgama is a Sanskrit word that refers to collections of sutras or discourses (經) that represent some of the earliest Buddhist teachings. The Chinese Agamas (阿含經 āhánjīng) are translations from texts in Sanskrit or a related Prakrit. Most of the original texts from which the translations were made are no longer extant. However, most texts in the Chinese Agamas closely parallel texts in the Nikayas, preserved in the Pali language, and scholars often compare the Chinese Agamas with the Pali Nikayas in attempts to discover what the early schools of Buddhism had in common (see Anālayo, 2011). The Agamas/Nikayas can be considered foundation texts for all schools of Buddhism.