..續本文上一頁pilation of Buddhist Tripitaka in modern times is not simply a task of re-printing. Currently, key attention has been placed on textual cleanup. In the year of 2007, the project of compilation and publishing the first edition of the Buddhist Tripitaka with punctuation was officially began. As one of the largest publishing projects in China, it is estimated by the members of the compiling committee of the Buddhist Tripitaka that the new edition of the Buddhist Tripitaka will contain around 300 million Chinese characters and its 300 volumes will be published in 5 years. More than 100 renowned Buddhist scholars and monks around China constitute the compiling committee and they hope this new edition will become the most comprehensive in collections, most authoritative in editions and most convenient in reading by adopting a method of comprehensive collection, comparison, punctuation, compilation, unification of format and a scientific arrangement.

　　2. The digitalization of the Buddhist Tripitaka

　　After the 1990s, the digitalization of Buddhist scriptures became a world wide trend. In 1993, a huge project---the digitalization of 《高麗藏》the Korean Tripitaka---was organized by海印寺Haeinsa Temple in South Korea. This project was finished on May 2000 and the CD was also made available. Later, Buddhist scholars from the Island of Taiwan organized中華電子佛典協會the CBETA (Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association) and began to create electronic version of 《大正藏》the Taisho Tripitaka which is widely circulated today. We are in the transition process between contemporary printing and the digital period. The digitalization of the Buddhist Tripitaka not only saves space but also will change the mode of circulation. Thus it will facilitate the popularization and application of the Buddhist Tripitaka. Modern scholars can use the computer to read the Buddhist scriptures and quickly obtain related information by applying the searching method. However, no matter how developed the computer technology is, the religious practitioners” true self-cultivation experience must still be advanced by reading the Buddhist scriptures in a tranquil way. The traditional method of reading can not be replaced by typing on the keyboard because the delicate feelings of mind and soul need to be attained by reading and reciting the Buddhist sutras one page after another.

　　Ⅲ. The right time and good karma for the compilation, propagation and translation of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka

　　Buddhist sutras were written in classical languages in ancient times. The terminologies and meaning of these scriptures are very particular and deep. This creates a big challenge for readers of modern times.[6] Therefore, the work of translating is an important element for the dissemination of Buddhism. From the perspective of cultural communication and propagation, the translation of Buddhist scriptures is not simply a process of symbol conversion; it transforms one particular linguistic symbol into another linguistic symbol which bears specific cultural information. Thus, the communication and dissemination of different cultures can be promoted. Observing the history of Buddhism in China, one can clearly notice that the dissemination of Buddhist classics follows this particular historical pattern: Chinese translation of Buddhist sutras---compilation of Chinese Buddhist scriptures and indexes----printing of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka. During this process, these three parts were interrelated together and each one played a particular role and successfully promoted the dissemination of Buddhism in China. In the course of the translation of Buddhist scriptures, the early Buddhist monks and translators created a series of incredibly efficacious spiritual texts, these texts established points …

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