From Ṭukhāristān to China: Why Did the Christian Priest Jingjing 景净/Adam Translate a Buddhist Sūtra in 788?

Abstract In 788, a translation of a Buddhist sūtra was presented to Emperor Dezong of the Tang Empire. Strikingly, this translation emerged as a collaboration between the Persian Christian priest Jingjing/Adam from Ṭukhāristān and Prajñā, a Buddhist monk of Kapisa origin, with Luo Haoxin as coordinator. The collaboration, which took place in the imperial capital Chang’an, offers valuable insights into the life of these “Westerners” in the late eighth century. This article shows that these three protagonists were members of the same community and undertook the translation to elevate the community’s standing.