開元釋教錄 11.23

11.23

Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, forty fascicles (or thirty-six fascicles; four cases),
Translated in Guzang by the Northern Liang Tianzhu tripiṭaka [master] Dharmakṣema (fifth translation; composite translation combining single and duplicate translations).
(This Nirvāṇa-sūtra reached Jianye during the Yuanjia reign-era of Emperor Wen of the Song dynasty. At that time, the śramaṇa Fan Huiyan of Yuzhou, the śramaṇa Cui Huiguan of Qinghe, the retired scholar Xie Lingyun of Chen commandery, and others, considering that the chapter division of Dharmakṣema's earlier text was sparse and brief, added chapter titles based on the earlier Niwan jing. Where the text was excessively plain, they also revised it considerably, compiling it into thirty-six fascicles, which circulated south of the Yangzi. Compared to the earlier scripture, there were occasional slight differences. There is a śāstra in one fascicle that briefly explains the Great Scripture, and another śāstra in one fascicle that explains the single verse on "originally having, now lacking").
Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, later translated Cremation Section (Jhapita Section), two fascicles (also called the Śavita Section, also called the Latter Section),
Jointly translated in that country by the śramaṇa Jñānabhadra of the kingdom of Boling in the Southern Sea and the śramaṇa Huining of the Tang state during the Great Tang (recorded in the Great Zhou Catalogue; sole translation).
The above single scripture is the continuation of the preceding Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, following the end of the Kauṇḍinya Chapter. It additionally expounds the events of the cremation and so forth after the parinirvāṇa. (The Tripiṭaka Master Yijing's Biography of Seeking the Dharma states: "During the Linde reign-era, the śramaṇa Huining of Chengdu in Yi prefecture travelled to Tianzhu. Arriving at the kingdom of Heling in the Southern Sea, he thereupon, together with the tripiṭaka śramaṇa of that kingdom, Jñānabhadra—in Chinese, Zhixian—extracted from an Āgama-sūtra the accounts of the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa and cremation; it is not the Mahāyāna Nirvāṇa-sūtra. He dispatched an envoy to send it back, while he went on to Tianzhu." Examining this scripture now, it bears slight similarities to the Travel Chapter in the first section of the Dīrghāgama, but is not entirely identical. Moreover, the scripture speaks of the Dharmakāya being eternal, and of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and that the realm of buddhas and bodhisattvas is not known to the two vehicles. Its doctrine is interrelated with that of the Great Nirvāṇa. Furthermore, the beginning of the scripture bears the title of the end of the Kauṇḍinya Chapter, and the textual flow is continuous, so it is temporarily compiled here. Let those of broad knowledge in later times examine and determine it).
Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, six fascicles (or ten fascicles),
Translated jointly by the Eastern Jin śramaṇa Shi Faxian of Pingyang and Jñānabhadra (fourth translation).
The above single scripture is the first portion of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, concluding with the Chapter on the Congregation's Inquiries; it is a different translation of the same text (inclusive of the Cremation Section, there are seven translations in all, earlier and later, of which four translations are lost texts).
The above two scriptures in eight fascicles are in the same case.
Vaipulya-parinirvāṇa-sūtra, two fascicles (also called Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra; or three fascicles),
Translated by the Western Jin tripiṭaka [master] Dharmarakṣa (first translation).
Four Youths Samādhi Sūtra, three fascicles (or simply called Four Youths Sūtra),
Translated by the Sui Tianzhu tripiṭaka [master] Jñānagupta and others (second translation).
The above two scriptures are different translations of the same text. (According to the various catalogues, there is also a Weeping Sūtra in two or three fascicles, stated to be a different translation of the same text as the Vaipulya-parinirvāṇa[-sūtra], but without detailing the origin of its translation. Examining its words and sentences, it is just the Vaipulya-parinirvāṇa[-sūtra] with no difference whatsoever. The opening chapter of that Vaipulya-parinirvāṇa[-sūtra] is entitled 'Weeping'; it merely took the title of this chapter as the sūtra's name. Compared to the Vaipulya-parinirvāṇa[-sūtra], it still lacks three chapters, but the rest is no different. Since it is a redundant duplication, it was deleted and not recorded).
Mahākaruṇā-sūtra, five fascicles,
Translated jointly by the Northern Qi Tianzhu tripiṭaka [master] Narendrayaśas and Fazhi (sole translation).
The above three scriptures in ten fascicles are in the same case (the three scriptures including the Vaipulya-parinirvāṇa[-sūtra] are branch texts of the Nirvāṇa [section]).