Tracing the Origins: Pre-Tang Translation Models

To provide a historical context for understanding the subsequent progress of team translation in the Tang Dynasty, this chapter investigates the changing modes of collaborative translation of Buddhist texts in China from the Eastern Han to the Sui Dynasty. It investigates the strengths and weaknesses of each mode when the foreign-led groups gradually evolved into larger, collective assemblies. Also, this chapter explores how these early approaches evolved into a sophisticated Tang model, characterized by imperial support for the broad dissemination of translated Buddhist scriptures and clearly defined expert roles within collaborative translation teams.