Buddhist apocryphal scriptures of medieval China

Record summary

Chinese Buddhist apocrypha are scriptures composed or substantially adapted in China while presenting themselves as translations from Indian or Central Asian sources. Examples include the Sutra of Humane Kings, the Fanwang jing, and several filial-piety and eschatological texts. They matter because they show how translation authority, indigenous ritual needs, and doctrinal innovation interacted. Individual works have different histories: some incorporate Indian materials, while others appear locally produced. Authenticity judgments depend on philology, catalogues, linguistic analysis, and manuscript evidence rather than on traditional attribution alone.