The Role of Jibin Monks in the Transmission of Scriptures and Medical Knowledge to China1*

Abstract

This study examines the historical transmission of medical knowledge between China and ancient Pakistan (Gandhara/Jibin region) via Buddhist monk intermediaries from the 4th to 9th centuries CE. Drawing on Chinese Buddhist texts, travelogues, and translated medical treatises, it identifies Jibin and Gandhara as a critical hub for cross-cultural exchange. Key findings include: (1) Over 15 documented Jibin monks (e.g., Saṅghabhadra, Buddhayaśas) translated Buddhist scriptures containing medical knowledge into Chinese during the Jin, North-South Dynasties, and Tang periods; (2) Medical centers like Taxila (Pakistan) trained physicians such as Jīvaka, with records indicating Chinese patients sought treatment there; (3) Ayurvedic texts like the Caraka Saṃhitā and Astāṅga Hṛdaya Saṃhitā (attributed to ancient Pakistani scholars Charaka and Vāgbhaṭa) entered China through Xinjiang and Tibet, evidenced by manuscripts like the Bower Manuscript (Kucha, Xinjiang) and Tibetan medical thangkas. The paper argues that pre-modern Sino-Pakistani medical exchange was facilitated by Buddhist networks, revealing a trans-Eurasian continuum of knowledge transfer often overlooked in historiography.