In recent years, high-resolution editions of various Song and Yuan printed versions of the Chinese Tripitaka have been successively published, while Japan's ancient handwritten complete sutras have also been partially made available. Additionally, high-resolution images of Dunhuang manuscripts have largely been released. The release of such a large volume of "new" materials undoubtedly presents an opportunity for the organization and study of Chinese Buddhist literature. However, during the processes of transcription and printing, the texts of the Tripitaka have generated numerous variants, posing significant challenges for the work of organization and research. This lecture will use the "Guang Hong Ming Ji," compiled by the monk Dao Xuan in the early Tang Dynasty, as an example. It aims to comprehensively gather all existing manuscripts and printed editions of this work, carefully compare them, and clarify the sources and transmission among them. In addition to manuscripts and Tripitaka editions, this work also exists in a standalone edition printed in the fourteenth year of the Wanli reign, which gradually became the most widely circulated version and had the greatest impact. This reminds us to reflect on the relationships between early manuscripts, Tripitaka editions, and standalone prints.

Prof. Li Meng is an associate professor at Fudan University. His main research areas are Han and Tang literature, with recent focuses on Buddhist literature and history from the Jin and Tang dynasties, as well as Six Dynasties literature and history.