Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies

      With the rapid advancement of the internet era, the digitization of Chinese Buddhist texts has expanded significantly, offering unprecedented opportunities for scholarly research. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the current state of digitized Chinese Buddhist texts, surveying over 100 digital resources and providing practical insights for their effective application. The discussion is structured into four key categories:

      The first category, Catalogs of Ancient Texts, highlights foundational bibliographic resources from China and Japan, including essential catalogs and their digital counterparts.

    The second category, Image Resources, examines manuscripts and printed editions. The manuscript section catalogs digitized images and listings of Dunhuang scrolls, Turfan documents, and ancient Japanese sutra manuscripts. The printed edition section features more than ten major Buddhist canons, such as the Jin Canon and the First Edition of the Goryeo Canon, detailing their digital images and the distribution of collections worldwide. It also addresses relevant bibliographies, electronic tools, and the progress in digitizing stone inscriptions and rubbings.

    The third category, Text Resources, reviews the content and application guidelines of over ten databases, including CBETA and SAT, while also incorporating multilingual databases pertinent to Buddhist studies.

     The fourth category, Tools and Methods, introduces resources such as dictionaries, catalogs, multilingual text comparison tools, textual similarity analysis, and digital sutra compilation. It further explores key methodologies for digital Buddhist studies, including quantitative word analysis, visualization techniques, and large-scale text compilation.

     The paper concludes by proposing a systematic, step-by-step framework for engaging with digital resources, inspired by traditional philological practices. This framework encompasses developing a comprehensive understanding of available resources, applying them effectively, integrating multiple digital tools, constructing customized databases, and conducting large-scale research. By following these steps, researchers can maximize the potential of digitized resources, advancing both their academic impact and accessibility.

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