The Da zhidu lun 大智度論 (*Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa) and the History of the Larger Prajñāpāramitā

In his final monograph, Stefano Zacchetti analyzes the Da zhidu lun’s complex relation to a number of Larger Prajñāpāramitā texts. The evidence presented here reveals a complementary, even symbiotic relation between root text and commentary, and puts into relief processes of stabilization, consolidation, and canonization. The reader is afforded precious insights into the textual history of the Da zhidu lun, of the Larger Prajñāpāramitā literature as a whole, and of the general patterns of formation, transmission, exegesis, and recension of Mahāyāna Buddhist texts.