A Missed Opportunity

May combine two claims.

Burnouf wrongly took the Yogacara philosopher Asanga's name to be Samgha, and referred to him throughout, including in the index, as 'Arya Samgha.'

“Burnouf mistook the Yog ac ara philosopher Asa_ nga's name to be Sa _ mgha, referring throughout (even in the index) to”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Lopez does not explain what this means or how the two genres differ.

“Lopez does not explain what this means or the difference between the two genres of literature.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

The translation contains no indication of the original page numbers.

“As it is, there is no such indication anywhere in the translation.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

The translation and its introduction, though generally good, readable, and reliable, contain avoidable errors.

“this translation (and its introduction), while on the whole quite good, readable, and reliable, also introduces errors here and there that could have been avoided.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

The translation renumbers Burnouf's footnotes with running numbers per section rather than the original page-based numbers.

“The translation has renumbered Burnouf's footnotes, using running numbers for each section as opposed to the page-based numbers in the original.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Lopez prints the title as Bhagavata Purana, but the text is the Bhagavata Purana.

“In the same sentence he prints the title of the text as Bhagavata Pur aṇa.The text is rather the Bh agavata Pur aṇa”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Lopez observes that Burnouf often drew on avadanas for what he called sutras.

“While Lopez notes that for much of what Burnouf says about”

May combine two claims.

Lopez repeatedly asserts Burnouf's influence on later scholarship while also denying it.

“Lopez makes repeated claims for the influence of Burnouf upon subsequent studies; 6 yet he also denies it.”

May combine two claims.

The Lotus sutra translation, unlike the Introduction, has been reprinted several times (1925, 1973, 1989, 2007), which suggests its influence and popularity.

“This translation of the Lotus sutra-in contrast to the Introduction, which was reprinted only once, in 1876-has been reprinted a number of times (1925 [with a short preface by Sylvain Le ´vi], 1973, 1989, 2007), a fact that speaks at least implicitly of its influence and popularity.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Lopez refers to simple and developed sutras as 'the two classes of sutras.'

“Lopez freely refers to these as”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

In nearly all other instances of such misunderstandings, no mention is made anywhere.

“in almost all other cases of such misunderstandings, there is not a word anywhere.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

The volume under review does not have a proper index.

“since this index is quite minimal, it is fair to say that the present volume lacks a proper index.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

Lopez's introduction contains several such self-defeating moves.

“Lopez's introduction contains a number of such own goals.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

In the five years since 2005, Lopez is credited as author or editor of five of the series's seven volumes.

“Lopez is credited, in the five years since 2005, as author or editor of five out of the series's seven volumes.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

This book is the seventh volume in the University of Chicago Press series 'Buddhism and Modernity,' edited by Lopez.

“This book is the seventh in the University of Chicago Press series”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Lopez later correctly identifies what Burnouf studied as Yasomitra's subcommentary.

“It is therefore reassuring to find that Lopez later correctly indicates that what Burnouf studied was indeed Ya somitra's subcommentary (18).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Although the translation is attributed to Katia Buffetrille and Lopez, the division of labor is not stated, and no other contributor is named.

“though it is ascribed to Katia Buffetrille and Lopez, nothing is said about the division of labor, nor is any other name mentioned”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The translation is about 550 pages long.

“The translation, which must have required a massive effort, is roughly 550 pages long”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Burnouf's Tibetan expression blag ba med pa, reproduced in the translation, is erroneous; the letters should be divided differently to read bla gab med pa.

“Burnouf wrote of the Tibetan expression blag ba med pa (306), duly given in the English translation.This is, however, an error; the Tibetan letters need to be divided differently, not but ; the word is thus bla gab med pa.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

Lopez misspells the famous Buddhist scripture Astasahasrikaprajnaparamita as Astasahasrikaprajnaparamita.

“Elsewhere, Lopez spells the name of one of the most famous Buddhist scriptures Aṣṭasah asrik aprajñ ap aramit a instead of Aṣṭas ahasrik aprajñ ap aramit a (11).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

The word is misspelled in the English index but correct in the French.

“(The word is misspelled in the English index as well but is spelled correctly in the French.)”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The translation follows Conze in using 'courses' as a verb.

“it is unfortunate that the translation (435-47) follows the example of Conze in using”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

There are a number of misprints.

“There are also a number of cases of misprints”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Several errors concern Tibetan.

“Finally, and surprisingly, several errors concern Tibetan.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

The translation has tried to write compounds together, but often fails.

“The contemporary convention is to write compounds together, however, and the translation obviously has attempted to do this, though often not successfully.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

In Burnouf's Introduction, Sanskrit compounds are written in roman letters with their elements separated.

“in Burnouf's Introduction, Sanskrit com-pounds are written in roman letters with their elements separated.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

Eugène Burnouf can justifiably be regarded as the founder of modern scientific Buddhist studies.

“Euge `ne Burnouf can, with full justification, be deemed the father of modern scientific Buddhist studies.”

• cites [1]Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

The introduction to this volume does not advance much beyond J. W. de Jong's treatment of Burnouf from almost forty years earlier.

“it is not too much to say that in this regard the introduction to this volume hardly moves us past the treatment given Burnouf almost forty years ago by J. W. de Jong in his Brief History of Buddhist Studies.”

• cites J. W. de JongNot matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

May combine two claims.

Burnouf appears to have been influenced by, and to have miscopied, Csoma de Körös.

“here Burnouf was evidently influenced by (and apparently miscopied) Csoma de Ko ˝ro ¨s.”

• cites [4]Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The Sanskrit language evidently caused particular difficulties.

“Particular difficulties were evidently caused by the Sanskrit language.”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Because the translation does not flag Burnouf's errors or shortcomings, unprepared readers will continue to perpetuate misunderstandings that should have been laid to rest long ago.

“The absence of indications in the body of the translation pointing to errors or insufficiencies in Burnouf's presentation will leave unprepared readers bound to further perpetuate misunderstandings that should have been (and in many cases certainly were heretofore) buried more than a century ago.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Readers who encounter the translation without preparation will be unable to distinguish Burnouf's valid insights from his errors.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

The translation is more than a missed chance to assess how far scholarship has moved from Burnouf's starting point and what it has learned from him.

“This translation represents, I fear, more than a lost opportunity to consider in situ, as it were, how far we have come from the starting point Burnouf provided and how much (or how little) we have learned from his guidance.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Readers who encounter the translation without preparation will be unable to distinguish Burnouf's valid insights from his errors.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The number of readers interested in the historical understanding of Buddhism is smaller than the number who will encounter the book through the press and the author's reputation.