佛教从印度向中国的传播是和西域分不开的，而于阗是西域南道的最大王国，尤其于阗是在中国最为盛行的大乘佛教的传播中心，因此，研究于阗的佛教史，其意义不仅在于澄清于阗历史本身的一些问题，更为重要的是可以通过于阗佛教史的探讨，弄清中国佛教的一些源流问题。本文在传统文献的基础上，参考和田本地出土的佛教写本，讨论各个时代于阗佛教的关键问题。讨论的时间为佛教传入于阗至唐代前期，吐蕃占领于阗以后从略。 首先，在导论中整理传统文献、和田出土佛经、于阗佛教研究的回顾，并且，讨论代表性著作羽溪了谛《西域之佛教》的问题和佛教的中亚化与大乘佛典成立之问题。 正文的三章，实际上分为汉代、魏晋南北朝、隋唐三个阶段。 第一章“佛教传入于阗的传说与史实”：有关汉代的于阗佛教的情况，史书缺乏记载，考古材料也零散，但是玄奘《大唐西域记》和藏文文献都有于阗建国传说和佛教传入于阗的传说，本文首先以这些传说为线索，一边分析传说形成的过程，一边讨论于阗佛教的开始；然后参考最近新发现的阿富汗出土的佛经，重新讨论和田出土犍陀罗语《法句经》的意义，补充论证了此写本属于法藏部及其来源问题。 第二章“于阗的佛典传译与中原的西行求法”：按照西行求法僧的记载和出土佛经的种类，讨论于阗佛教最盛行的魏晋南北朝时期的情况，特别是于阗人编纂佛典的创造性。具体的内容有：于阗出土的大小乘文献；行像、传法与讲经；佛牙与《法华经》；于阗瑞像与于阗葬俗；梵文佛典的流行与于阗语的翻译等。 第三章“于阗与隋唐朝的佛教交流与相互贡献”：在隋唐时期，西域和中原的交往更加频繁，首先，提示隋代的中原佛教界最受于阗佛教的影响之地即长安大兴善寺；其次，从整个佛教史的角度来看玄奘逗留于阗的意义；整理以尉迟乙僧为代表的长安的于阗人的活动情况；讨论武则天时代于阗《华严》新思想传入中原的背景；最后，从慧超《往五天竺国传》的记载，讨论以于阗为中心的西域地区的大乘戒乃至中原独特的大乘戒。 正文主要是讨论于阗佛教的发展和特点，内容涉及到许多方面，其中最大贡献是充分利用了于阗当地出土的梵文和于阗文佛教经典。通过本文的考察，传世文献与和田本地出土的佛典写本之间基本上没有矛盾，只有《妙法莲华经》的出土写本之多不符合相关中原传世文献记载之少，这恐怕是因为于阗佛教徒把此经梵本视为“圣经”，这种“护持性”对中原佛教的影响较大。不过，于阗佛教对于中原佛教也有积极性的一面，比如他们积极编纂的大本《华严经》，由于阗僧人输入中原，并译成汉文。此外，出土的于阗文写本给我们提供了传世文献中没有的消息，其中包括《赞巴斯塔书》等于阗人编纂的佛经，表现出于阗佛教徒不仅仅在翻译佛典上贡献至巨，而且也有自己的创造。 于阗佛教丰富多彩，尤其以大乘佛教中心著称。中原也和大乘佛教有缘分，但如果没有于阗佛教的中介，中原佛教的情形肯定就不一样了。

Abstract The transmission of Buddhism from India to China was inseparable with the Western Region where Khotan was the biggest kingdom along the Southern Silkroad. Considering that Khotan was playing a central role in spreading Mahāyāna Buddhism, which was popular in China at that time. The significance of studying the Buddhist history of Khotan should not be restricted to clarifying the history of Khotan itself, more importantly, it may be a good chance to make us understand the headstream of Chinese Buddhism completely. Basing on the traditional literature in Chinese and Tibetan sources and the Buddhist manuscripts excavated in Khotan area, my study is dedicated to discuss the important issues of Khotanese Buddhism from the introduction of Buddhism to the prophase of the Tang dynasty. At first, the traditional literature and the Buddhist manuscripts excavated in Khotan area are introduced, then, the review of former researches on Khotanese Buddhism. Here, I also discuss the issues concerning the transformation of Buddhism in Central Asia and the foundation of Mahāyāna sūtras as well. The content consists of three chapters: 1. Legends and Truths: the introduction of Buddhism to Khotan; 2. Transmission and Translation of Sutras in Khotan and the Pilgrimage toward the West from China Proper; 3. Communication and Mutual Contribution: the Buddhist relationship between Khotan and Tang, corresponding to three periods as the Han; Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties; and the Sui-Tang. Concentrating on the development and characters of Khotanese Buddhism, the main text covers many respects. Making full use of the Buddhist manuscripts in Sanskrit and in Khotanese excavated in Khotan area is the greatest contribution in the thesis. My research reveals that there is almost no contradictions between the records of traditional literature and the Buddhist manuscripts excavated in Khotan, except that the vast amount of the manuscripts of Saddharmapundarīka-sūtra is contary to the few record in Chinese traditional texts, which can be presumably explained by the fact that Khotanese Buddhists regarded this sutra as a Holy Writ. Although the"Secret Transmission"affected Chinese Buddhism deeply, Khotanese Buddhism showed its activity in influencing Chinese Buddhism. The compliment, importation and translation of the"huge" Huayan-jing (in Sanskrit) by Khotanese Buddhist monks is just one of the examples. Furthermore, the excavated Khotanese manuscripts offer us new information not found in the traditional literature. And The Book of Zambasta, compiled by Khotanese monks themselves, reveals not only the great contribution of them on the translation of Buddhist sutras but their creativity in compiling. Khotanese Buddhism had many aspects, particularly, enjoying the fame as the center of Mahāyāng Buddhism. China became another center of Mahāyāng Buddhism. But without the medium, Khontanese Buddhism, the Chinese Buddhism would have appeared as another different situation.