Buddhist sutras were written in classical languages in ancient times. The terminologies and meaning of these scriptures are very particular and deep. This creates a big challenge for readers of modern times.[6] Therefore, the work of translating is an important element for the dissemination of Buddhism. From the perspective of cultural communication and propagation, the translation of Buddhist scriptures is not simply a process of symbol conversion; it transforms one particular linguistic symbol into another linguistic symbol which bears specific cultural information. Thus, the communication and dissemination of different cultures can be promoted. Observing the history of Buddhism in China, one can clearly notice that the dissemination of Buddhist classics follows this particular historical pattern: Chinese translation of Buddhist sutras---compilation of Chinese Buddhist scriptures and indexes----printing of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka. During this process, these three parts were interrelated together and each one played a particular role and successfully promoted the dissemination of Buddhism in China. In the course of the translation of Buddhist scriptures, the early Buddhist monks and translators created a series of incredibly efficacious spiritual texts, these texts established points of contact with the recipient Chinese culture(s) in symbolic expression and thought patterns, and also appealed to many different ideologies and religious groups in different time periods, thus, guaranteeing the success of Buddhism in China.

During this process of the dissemination of Buddhism in China, Buddhism faced the obstacles of differences in culture(s) and language(s). In order to promote and enhance its influence, the early Buddhist monks and translators adopted a strategy which allows Buddhism to depend on miraculous Taoist arts, Chinese indigenous culture(s) and the imperial ruling class. They also took great care to associate Buddhism with the Chinese scholar-bureaucrat and simplified its teachings so that the common people could easily understand it. This strategy was successful and Buddhism became prominent and the goal of propagating Buddhism was achieved.[7] This strategy had a direct influence on the organizing principles, norms and standards, methods and skills used in the translation of Buddhist scriptures, and caused those translated works to exhibit distinct characteristics in different times.

1. The development of Chinese history has provided an expansive space for the course of the propagation and translation of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka

If translation is merely a certain translator’s individual activity, his / her motivation and influence may cause his / her translation to exhibit chanciness and uncertainty. But when this individual activity has become a large-scale and continuous collective activity, deep social and cultural factors control the process of translation. Meanwhile, this collective translation activity must produce a deep and wide influence upon the host culture and society; this is the exact situation for Buddhism in China. The beginnings of Buddhist-scripture-translation had a close connection with the social context of one specific period. During the late Western Han and the early Eastern Han dynasties, the government was unstable and corrupted, a variety of natural disasters happened one after another, people at that time were eager to seek a spiritual power to comfort and liberate themselves from all kinds of suffering. This created and provided a favorable social condition for the import of Buddhism and the Buddhist scripture translation project. The transformation of different thoughts and culture(s) also provided an objective condition. “Different schools of thoughts in pre-Qin dynasty were revived……Chinese thoughts and culture(s) ushered a brand new era in which a hundred schools of thoughts were striving together and characterized as a multi-cultural and an increasingly sophisticated theory system. (方立天 Fang Litian，2004）This situation not only left a space for the dissemination and translation of Buddhist scriptures, but also created a favorable cultural atmosphere for the development of Buddhism.

2. The Buddhist concept of “perfect syncretism” has provided necessary grounds for the course of the propagation and translation of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka

In addition to the objective historical conditions at that time, another reason for the massive wave of translation was the Buddhist philosophy of “perfect syncretism”. The concept of “perfect syncretism” makes Buddhism very open and tolerant to other ideas. When Buddhism first entered into China, under the precondition of preserving its uniqueness, it communicated with different Chinese traditional schools of thoughts. It adopted an adaptive and incorporative attitude towards Confucianism and Taoism and harnessed their abilities to positively influence society and teach the people. For example, Buddhism adapted the Confucian concept of “五常Wuchang” (The five constant virtues：仁benevolence, 义loyalty, 礼etiquette or ritual, 智wisdom, 信trust) into its concept of “五戒Wujie” (不杀生abstinence from taking life, 不偷盗from stealing, 不邪淫from illicit sexual conduct,不妄语from false speech and 不饮酒from intoxicants) and also borrowed a number of Taoist terminologies to translate its own concepts. “(Buddhism) added and incorporated the mainstream of Chinese thoughts at that time.” （许里和，1998）Thus, Buddhism and Chinese indigenous culture(s) became one. It provided an indispensable precondition for itself to enter the Chinese cultural communities and found a host to accept its translation works.