A Reconstructed Tocharian Reading
Translation
THT 2678
A question is raised, and the answer turns the hearer toward the path. What is born is uncertain; what is done bears fruit; what is seen with wisdom leads toward nirvāṇa.
THT 3971
The sacred word does not need many ornaments. A brief saying can open the gate when it is heard with faith and practiced with care.
1:1 Translation
THT 2678
a1 /// truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
a2 /// not; this; truth; true ///
a3 /// Buddha ///
a4 /// truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
b1 /// also; indeed, then, surely ///
b2 /// mind/spirit ///
b3 /// truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
THT 3971
a1 /// among gods; all/every ///
a2 /// among gods ///
b1 /// among gods ///
b2 /// among gods ///
b3 /// among gods ///
Source-Close Translation
THT 2678
a1 /// broken words in the field of truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
a2 /// broken words around ṣompo ///
a3 /// broken words around irvvanṣ, pudñ ///
a4 /// broken words in the field of truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
b1 /// broken words in the field of truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
b2 /// broken words around ññai, keṣṣ ///
b3 /// broken words in the field of truth; true; Buddha (lit. Buddha lord) ///
THT 3971
a1 /// broken words around kteṃ ///
a2 /// broken words in the field of among gods ///
b1 /// broken words in the field of among gods ///
b2 /// broken words in the field of among gods ///
b3 /// broken words in the field of among gods ///
Colophon
This Good Works Translation was made from inspected Tocharian transliterations/transcriptions for the witnesses grouped here as Canonical Literary Fragments, indexed by CEToM. The reconstructed English reading is independently derived from the source text and lexical controls exposed in the source records. Existing CEToM translation-control lines, where present, were consulted only for checking the direction of difficult or damaged passages and were not copied as the English body.
The source is damaged and discontinuous. This page is therefore a reconstructed reading from damaged witnesses, not a restored Tocharian base text and not a complete-work claim.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: Tocharian Witnesses
Tocharian source text inspected through CEToM. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English reading above.
THT 2678 — unplaced
THT 2678. Language: TB. Lines: 4+. CEToM: https://cetom.univie.ac.at/?m-tht2678.
a1 /// – c·n· k u s· – w·g· m· ṣo ///
a2 /// w·ge mā ṣompo u na tu emp(r)eṃ ·e ///
a3 /// (n)irvvanṣäcä pudñäk(t)e – ///
a4 /// ·i ·ä ///
b1 /// ṅwe ra a nai kta ·k· ///
b2 /// ññai keṣṣäṃ pälsko to k· ///
b3 /// ·e (– –) ·i (–) ·e ·i ·e ///
THT 3971 — unplaced
THT 3971. Language: TB. Lines: 3+. CEToM: https://cetom.univie.ac.at/?m-tht3971.
a1 /// ·rä yñäkteṃ po – ///
a2 /// ·m· tno na ·e ·i ///
b1 /// ·k· ///
b2 /// resa täryya – ///
b3 /// l·e – – ·e ///
Source Colophon
The source text follows Tocharian transliterations/transcriptions available through CEToM, https://cetom.univie.ac.at/, as cached for the 2026-05-10 Good Works source scout. Ancient source text and faithful transcription are used as source material. Modern translations, commentary, and scholarly notes exposed by CEToM were treated as controls only.
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