The Bodhisattva Ideal in Selected Buddhist
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i THE BODHISATTVA IDEAL IN SELECTED BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES (ITS THEORETICAL & PRACTICAL EVOLUTION) YUAN Cl Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Oriental and African Studies University of London 2004 ProQuest Number: 10672873 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10672873 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Abstract This thesis consists of seven chapters. It is designed to survey and analyse the teachings of the Bodhisattva ideal and its gradual development in selected Buddhist scriptures. The main issues relate to the evolution of the teachings of the Bodhisattva ideal. The Bodhisattva doctrine and practice are examined in six major stages. These stages correspond to the scholarly periodisation of Buddhist thought in India, namely (1) the Bodhisattva’s qualities and career in the early scriptures, (2) the debates concerning the Bodhisattva in the early schools, (3) the early Mahayana portrayal of the Bodhisattva and the acceptance of the six perfections, (4) the Bodhisattva doctrine in the earlier prajhaparamita-siltras\ (5) the Bodhisattva practices in the later prajnaparamita texts, and (6) the evolution of the six perfections (paramita) in a wide range of Mahayana texts. Chapter seven analyses the developed theories of three perfections: slla, dhyana and prajna. The debate on the Bodhisattva ideal which occurred in the second century is also examined in each chapter. During the formation of the Bodhisattva practices, two systems of perfections (paramitas) arose in Buddhist scriptures and history. In all probability, the system of six perfections was formed before that of ten perfections, and became more diffused in Mahayana scriptures. The Bodhisattva ideal evolved for different reasons, but chiefly in response to religious tendencies, demands, and necessities of the cultures and historical periods in which the Bodhisattva ideal flourished. The Bodhisattva’s wisdom and compassion as ideology and method in generating the benefit of sentient beings, arguably constitute the basis of Bodhisattva philosophy and practice. The scriptures selected for investigation not only present diversified teachings and features of the Bodhisattva ideal, but result in a systematic model that improves our understanding of their evolution. Table of Contents A bstract ............................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... v Abbreviations ................................................................................................................vi Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: The Bodhisattva Doctrine And Career In Early Scriptures ..............4 A. The bodhisatta concept in Pali scriptures .........................................................................4 Al.The qualities of the bodhisatta in the Jatakas .............................................................. 5 A 2. The Jatakas illustrated on the Bharhut Stupa ............................................................9 A 3. The bodhisatta concept in the Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka ...............................14 B. Bodhisattva bhuniis in the Mahavastu .......................................................................... 27 C. Assessments ..................................................................................................................40 Chapter Two: The Bodhisattva Concept In The Early Buddhist Schools .............44 A. The definition and emergence of the term bodhisattva .............................................. 44 B. The Jatakas according to the Sarvastivada .................................................................48 C. The career and stage of the bodhisattva .....................................................................54 D. The bodhisattva’s conduct: the paramitas ..................................................................60 E. The identifications of the bodhisattva ........................................................................63 F. The bodhisattva’s career and rank..............................................................................65 G. Assessment of the bodhisattva concept and career in the early sources .....................69 Chapter Three: The Bodhisattva In Selected Early Mahayana Texts .....................72 A. The Satparamitasamgraha-sutra and the bodhisattva practices .................................. 73 B. The Dao-zhi-da-jing and the Sarvakarajnana-carya-sutra on the importance of prajna ..............................................................................................................................76 C. The San-pln-jing (Triskandhasutra) and the bodhisattva practices ............... 79 D. The bodhisattva concept in the Buddhavadana-sutras ............................................... 87 E. An assessment of the bodhisattva concept in early Mahayana texts .......................... 92 Chapter Four: The Bodhisattva Doctrine In The Early Prajnaparamitasuti'as 95 A. Translation data and the date .................................................................................... 95 B. The original prajnaparamitaparyaya .............................................. 101 C. Samadhi in the early Prajnaparamita texts ............................................................... 108 Assessments ............................................................................ 112 Chapter Five: The Bodhisattva Doctrine In The Prajnaparamita-sutras ............. 114 A. The Minor Class of the Prajnaparamita-sutras ......................................................... 114 B. Analogies as pedagogic tools ...................................................................................117 iv C. The bodhisattva ideal in later developments of the Minor Class of Prajnaparamita- sutras............................................................................................................................119 D. Types of bodhisattvas .............................................................................................. 131 E. The bodhisattva in the supplements to the Minor Class and other Classes ............... 138 Chapter Six: The Paramitas .......................................................................................... 144 A. The system of six paramitas in the Agamas ................................................................ 144 B. The system of six perfections in Mahayana texts ........................................................ 151 B. 1. The views on the six perfections ...........................................................................151 B.2. The Six Paramitas ................................................................................................. 157 B.2.1. The perfection of generosity ..............................................................................157 B.2.2. The perfection of morality ..................................................................................161 B.2.3. The perfection of patience ..................................................................................165 B.2.4. The perfection of energy ......................................................................168 B.2.5. The perfection of meditation ................. 171 B.2.6. The perfection of wisdom ..................................................................................176 C. The system of the ten paramitas ...................................................................................183 D. Assessment of the evolution of the six perfections ...................................................... 188 Chapter Seven: The Developed Theories of Dhyana and Prajna Paramitas ...........................................................................................................................195 A. Developments in the theory of the sllaparamita .......................................................... 195 A .l. The threefold group of morality (trividhaSlla) ...................................................199 A.2. Circumstances for committing offences ...............................................................202 A.3. Developments of the sllaparamita.........................................................................205 A.4. Conviction and the serious breaches of discipline for a bodhisattva .....................206 A. 5. Regulations for disclosing faults... .......................................................................207 A. 6. The criteria forjudging minor and major offences .............................................. 208 B. The developments in the theory of the dhyanaparamita .............................................. 209 B.l. Samadhi in the Mahayana ...................................................................................