DOCSLIB.ORG

A Preliminary Study on the Buddhist Thought of Huisi, the Tiantai School Pioneer: Questions Regarding Early Tiantai Thought

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Preliminary Study on the Buddhist Thought of Huisi, the Tiantai School Pioneer: Questions Regarding Early Tiantai Thought CHAPTER 6 A Preliminary Study on the Buddhist Thought of Huisi, the Tiantai School Pioneer: Questions regarding Early Tiantai Thought Zhang Fenglei 張風雷 Nāgājuna (c. 150–250 AD), the founder of the Madhyamaka school in ancient India, was esteemed as the first patriarch of the Tiantai School in Chinese Buddhism. The second patriarch is Master Huiwen 慧文1 of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the third is Master Huisi 慧思 (515–577 AD). However, in reality founder of the Taintai school was Master Zhiyi 智顗 (538–598 AD).2 Zhang’an Guanding 章安灌頂 (561–632 AD), a student of Zhiyi, was to first to propose the lineage of the early Tiantai School in the “Origins” section of Mohe zhiguan 摩訶止觀.3 Such a viewpoint was further consolidated and strengthened by later generations. Through the formation of a lineage, espe­ cially the one that regarded Nāgājuna as the initial founder, it was Guanding’s intention to establish the orthodoxy of the Tiantai School rather than describe 1 Huiwen’s last name was Gao 高 before he became a Buddhist. His dates are unclear. Accord­ ing to the Biography of Huiwen in the fascicle 6 of Fozu tongji 佛祖統紀 by Zhipan 志磐 in the Southern Song Dynasty, he was active during the reigns of Emperor Xiaojing 孝靜 of the Eastern Wei Dynasty and Emperor Wenxuan 文宣 of the Northern Qi Dynasty (534–559 AD) See details in T 49: 178. 2 Previously Zhiyi’s dates were thought to be 538–597 AD However, according to Chen Yuan’s 陳垣 Ershi shi shuorun biao 二十史朔閏表, Yang Zengwen 楊曾文 argued that the date of Zhiyi’s death was 24th day of the eleventh month of the 17th year of Kaihuang era during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, that is, 598 AD See Yang Zengwen, “Guanyü zhon­ gri Tiantaizong de jige wenti” 關於中日天臺宗的幾個問題 (Questions about the Tiantai School in China and Japan), Dongnan wenhua 東南文化 (Southeast Culture), 1994 (2): 78. However, it is problematic that Yang inferred that Zhiyi was born in 539 AD given that he lived till the age of sixty. It is clear that sixty years before the 17th year of Kaihuang era of the Sui Emperor Wen is the 4th year of Datong era of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty (538). Thus, Yang is wrong to infer the birth Zhiyi as 598 minus 60 equal 539. For further research, see Zhang Fenglei, “Zhizhe dashi de shishou yü shengnian” 智者大師的世壽與生年 (The lifetime and the birth year of Master Zhiyi), Zhengfa yanjiu 正法研究 (The Study of the True Dharma), vol. 1, published by the Mount Putuo Institute for the Study of Buddhist Culture 普陀山佛教文化研究所, pp. 152–154. 3 Mohe zhiguan 1a, T 46: 1. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���5 | doi ��.��63/97890474�797�_008 Questions Regarding Early Tiantai Thought 107 the actual situation of historical development. In fact, it is impossible that Huiwen in the era of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi Dynasty could have suc­ ceeded Nāgājuna. Even in the early historical materials of the Tiantai School, the successional relationship between Huiwen and Huisi is unclear.4 However, it is generally acknowledged in the Buddhist historical materials that Zhiyi succeeded Huisi. Huishi of Nanyue no doubt played the most important role among the pioneers of Tiantai thought before Zhiyi. According to Buddhist history,5 Huisi was surnamed Li before he became a monk. He was born on 11th day, eleventh month, 515 AD in Wujin county, Ruyang prefecture, Nanyu (today located east of Shangcai county, Henan province). He became a monk when he was fifteen years old. Later, he travelled around the area of Yanzhou (now in Hao county, Anhui province), and Xinzhou (now Huaiyang, Henan province). He studied medication and Mahāyāna Buddhism with different masters. He determined to go south because several monks tried to poison him. He arrived at Yingzhou (now Xinyang, Henan province)6 in 553 AD He was invited to lecture on Mahāyāna by the governor of Yingzhou and 4 In the first section of the Mohe zhiguan, Guanding simply states “the Nanyue school inher­ ited from Master Huiwen” (T 46: 1). Daoxuan 道宣 said that Huisi “turned to Huiwen for Dharma and inherited the orthodox” in the biography of Huisi, fascicle 17 of Xu gaoseng zhuan 續高僧傳. He also mentioned that after Huisi learned the “Lotus Samādhi,” he “went to see Master Jian 鑒, Zui 最 and others, and expressed what he understood. They were all delighted to hear his explication.” (T 50: 562c–563a). In the biography of Zhiyi, Guanding stated that “Huisi followed Master Jiu 就 as well as Master Zui (T 50: 564b). Zhanran 湛然 proposed the so­called “the successive relationship of nine masters” (Ming 明, Zui, Song 嵩, Jiu, Jian, Hui 慧, Wen文, Si 思, Yi 顗) in the first part of fascicle 1, Zhiguan fuxing zhuan hongjue 止觀輔行傳弘決 (T 46: 149a–b). In Nanyue Si dashi lishi yuanwen 南嶽思大師立 誓願文, which is said to be authored by Huisi himself, Huisi said only roughly that “ he trav­ eled around the territory of Qi to learn Mahāyāna with different Masters” and he “stayed in Henan and studied with different Masters during the ages of twenty to thirty­eight.” (T 46: 787) He did not mention the exact names of these Masters such as Huiwen. Accordingly, although Huisi used to follow Huiwen, the successive relationship was not as simple and close as “in the same strain” as claimed by later generations. 5 The early historical materials referred here include Nanyue Si dashi lishi yuanwen by Huisi; Guanding’s Sui Tiantai zhizhe dashi biezhuan 隋天臺智者大師別傳; “Huisi’s biography” and “Zhiyi’s biography” in Daoxuan’s Xu gaoseng zhuan17, and Zhanran’s Zhiguan fuxing zhuan hongjue 1, the first part. 6 Huiyue 慧嶽 argued that Yingzhou where Huisi had been is modern­day Wuchang county, Hubei province. (Shi Huiyue, 1995, Tiantai jiaoxue shi 天臺教學史, the 6th edition. Taipei: Zhonghua fojiao wenxien bianzhuanshe 中華佛教文獻編撰社, p. 32. This is a misunder­ standing because there were two areas with the same name of Yingzhou in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. While “Yingzhou of the Southern Dynasty” was located in Wuchang .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Distant Mirror. Articulating Indic Ideas in Sixth and Seventh Century
    Index pp. 535–565 in: Chen-kuo Lin / Michael Radich (eds.) A Distant Mirror Articulating Indic Ideas in Sixth and Seventh Century Chinese Buddhism Hamburg Buddhist Studies, 3 Hamburg: Hamburg University Press 2014 Imprint Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (German National Library). The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. The online version is available online for free on the website of Hamburg University Press (open access). The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek stores this online publication on its Archive Server. The Archive Server is part of the deposit system for long-term availability of digital publications. Available open access in the Internet at: Hamburg University Press – http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de Persistent URL: http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/purl/HamburgUP_HBS03_LinRadich URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-3-1467 Archive Server of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek – http://dnb.d-nb.de ISBN 978-3-943423-19-8 (print) ISSN 2190-6769 (print) © 2014 Hamburg University Press, Publishing house of the Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky, Germany Printing house: Elbe-Werkstätten GmbH, Hamburg, Germany http://www.elbe-werkstaetten.de/ Cover design: Julia Wrage, Hamburg Contents Foreword 9 Michael Zimmermann Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 15 Michael Radich and Chen-kuo Lin Chinese Translations of Pratyakṣa 33 Funayama Toru
    [Show full text]
  • Value in Tiantai Thought
    SIX Value and Anti--value in Tiantai Thought The basic principles of Tiantai philosophy-the Three Truths, the mutual inherence of provisional and ultimate truth, omnicentric holism and inter­ subjectivity-provide important premises for Tiantai value theory, specifically the theory of value paradox. In this chapter, I first develop the value implica­ tions of these concepts and then discuss the texts in which Zhiyi and Zhanran explicitly treat the question of evil (Part I). Then, I consider the value theory in Zhili's version of the Tiantai tradition (Part II). This will prepare us to at­ tempt to apply this theory in a summary way to some concrete questions (in the Conclusion). PART I: GOOD AND EVIL IN ZHIYI AND ZHANRAN Value paradox can be derived from the basic Buddhist value of "non­ attachment." This ultimate value necessarily involves a value paradox since at­ tachment to "non-attachment," as any direct and non-paradoxical assertion of its value would entail, turns out to be an anti-value. The same can be said of attachment to the idea expressed in the previous sentence, and so on ad infi­ nitum. As the following discussion shows, the Tiantai tradition is very faithful to this early Buddhist notion, with non-attachment taking the form of an in­ tricate dialectic for overcoming all subtle forms of bias, a dialectic embodied in the Three Truths. This freedom from bias remains the ultimate value for Tiantai, but several other distinctive Tiantai notions combine to develop and Value and Anti-value in Tiantai Thought 241 intensify the value paradoxes inherent in this ultimate value.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Sermons of the Zen Tradition Dr Hisamatsu Shin’Ichi, at Age 87
    Critical Sermons of the Zen Tradition Dr Hisamatsu Shin’ichi, at age 87. Photograph taken by the late Professor Hy¯od¯o Sh¯on¯osuke in 1976, at Dr Hisamatsu’s residence in Gifu. Critical Sermons of the Zen Tradition Hisamatsu’s Talks on Linji translated and edited by Christopher Ives and Tokiwa Gishin © Editorial matter and selection © Christopher Ives and Tokiwa Gishin Chapters 1–22 © Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2002 978-0-333-96271-8 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2002 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibet Insight, 1-15 June 2018
    TIBET INSIGHT, 1-15 JUNE 2018 Page 1 of 21 TAR NEWS TAR Party Secretary visits Kindergarten June 01, 2018 On International Children’s Day on May 31, TAR Party Secretary Wu Yingjie visited a Bilingual kindergarten in Chengguan district of Lhasa. Posters highlighting the contrast between “old and new Tibet” were pasted in the corridors of the school. TAR Party Secretary Wu Yingjie advised the children to understand the trust and loyalty of the Party and to remember Chinese President Xi Jinping's message of safeguarding the motherland's unity. Training Course for Lhasa’s Budget Performance June 05, 2018 A training class for enhancing efficiency in Lhasa’s budget performance began in Lhasa on June 4. Well-known experts were invited, including a Professor from Beijing’s Information Science and Technology University who gave a lecture on financial performance and management. The Training was especially to strengthen the budgetary performance of the Central Party’s special funds. All departments have been mandated to achieve an overall budget performance target of over 300,000 Yuan by end of the fiscal year 2019. The Lhasa Municipal Government has also established a mechanism to assess nine key livelihood policies and major projects in Lhasa. Tibet University Takes Measures to Promote Teachers' Teaching Skills June 05, 2018 Since March 2018, the Tibet University has launched a large number of military training activities for teachers. To oversee the progress of this training, a group comprising “excellent teachers with high moral character, excellent professional skills, and strong educational and teaching abilities” was constituted. According to the arrangement, Tibet University has organized departments to further study the State Council's "Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening the Reform of the Teaching Staff in the New Era", "National Standards for Undergraduate Teaching Quality", "Undergraduate Professional Certification Standards" and "Tibetan College Teacher's Classroom Basic Requirements" etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Yongming Yanshou: Scholastic As Chan Master
    3 Yongming Yanshou : Scholastic as Chan Master Albert Welter Western discourses on Zen, highly infl uenced by the Japanese Rinzai tradition, rarely mention Yongming Yanshou (904–975). Where Yanshou’s name is mentioned, it is often used pejoratively as the antithesis of a “real” Zen master. Given Rinzai’s propensity for idealized Zen masters as convention-defying iconoclasts, this comes as no surprise. Yanshou’s reputation as a scholastic and his renown for syncretism, whether between Zen and Pure Land or between Zen and doctrinal teaching, brand him in the eyes of many as unworthy of the Zen title, prompting some to question whether he even deserves to be included among the ranks of Zen masters. In the history of Zen, Yanshou is usually dismissed as the harbinger of decline, the architect of an impure Zen that modern Zen purists have relegated to a decidedly inferior status. The Zen traditions of China, Korea, and Vietnam, however, tend to look upon Yanshou quite diff erently. Rather than being marginalized, Yanshou emerges in these traditions as a central fi gure through which indig- enous Chan, S o˘ n, and Thi ê n teachings and practices are validated. How does one come to terms with these disparate images of Yanshou? Should he be included as a Zen master? If so, what meaning does this designation carry? Any inclusion of Yanshou among the ranks of Zen masters, as this chapter argues, forces a reevaluation of the very meaning of the term Zen and how it has been commonly (mis)represented in contemporary discourse. An examination of Yanshou’s Zen identity 60 Z EN M ASTERS compels us to rethink the notion of what Zen is, and to come to terms with living Zen traditions that value Yanshou as the founding patriarch of the traditions they represent.
    [Show full text]
  • Gushan: the Formation of a Chan Lineage During the Seventeenth Century and Its Spread to Taiwan
    Gushan: the Formation of a Chan Lineage During the Seventeenth Century and Its Spread to Taiwan Hsuan-Li Wang Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2014 © 2014 Hsuan-Li Wang All rights reserved ABSTRACT Gushan: the Formation of a Chan Lineage During the Seventeenth Century and Its Spread to Taiwan Hsuan-Li Wang Taking Gushan 鼓山 Monastery in Fujian Province as a reference point, this dissertation investigates the formation of the Gushan Chan lineage in Fujian area and its later diffusion process to Taiwan. From the perspective of religion diffusion studies, this dissertation investigates the three stages of this process: 1. the displacement of Caodong 曹洞 Chan center to Fujian in the seventeenth century; 2. Chinese migration bringing Buddhism to Taiwan in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and 3. the expansion diffusion activities of the institutions and masters affiliated with this lineage in Taiwan during the Japanese rule (1895-1945), and the new developments of humanistic Buddhism (renjian fojiao 人間佛教) after 1949. In this spreading process of the Gushan Chan lineage, Taiwanese Buddhism has emerged as the bridge between Chinese and Japanese Buddhism because of its unique historical experiences. It is in the expansion diffusion activities of the Gushan Chan lineage in Taiwan that Taiwanese Buddhism has gradually attained autonomy during the Japanese rule, leading to post-war new developments in contemporary humanistic Buddhism. Table of Contents List of Chart, Maps and Tables iii Acknowledgements iv Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1. Research Motives and Goals 2 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhism in China: a Historical Survey
    B Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey Whalen LAI Buddhism occupies a central place in the history of integration while fully recognizing the emerging find- Chinese thought, as the system that attracted some of ings of Buddhologists. the best minds in the millennium between the Han and Certain paradigms describing the overall cultural the Song (second to twelfth centuries). However, inte- interaction are still in use. People still speak of initial grating Buddhist thought into Chinese philosophy Indianization and subsequent Sinicization; of Buddhist poses some problems, because Buddhists worked from conquest and Chinese transformation; of Indians as a different set of texts and spoke what seems to be a proverbially otherworldly and Chinese as, by inclina- different language. Christianity began as a hellenized tion, down-to-earth. Under scrutiny, such generaliza- biblical faith whose theology combined theos and tions often seem simplistic; but at some macrocosmic logos from the start; by contrast, long before Buddhism level they remain useful heuristic devices, and for cer- found its way into China there was an extensive history tain ends they can even lend overall clarity. The same of reflection by Indians on the Buddhist dharma—so can be said of several periodization schemes. They all that Chinese Buddhists had to think through an inher- depict a rise, growth, and decline of Buddhism—that ited tradition before they could embark on their own is, looking at it from the outside. For adherents of the Sinitic reading. As a result, much of the convoluted faith, and for others who still perceive its vitality, the scholastic detail in Buddhism remains alien to most story is one of seeding, flowering, and continual ten- Chinese.
    [Show full text]
  • Contested Identities in Chan/Zen Buddhism: the “Lost” Fragments of Mazu Daoyi in the Zongjing Lu Albert Welter
    20 Contested Identities in Chan/Zen Buddhism: The “Lost” Fragments of Mazu Daoyi in the Zongjing lu Albert Welter IntroduCtion: Mazu Daoyi and the Hongzhou FaCtion Mazu Daoyi , the founder of the Hongzhou faction is a major figure in the Chinese Chan, Korean Seon and Japanese Zen traditions.i He is especially credited with the unique Chan innovation known as “encounter dialogue.” Encounter dialogues (jiyuan wenda ) constitute one of the unique features of Chan yulu , and served as a defining feature of the Chan movement.ii Until recently, it was commonly assumed that yulu and encounter dialogue were the products of a unique Tang Chan culture, initiated by masters hailing form Chan’s so-called golden age.iii Recent work on the Linji lu exposed how dialogue records attributed to Linji were shaped over time into typical encounter dialogue events that did not reach mature form until the early Song.iv Regarding Mazu, Mario Poceski has shown how his reputation as an i Many of the prevailing assumptions regarding Mazu and the Hongzhou school have been challenged by the work of Mario Poceski, Everyday Mind as the Way: The Hongzhou School and the Growth of Chan Buddhism (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), and Jia Jinhua. The Hongzhou School of Chan Buddhism in Eighth- through Tenth-Century China (Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 2006). ii It is important to note that the term jiyuan wenda to describe the phenomena known in English as “encounter dialogue” is a modern expedient devised by Yanagida Seizan , without precedent in original Chan sources.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA Los Angeles the Poetic Practices Of
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles The Poetic Practices of Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157): Gong’an Commentarial Verses on Old Cases and Verses for Lay Literati A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures by Yu-Chen Tsui 2018 © Copyright by Yu-Chen Tsui 2018 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The Poetic Practices of Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157): Gong’an Commentarial Verses on Old Cases and Verses for Lay Literati by Yu-Chen Tsui Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures University of California, Los Angeles, 2018 Professor Natasha L. Heller, Chair This dissertation examines the textual production and doctrinal import of the gong’an commentarial verses of Hongzhi Zhengjue in the context of Chan literary traditions as well as his usage of secular literature. During the Song period (960–1279) revival of the Caodong lineage, Hongzhi was an influential figure, who promoted Silent Illumination Chan (mozhao chan). Hongzhi was talented in writing in a variety of genres, including verses, portrait poetry, and commentaries on gong’an (public cases). My study examines Hongzhi’s gong’an texts and uses them as a window to understand Chan literary traditions of the Song period. In addition to situating Hongzhi’s gong’an writings within Chan contexts, my dissertation places his gong’an commentarial verses within contemporary secular literary culture. My study considers how Hongzhi participated in mainstream literary culture by engaging in gong’an commentarial verses and poetry for literati. ii My dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 considers the context and Hongzhi’s life.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism by His Holiness the 14Th Dalai Lama
    Dialogue with the 14th Dalai Lama Introduction: On May 1st through the 3rd, 1998, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Venerable Chan Master Sheng-yen presented “ In the Spirit of Manjushri: the Wisdom Teachings of Buddhism”, at the Roseland in New York. Sponsored by Tibet House New York and the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, this event drew some 2,500 people from all Buddhist traditions, as well as scholars of medicine, psychology, education, and comparative religion from around the world. This auspicious was the first time that His Holiness and Venerable Sheng-yen engaged in formal Buddhist discussion. Wisdom was the key topic, and their dialogue ranged from different systems of meditation and the experience of enlightenment to the positive changes that practice can make in our lives. This dialogue celebrates he meeting of two great minds and symbolizes the commonality between all Buddhist paths of awakening. Following is the partial account of this historical dialogue between two leading representatives of Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism today. A Brief Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism By His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama I offer the following concise teachings as a foundation for an understanding of the structure and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. I have nothing to say that has not been said before. Do not look upon these teachings as mere information, but as essential teachings on a path leading to the transformation of your mind. Only then will these teachings be of true benefit. Before Buddhism arrived, the Bon religion was widespread in Tibet. Until recently, Bon study centers still existed in Tibet.
    [Show full text]
  • The Korean Monk Sangwŏl (1911-1974) and the Rise of the Ch’Ŏnt’Ae School of Buddhism by © 2017 Yohong Roh B.A., the University of Findlay, 2014
    New Wine in an Old Bottle: The Korean Monk Sangwŏl (1911-1974) and the Rise of the Ch’ŏnt’ae school of Buddhism By © 2017 Yohong Roh B.A., The University of Findlay, 2014 Submitted to the graduate degree program in Department of Religious Studies and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Chair: Daniel Stevenson Jacquelene Brinton William R. Lindsey Date Defended: 10 July 2017 ii The thesis committee for Yohong Roh certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: New Wine in an Old Bottle: The Korean Monk Sangwŏl (1911-1974) and the Rise of the Ch’ŏnt’ae school of Buddhism Chair: Daniel Stevenson Date Approved: 10 July 2017 iii Abstract The thesis explores the diverse ways in which a new Korean Buddhist movement that calls itself the “Ch’ŏnt’ae Jong (Tiantai school)” has appropriated and deployed traditional patriarchal narratives of the Chinese Tiantai tradition to legitimize claims to succession of its modern founder, the Korean monk Sangwŏl (1922-1974). Sangwŏl began his community as early as 1945; however, at that time his community simply referred to itself as the “teaching of Sangwŏl” or “teaching of Kuinsa,” after the name of his monastery. It was not until the official change of the name to Ch’ŏnt’ae in 1967 that Korean Buddhists found a comprehensive and identifiable socio-historical space for Sangwŏl and his teaching. Key to that transition was not only his adapting the historically prominent name “Ch’ŏnt’ae,” but his retrospective creation of a lineage of Chinese and Korean patriarchs to whom he could trace his succession and the origin of his school.
    [Show full text]
  • The Revival of Tiantai Buddhism in the Late Ming: on the Thought of Youxi Chuandeng 幽溪傳燈 (1554-1628)
    The Revival of Tiantai Buddhism in the Late Ming: On the Thought of Youxi Chuandeng 幽溪傳燈 (1554-1628) Yungfen Ma Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2011 © 2011 Yungfen Ma All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The Revival of Tiantai Buddhism in the Late Ming: On the Thought of Youxi Chuandeng 幽溪傳燈 (1554-1628) Yungfen Ma This dissertation is a study of Youxi Chuandeng’s (1554-1628) transformation of “Buddha-nature includes good and evil,” also known as “inherent evil,” a unique idea representing Tiantai’s nature-inclusion philosophy in Chinese Buddhism. Focused on his major treatise On Nature Including Good and Evil, this research demonstrates how Chuandeng, in his efforts to regenerate Tiantai, incorporated the important intellectual themes of the late Ming, especially those found in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra. In his treatise, Chuandeng systematically presented his ideas on doctrinal classification, the principle of nature-inclusion, and the practice of the Dharma-gate of inherent evil. Redefining Tiantai doctrinal classification, he legitimized the idea of inherent evil to be the highest Buddhist teaching and proved the superiority of Buddhism over Confucianism. Drawing upon the notions of pure mind and the seven elements found in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra, he reinterpreted nature-inclusion and the Dharma-gate of inherent evil emphasizing inherent evil as pure rather than defiled. Conversely, he reinterpreted the Śūraṃgama Sūtra by nature-inclusion. Chuandeng incorporated Confucianism and the Śūraṃgama Sūtra as a response to the dominating thought of his day, this being the particular manner in which previous Tiantai thinkers upheld, defended and spread Tiantai.
    [Show full text]