Treading a New Course: Coalescence of the Saddharmapundar?ka and the Praj??paramit? in Sengrui's "Preface to the Small Version of Praj??paramit?"
Resource
臺大歷史學報, 23, 157-198
Journal
臺大歷史學報
Journal Issue
23
Pages
157-198
Date Issued
1999-06
Date
1999-06
Author(s)
Chou, P.K.
Abstract
By deciphering Sengrui's "Preface to the Small Version of Praj??paramit?," this paper presents a departure point where the Buddhist development in China differed from its counterpart in India. In the beginning of the fifth century, Chinese Buddhism was dominated by two modes of interpretation of the Praj??paramit?: native concept-matching (geyi) and Indian Sarv?stivad?. Kum?raj?va diverted the interpretation to the Madhy?mika philosophical discourse by introducing four Madhy?mika ??stras and retranslating many Mah?y?na s?tras (including Saddharmapundar?ka and two versions of Praj??paramit?). To antagonize concept-matching and Sarv?sitv?din Buddhist thoughts, while avoiding the nihilist aftermath of Madhy?mika, Kum?raj?va brought up the doctrine of ekay?na and argued that it underlay in both the Praj??iparamit? and the Saddharmapundar?ka. With the doctrine of ekay?na, Kum?rajiva demonstrated the Buddha's wisdom and compassion as a unity represented in the Praj??paramit? and the Saddharmapundar?ka and asserted that the coalescence of these two scriptures was the full unfolding of Mah?y?na Buddhism. Such an argument, noted in Sengrui's Preface, was never seen in Indian Madhy?mika Buddhism, but it since became the foundation of the subsequent Buddhist development in China.
Subjects
僧叡
鳩摩羅什
般若
法華
大品
小品
大智度論
格義
一切有部
中觀佛教
Saddharmapundar?ka
Praj??paramit?
Kum?raj?va
Sengrui
Madhy?mika
Mah?praj??paramirode?a
concept-matching
Sarv?stiv?da
Type
journal article