Post on 01-Jan-2016
description
Chinese Buddhism中国佛教
温海明 Prof. WEN Haiming
Associate Professor, School of Philosophy
Renmin University of China 中国人民大学哲学院副教授
Ph.D. University of Hawaii夏威夷大学哲学博士
23/4/20Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin
University of China1
History of Chinese Buddhism
Took place in first half of the 1st Century CE
1st, 2nd Centuries: considered occultism Daoist story of Buddha as Laozi’s disciple Designed to imply sutras were foreign
variant of the Daodejing Originally interpreted by analogy 5th Century: analogy abandoned,
terminological similarity used synthesized Buddhism and Daoism
General Buddhist Concepts Several schools (Hinayana, Mahayana,
etc) but agree on basics The theory of karma
Thoughts and deeds have effects on the Samsara, or Wheel of Birth and Death
Sufferings are rooted in ignorance of true nature of things (Avidya, Wu-ming)
Hope lies with Enlightenment, or Bodhi, and emancipation from rebirth cycle, Nirvana
Mahayana School on Universal Mind
Mahayana school believed in ‘universal mind’
Nirvana means individuals’ identification with the universal mind
AKA the ‘Buddha-nature’ School of the Middle Path described
Nirvana differently
School of the Middle Path on Theory of ‘Double Truth’
“Double truth” means common sense and higher sense truth
Three levels of double truth (you=being, wu=non-being) Saying things are you is common sense,
saying they are wu is higher truth Saying things are both is common sense,
saying they are neither is higher Saying they are neither is common sense,
saying they are neither you nor wu, neither not-you nor not-wu, and the middle path is neither one-sided nor not one-sided is higher
End Results - Zhuangzi
School of the Middle Path, all things must be denied, for they are unreal
When all is denied, including the denial of the denial of all, one is enlightened
Similar like Zhuangzi’s “Sitting in forgetfulness”
A state of nirvana ?
Seng Zhao
Great Middle Path thinker Kumārajīva - Indian, born in what is
now Chinese Turkistan Seng Zhao: Things are in constant
flux A thing of one moment is an entirely
new thing The story of Fan Zhi
Dao-sheng A monk so learned rocks nodded in
agreement “A good deed entails no retribution” Following wu-wei=having no cravings, Karma is due to cravings, therefore no retribution Buddhahood by Sudden Enlightenment Everyone has the Buddha-nature
Realizing this through learning, practice frees you
There is no ‘Pure Land’ – Buddha is here already
Icchantika can achieve Buddhahood
Chan or Zen Buddhism
Dao-sheng and Seng Zhao had laid philosophical groundwork for Chan Buddhism
Northern-Southern school split Hui-neng succeeded Hong-ren as
patriarch Writing the best poem summarizing
Chan Buddhism
Teaching of the First Principle
“First Principle” (same as ‘double truth-3rd level’)
Unspeakable and unnamable Asking about the First Principle
elicited no response, hitting, irrelevant answers
No scriptures or sutras have real connection to the First Principle
Cultivation Best way to cultivate is to not cultivate To cultivate oneself is to have effort, or you-wei Do things without effort or purposefulness Act without effects and Karma will be exhausted Don’t worry about institutionalized religion Original ignorance and naturalness are gifts of
nature knowledge of un-knowledge and cultivation
through non-cultivation are products of spirit Sudden Enlightenment is result of non-
cultivation
Attainment of Non-Attainment
Nothing further than Enlightenment The mountain is the mountain, the
river is the river The story of riding the ass
1323/4/20Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin
University of China