| Summary: | 碩士 === 雲林科技大學 === 漢學資料整理研究所碩士班 === 97 === At the end of the Qing (Ching) Dynasty, the Ch’an Meditation and the chanting of Buddhism scriptures had become the prevailing forms of the Chinese Buddhism, which has been viewed as advocating forest practice and upholding death and the afterlife. In 1918, Master Hong-yi, a famous master in art, began a new chapter in his life by choosing to be a monk at the age of thirty-nine. In the era of political uncertainty, Master Hong-yi formerly devoted himself engaging in political affairs; however, the main reason that caused the aspiring elite to begin a holistic life dedicated to propagating Buddhism at the golden age of his life had remained unknown. What ultimate goal did Master Hong-yi actually pursue? Was the primary access to the Western Pure Land fulfilled by the precepts of the Si Fen Lv (四分戒律) or through the chanting of Buddhism scriptures in terms of practicing Buddhism? Will the concept held by Master Hong-yi cause any conflict with the general viewpoints of the Pure-land practitioners?
From the perspectives of Buddhism developing history, the Buddha Recitation Method mainly aiming at the final goal of Rebirth into the Pure Land has been viewed as the so-called “Buddhism seeking for death”, a kind of vulgar religious belief. Consequently, the event that Master Hong-yi embarked on a religious life had stirred up a huge controversy in the society. For all his life, Master Hong-yi had not only devoted himself to help spread the Buddha Recitation Method (稱名念佛), but had also pursued spiritual cultivation and thoroughly well disciplined himself under the strict precepts. Almost a ninety percentage of his Buddhism masterpieces were about interpreting the sutra of the Vinaya-discipline. Master Hong-yi was well reputed as the founder of Nan Shan Lu (南山律) and had even been called as the eleventh patriarch of the Vinaya-discipline (律宗) thanks to his mastering the sutra of Vinaya-discipline and his great contribution in promoting it.
Did strictly observing the precepts and keeping the commandments to practice Buddhism lead the way to the Western Pure Land? Master Hong-yi aimed at upholding the dignity of the precepts in the whole society different from the common pure-land practitioners, such as Master Yin-guang (印光大師) advocating “chanting the Buddhism scriptures” (老實念佛). Master Yin-guang held the Buddha Recitation Method (稱名念佛) in high esteem and did not view the practicing on the precepts as a particular access to the pure land. While having great admiration for Master Yin-guang, Master Hong-yi did not completely follow his doctrine of focusing on chanting the Buddhism scriptures. On the contrary, Mater Hong-yi spent a lot of time and made a great of efforts on keeping the commandments and enhancing the Vinaya-discipline, and viewed the whole process as the first step toward the Western Pure Land. On one hand, Master Hony-yi highly praised the Buddha Recitation Method; on the other hand, he kept on interpreting and promoting the sutras of the Vinaya-discipline. Was there any masterpiece that supported Master Hong-yi’s points of view? What was the relationship between practicing the Vinaya-discipline and the Buddha Recitation? Was it a conflict or harmony?
With the expectation on answering the aforementioned questions, this study aimed at offering new perspectives and better understanding on practicing the Vinaya-discipline and the Buddha Recitation Method of the pure-land sect, and at clarifying Master Hong-yi’s choice-making or integration between the two practicing methods through the method of Hermeneutics. The main materials of this study included the masterpieces of Hong-yi, the lectures of Hong-yi and the sutras of the pure-land sect. Hopefully, this study can also contribute to offering different breakthrough point and thoughts on Pure Land Buddhism research.
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