Studies on “Essence of Amitabha Buddha Sutra”, the Writing of Ouyi Zhixu

• Main Authors: Pei-Hung Yu, 余沛翃
• Other Authors: Chien-Huang Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/04875174137883890006

碩士 === 國立屏東教育大學 === 中國語文學系 === 99 === Master Ouyi Zhixu(1599-1655) wrote “Essence of Amitabha Buddha Sutra” at 49 years old, and he was knowledgeable about Confucian, Dharmalak．ana Buddhism, Vinaya-discipline, Zen Sect, Tiantai Sect, Jingtu Sect. His syncretic thoughts unfolded in “Essence of Amitabha Buddha Sutra”. In “Essence of Amitabha Buddha Sutra”, he not only elaborates the substance of Jingtu Sect, but criticizes the underestimation of Jingtu and comments that retaining Buddha in mind of Zen meditation is necessary or not. He also explains four kinds of pure land, defines the One Mind at the phenomenal level and the One Mind at the level of inner truth, and elaborates the specific contents about faith, vow and practice. At first, faith, vow and practice are all indispensable, so practitioners must have these to reborn in the pure land. Zhixu classifies faith into six categories: believe in yourself and others; believe cause and effect; believe the phenomenal level and the level of inner truth. ‘Vow’ contains two types: one is tired of the Saha land; the other is attracted toward the pure land. If people don’t want to vow, they won’t be saved. Besides, vow is the most important of the three merits. With the vow, faith will be able to firm; with the vow, practice will have a target. ‘Practice’ means reciting the Buddha-name, and Zhixu thinks it’s the most immediate and reliable manner among many reborn methods to the pure land. Reciting the Buddha-name has ‘many good roots, meritorious virtues and causal connection’ characteristics, and its target is one-minded and undisturbed. Then, there are differences between reciting the Buddha-name at the phenomenal level and reciting the Buddha-name at the level of inner truth. In mind, there are differences between the One Mind at the phenomenal level and the One Mind at the level of inner truth. The second, Zhixu adopted Zhiyi’s classification about pure lands, he thought Amitabha’s Western Pure Land has four parts: the Pure Land Where Saints and Ordinary Beings Dwell Together, the Pure Land of Expedient Liberation, the Pure Land of Real Reward, the Pure Land of Eternally Quiescent Light. He praises the pure Land Where Saints and Ordinary Beings Dwell Together, because he thinks it’s the most excellent one. The main reason is that the practitioner can depend on Amitabha’s vow to reborn in the Pure Land Where Saints and Ordinary Beings Dwell Together without purging delusions of views and thoughts, and finally reach the other three pure lands. The last, retaining Buddha in mind of Zen meditation was popular in latter Ming dynasty, Master Wunchi Chuhung (1535-1615) through three parts to make Zen belong to Jingtu by retaining Buddha in mind of Zen meditation: First, retaining Buddha in mind of Zen meditation is one way of Jingtu practices. Second, meditation and retain Buddha in mind have no discrimination between good and bad. Third, meditation doesn’t prevent from retaining Buddha in mind. Zhixu wants through three parts to removed from Jingtu to Zen：First, reciting the Buddha-name already has ‘many good roots, meritorious virtues and causal connection’, so retainer doesn’t need to meditate anymore. Second, retaining Buddha in mind of Zen meditation is easy to be confused with Zen Sect, so it’s not suitable as Jingtu right practice. Third, retaining Buddha in mind of Zen meditation is redundant.