| Summary: | 碩士 === 慈濟大學 === 宗教與人文研究所 === 101 === Tathagata-garbha belief is an important doctrine in Chinese Buddhism. However, the validity of the tathagata-garbha belief has been challenged by modern scholars. Criticizing from the perspective of Yogacara, Lu Cheng believed that tathagata-garbha mentioned by the Buddha was actually an expedient expression of the potentiality of the alaya consciousness. In the same vein, Yinshun also believed that the tathagata-garbha belief was an expedient expression for those who feared the idea of non-self. As compared to the Chinese scholars who deemed tathagata-garbha as an expedient measure, Japan’s “Critical Buddhism” scholars believed that tathagata-garbha belief did not come from the Buddha. This paper argues that, by incorporating different interpretations of Yogacara and Madhyamaka, the tathagata-garbha centered theory of harmonization proposed by Zongmi, a great Buddhist master from the mid Tang Dynasty, can resolve disputes from aforementioned scholars.
The second chapter of the paper explores the origin of Zongmi’s tathagata-garbha belief. It was known from his biography that his early years were spent studying Confucianism’s statesmanship. However, his disappointment with the imperial civil examination system made him turn to Buddhism. He was first introduced to the southern Chan school, of which the core teaching was to “manifest the true Buddha nature” by being thoughtless. Practitioners attain enlightenment through “sudden enlightenment,” realizing that the true nature was empty. It gains nothing, and dwells on nothing. However, Chan Buddhism could not offer satisfactory explanations for myriad phenomena of cause and effect, rise and decease. Therefore, Zongmi turned to Huayan school, and later became the fifth patriarch of Huayan school of Buddhism.
The Huayan school of Buddhism explains all the phenomena of the transcendental and secular world with “One True Dharma Realm.” According to this, Zongmi proposed the idea of “Dharma Nature” to include everything, and the idea of tathagata-garbha to explain samsara, and the possibility of attaining Buddhahood. The former was ontology, the later methodology. It was a significant contribution Zongmi made to the Huayan school of Buddhism.
The third chapter discussed the core essence of Zongmi’s “harmonization,” namely the “true nature,” of which the characteristic is eternal, all pervasive, as-such, dependent-arising, and of which the function is transcendental knowledge in practice. However, since all sentient beings do possess tathagata-garbha in the beginning, why did they transmigrate to lower realms? This chapter explains that the primary cause of all the transmigration is tathagata-garbha, while the secondary cause is ignorance which gives rises to vijbana (consciousness.) It is through this framework that this paper establishes Zingmi’s tathagata-garbha belief.z
The fourth chapter discusses how Zongmi harmonize Yogacara and Madhyamaka through his tathagata-garbha idea. He believed that all laksana were illusions originated from enchanted true nature. They were not originated from the true nature itself. Yogacara dealt with all laksana; therefore, in theory, it was called “teachings on laksana.” Yogacara tried to attain enlightenment through laksana with the purpose of guiding practitioners with dull capacity. Therefore, Zingmi called Yogacara as “laksana tantric teachings based on para-tantra-svabhava.” This naming signified his harmonization of Yogacara. As for Madhyamaka, Zongmi believed that it tried to manifest true nature by disillusionment. In Nagarjuna’s idea, prajba possessed two levels of meanings: first, saha-dharma, second, avenika-buddhadharma. Saha-dharma aimed to break away the attachment of all Dharma. Avenika-buddhadharma can only be understood by Bodhisattvas. This was the part where Buddha nature can only be secretly revealed. Therefore, Zongmi called Madhyamaka as “svabhava tantric teachings on laksana disillusionment.” This naming signified Zongmi’s harmonization of Madhyamaka.
The fifth chapter deals with the characteristics of Zongmi’s tathagata-garbha belief, and its contribution to contemporary scholars. First of all, sentient beings’ perception of the world is “unreal.” According to tathagata-garbha belief, loka-dharma is the “maya existence” as projected by sentient beings’ true nature. Lokottara-dharma is the “acintya existence” as perceived by tathagata-garbha.
The idea of “Anatman - tathagata-garbha” in Zongmi’s tathagata-garbha belief can be used to refute the challenge that tathagata-garbha did not come from Buddha. By positioning tathagata-garbha as the core of cessation, and continuing with the transmigration, both Lu Cheng’s and Yishun‘s perspectives in proposing the idea of “tathagata-garbha as an expedient expression” can be elucidated. It can also be explained why Yogacara is laksana tantric teachings based on para-tantra-svabhava, and Madhyamaka as svabhava tantric teachings on laksana disillusionment. For Zongmi, Madhyamaka school, Yogacara school, and tathagata-garbha are all teachings from the Buddha, with the ultimate goal to attain “acintya existence.” Due to different levels of sentient beings, only Buddha can perform such “acintya expediency” from different perspectives of “dharma,” “wunya,” and “true nature.”
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