On Lee Tongxuan The "dharma Realm" Thinking

Li Tongxuan, a well-known lay Buddhist in Tang Dynasty, was a scholar in the Flower Adornment Sutra. When the newly-translated version of the sutra (the eighty-volumed Hua-yen) first appeared,the reverent layman, then in seclusion, wrote 40 volumes of works, such as"On the New Version of the Flower Adornment Sutra", to explain the new version of the sutra.In the time of Li Tongxuan, the theories of Hua-yen school was basically complete, many of which, for example the theories of ten xuan doors, four dharma realms, six-phase, had taken shape. Li wrote nothing against these theories, but created his own theories of Hua-yen on his own understanding of the sutra, which goes far beyond theframes of Hua-yen school. This dissertation claims that Li's theories are supposed to unify the complicated concepts and ideas of Hua-yen school around the timeless wisdom, which consists of a consciousness of no past, or future, or present. In the process of practice, the insight of this wisdom is in connection with all the Buddha wisdoms from the beginning to the end. Then this fundamental wisdom shall function throughout all the practices to reach the fundamental Mahayana Buddhism's goal——achieving entire solemn Buddhahood by practicing all the dharma. This goal is in alignment with"the Entry to Dharmadhatu"in Hua-yen thought. So the core of Li's thought of Hua-yen is the thought of Dharmadhatu. His thought contains the theories of Hua-yen school, but his have gone far beyond theirs which are characterized by their tradition of proposition by concept and analysis of speculation. The author thinks Li's thought can be summed up as"the insight of Buddhahood Vehicle".The first chapter explores the theoretical foundation of Li's Dharmadhatu thought, i.e. the elimination of the consciousness of the past, future and present. The difference between the realms of Buddha and sentient beings is whether or not to unify with Dharmadhatu, and the key to the cause of the difference is the consciousness of the past, future and present. With such consciousness, there is the realm of ignorance and worries for sentient beings; without it, there is the solemn and perfect liberated realm of Buddha. That means the realm without such consciousness is just the realm of insight, also the fundamental wisdom of Buddha. In the realm of insight, just constant practice to eradicate the left Vasana will result in Buddhahood.In the second chapter, it is discussed how Li generalizes the theory of the insight of Buddhahood Vehicle from the whole sutra, especially the part entitled"the Entry to Dharmadhatu". In his view, all the solemn realms depicted in the sutra, the 53 Good Mentors and the core of what Vairocana says are the realm of insight attained after the elimination of the consciousness of the past future and present, and all the practices carried out in this realm. The wisdom of insight is the fundamental wisdom of Manjusri, whereas the practice in Buddhahood Vehicle is the million lines of Samantabhadra. The combination of the two will lead to the merger with Dharmadhatu, which is the realm of perfection without the limitation of time and space.In the third chapter, there is a discussion about the theory of insight, which is the core of Li's Hua-yen doctrine as well as the basis of his thought of practice. Without the consciousness of the past future and present, at the time of a single insight thought, a sentient being is being Buddha, and if every thought is full of insight, the sentient being is Buddha. But this theory of insight must be combined with the million line of Samantabhadra. The insight serves as the root and premise of all the solemn realms in the sutra, and therefore is identified with the fundamental wisdom of Manjusri. Thus this insight is different from Wei Neng's insight of Zen. At the end of this chapter, an analysis is given of their similarities and differences.Chapter 4 discusses Li's thought of Buddhahood Vehicle. Li claims that by undergoing the practice of the insight, sentient beings can enter the realm of Buddha's wisdom at the beginning of their practice. The realm of Buddha is not the final result of practice, but it lasts throughout the process of practice. Only if this wisdom is constantly cultivated by the million lines of Samantabhadra, can all the Buddha Dharma can be attained, and the corresponding Buddhahood be achieved. Although it takes only one thought to break away from the consciousness of the past future and present, to put the million lines of Samantabhadra into the practice needs the sustainability of that thought. Only in this way can the realm of wisdom acquired by practice fill the Dharmadhatu, and attain all the Dharma. In the light of this, the wisdom of insight needs to undergo boundless practice before developing into immeasurably solemn and perfect Buddhahood realm depicted in the sutra. Although Dharmadhatu presents itself in the one thought of insight, it also is present in the boundless practice. Therefore, one is all and all is one; a fulfillment for one is a fulfillment for all, and destruction for one is destruction for all.In Conclusion and Supplement, a summery is made of Li's theory of insight of Buddhahood realm, together with its characteristics and contributions.