The Door To The Reality Mark--A Study Of The Viewpoint Of Dazhi Du Lun

Dazhi du lun (the Maha^prajn~a^pa^ramita^-/sa^stra), 100 fascicles, T 1509.25.57c-756b, attributed to Na^ga^rjuna(龙树, translated by Kuma^raji^va (鸠摩罗什) , is a commentary on Dapin borejing (the Maha^prajn~ a^paramita^ -su^tra). It is also a cyclopaedia of early mahayana (great vehicle) Buddhism. The tenet of this book is to make out the "bodhi way", the path to enlightment Based on the concept of "real mark", the true form of all things as they are, the author explicated bodhisattva's deed. The intention of a bodhisattva's cultivation is to get supreme correct enlightenment-Bodhi. "Bodhi" reveals the difference between Mahayana and Hinayana (small vehicle) Buddhism. The latter insists "liberation", not "Bodhi". To gain "bodhi", a bodhisattva must practice prajnaparamita, the perfection of wisdom, then achieve "All-inclusive Wisdom", the wisdom that perceives the distinctions between all individual phenomena, and as a result, demonstrate the "real mark". Dazhi du lun developed the theory of "real mark" which came out from Dapin bore jing, and erected a banner of the "seal of reality-marks".Prajnaparamita is truth. To carry out it, "expedient means" must be exercised. The most remarkable expedient means is of dhyana (meditation) . Dazhi du lun advocates in the power more than ambit of meditation. The meditation here was named as "Bodhisattva meditation", "Real-mark meditation", and "dhyana-paramita". Because prajnaparamita is the soul of meditation. Prajnaparamita dictates the character of the meditation. Dazhi du lun claimes that meditation is the door to realmark, showing that prajnaparamita is the first principle of Buddhism meditation. According to this viewpoint, we can only reckon prajnaparamita view as buddhism meditation, not other normal mediation ways. If one only practice mediation in normal ways, even if he has had the experience of "Four Dhyanas and Eight Samadhis", he is unnecessarily accord with Buddhism.Based itself upon the three prajnaparamita, Dazhi du lun went deep into principles, methods of meditation of Mahayana and hinayana. It analysised the "Four Mindfulnesses", the "Three samadhis", the "eight abandon", the "nine marks of ignorantly activated karma as taught in the awakening of faith", the "one hundred and eight samadhi", etc. It particularly explained the samadhi of buddha-manasikara, because the author cried up it especially. Traditional methods of meditation include anapana, samatha-vipasyana, mindfulness, etc. The way introduced in Dazhi du lun is "to meditation in emptiness". It means to mix "ungraspable emptiness" and any methods of meditation. The most noteworthy meditation way of all is Madhyamika (middle way), which is to to investigate a middle ground between the two extremes of existence or non-existence of things. Seen through the logic of dependent co-arising, all things were seen to be lacking of inherent nature -to be empty. In the period of Bodhisattva Meditation, one sets out from "bodhicitta", maturities in "anutpattika-dharma-ksanti" to realize that all things are beyond birth and decay, and achieves in "the wisdom of accordance thought-moment" when he entering vajra-samadhi. Such way in the Buddhism history has not only well-developed the ambit of meditation, but also maximum enrich its methods.Dazhi du lun has deeply impacted the style and features of Chinese Buddhism meditation. The "real mark meditation" has come into being the mainstream since the book was translated. Every sect has been benefited from it.In short, Dazhi du lun has laid a foundation to Buddhism meditation, and has dominanted its development.