A Study On Jing-Tu Literature And Compilation In Qing Period

The author of this thesis discovered JinTuFa had been the major method of common practice of contemporary Buddhism, through investigation and inspiration from current Internet resources.The ordinances, styles, and content of JinTuFa, were successors of the theoretical system of JinTu Denomination in Qing dynasty. Thus, studies and compilations of the biblical works of the Sukhavati denomination had a significant importance in the understanding of the religious practices of the contemporary Buddhists.This thesis applied a research methodology of NeiWaiJieHeFa, though literary research, analyses from thirty to fifty significant texts, the development lineage was reorganized, revealing the development sequences of bibliographies of Sukhavati denomination in Qing Period, proposing The theory of Three Periods and Four Categories.Three Periods refers to The Preceding Period (also known as The Boom Period), Middle Period (also known as Stagnated Period), Late Period (also known as Recurrence Period), are the three divisions of characteristic periods in Qing dynasty. Four Categories refers to TaiJin, XianJin, ZenJin, BenYuanJin, the four different categories of compilations of Sukhavati denomination.Based on actual evidence from large quantities of research materials, a conclusion has been arrived at as follows: All three periods of the Qing Dynasty: The Preceding Period, Middle Period, and The Late Period, feature unique characteristics. The Preceding Period was the prominent reign for the usage of TaiJin, followed by usages of ZenJin and XianJin. The Middle Period was the period of stagnation, despite a slight development in the compilations of ZenJin and XianJin. The Late period was a restoration period for the compilations of BenYuanJin, a reintroduction from long years of silence.This Thesis comprises three major sections: an introduction, the main text, and a review text.The introduction will discuss the reasons behind the choice of research topic, the research methodology, the value of the research its results.The current research topic was chosen based on an integration of fieldwork (primary data sources) and research materials (secondary sources). As such, a research methodology of integrating the external fieldwork and internal literature records was adopted.Innovative research techniques were applied on four main areas, namely, the selection of research topic, a hypothesis, research methodology, and various details in the research progress.The main text comprises six chapters. Chapter One explored two major elements of the proposed new theory: the nuances of The Three Periods and Four Categories.The author suggested that the academic and political viewpoints in the compilations of Sukhavati denomination in Qing Period could be defined and segregated into three periods, that it could be categorized into TaiJin, XianJin, ZenJin, and BenYuanJin these four major categories, and that he would use the above to illustrate the theoretical origin and the historical development of compilations..In Chapter Two, the author used XuZhangJing and historical records of Sukhavati denomination as parallel evidences to provide proof and rationalize his proposed theory.The author also executed a holistic search on all available bibliographies, selecting the common number of volume, authorship, period and, significant of compilation of each biblical record.Arranging XuZangJing chronologically, there would be 14 texts in The Preceding Period, 15 texts in The Middle Period, and 25 texts The Late Period.Through the research executed on these 54 texts, a conclusion could be reached that of Sukhavati denomination in Qing dynasty, TaiJin was the most significant, ZenJin, XianJin were the lesser compilations of the The Preceding Period; ZenJin and XianJin were the significant compilation of the Middle Period, and BenYuanJin was the significant compilation of the Late Period. The second study was conducted based on six principal records of Sukhavati denomination in Qing dynasty, namely, JingTuShengXianLu, JingTuShengXianLuXuBian, JinTuShengXianSanBian, XiFangHuiZhen, and XiuXiWenJianLu, ZhongLianJi; of which numerous religious characters were well documented.To attain an accurate conclusion, the author meticulously analysed the statistical organization of every figure stipulated in the above historical records, holistically analyzing a total of 208 Sukhavati denomination personages, of which 51 were categorized under The Preceding Period, 104 under The Middle Period, and 53 under The Late Period.Though analysis and studies on these 208 personages, the conclusion was consistent with the study outcome of XuZhangJing.The mutually supporting conclusions has thus proven and established the theory proposed by the author, The Theory of Three Periods and Four Categories.Chapter Three researched on bibliographies of Sukhavati school in the early Qing period. ZhiXu, XingChe and ShengAn, was the significant figures of TianTai approach in this period. They authored literatures inclined to the thought of TianTai approach. In which lingfengZongLun, AMiTouJingYaoJie, was the representive work of ZhiXu.JingTuJingYu was the representive work of XingChe. ShengAnFaShiYuLu was the representive work of ShengAn. This thesis investigated the content, stylistic layout, origin and development, edition and bibliology of these literatures.There were five bibliographies inclined to the XianShou Approach and Zen Approach in this period, AMiTuoJingRueZhu, JingTuChenZhong, XiGuiZhiZhi, JingTuQuanShu, XuJingTuShengWuShengLun. The conditions of their content and stylistic layout of these five bibliographies, were the core points expounded in this chapter.Chapter Four adopted JingTuShiYao, a bibliography inclined to TianTai Approach in the early Qing Period as the focal point in the investigation.Within ShiYao, the first Yao was FoShuoAMiTuoJingYaoJie, the second was GuanWuLiangShouFoJingZhuXinSanMeiMen, third was WangShengJingTuChanYuanYi and WangShengJingTuJueYiXingYuanErMen, the forth was JingTuShiYiLun, the fifth was NianFoSanMeiBaoWangLun, the sixth was JjingTuHuoWen, the seventh was XiZaiJingTuShi, the eighth was BaoWangSanMeiNianFoZhiZhi, the ninth was JingTuShengWuShengLun, and the tenth was XiFangHeLun. Except as the sixth, seventh and tenth, the remainders were all possessed with the characteristic of TianTai Approach. This chapter scutinised the contents, stylistic layouts, viewpoints and values of each Yao.Chapter Five investigated mainly on the characteristics of bibliographies of Sukhavati school in the mid-Qing period. PengShaoSheng and CheWu were the representive figures in this period.Chapter Six researched on the literature and compilation of Sukhavati School in the late Qing Period. The significant character of this period was a restoration of such literature presented a dence colouration of a thought of BenYuan School.In Tang Dynasty, the works of ShanDao and ShaoKangYi emphasized on salvage from external power, involving a character of Amitabuddha Appoarch in Sukhavati School, but it was vanished as soon as the appearance of ZhiMing, and ZenJing Approach arised. Amitabuddha Appoarch did not caused any major influence.Bibliographies categorized under the Amitabuddha Appoarch in Sukhavati School entering into MingGuo Period, such as YinGuangFaShiWenChao and LianZongBiDu, earmarked a new bench of historical development.In the Review Text, three values of the proposed theory had undergone and expounded, suggested The Theory of Three Periods and Four Categories manifesting compilations of Sukhavati denomination in Qing Period expressed individual characteristics in difference periods, proclaiming Sukhavati was a denomination of thought integrating both theory and practice, thereby inspiring the academic circles should view dialectically the Sukhavatil whether was it an independent religious denomination.