France Respect The Master

As an important assistor of Master Taixu, a figure of major importance in the field of Tibetan language as well as Tibetan Buddhism, Ven. Fazun made great contribution to the development of Buddhism, played an essential role just as Xuanzang, a famous Buddhist dignitary of the Tang Dynasty. He devoted to specializing in Buddhism when he was still a young man and had been in tibet for more than 10 years. Then, he managed Han-Tibetan Academy of Buddhist Studies and Chinese Buddhist Academy for years. He kept translating and writing all the time and left more than 120 works. He had an illustrious reputation because he promoted cultural exchange between Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism and to developed Chinese Buddhism. This paper analyzes his thoughts on epistemology, translation, stages of the path to enlightenment, treatment of the different division of the Buddha's teachings and Hetu-vidya, comes up with a biographical note and the background of his age, and fills the gaps in research on Ven. Fazun.Based comparison on the view of texts analysis, this paper draws the conclusions as follows: seeking out abundant proof and logical reasons for the composition seriously is the character of his historical and materialism epistemology, and an essential tool to the achievement he got in historio-geographical study, translation study and Buddhism study. which reflects his outlook on world,outlook on life,outlook on value,the objective of life. However, the sense comes from his cognition and feeling to reality, philosophical reflection on history and anticipation of the future.This paper points out his inheritance and transcendence of Tsong-kha-pa's thoughts on stages of the path to enlightenment by renunciation, proper faith and bodhicitta, and the difference between he and Tsong-kha-pa on the stages is that he did not believe tantra way is indispensable. In his point of view, who has the bodhisattva ideals and practices is the Mahayana Buddha, which is similar to the thoughts of Master Taixu that who proper do is Buddha. Although he discussed the importance of the three scopes of spiritual practice and three vehicles of learning which includes sila, samadhi and pabba, the sila is most important thing and the Bodhisattva-pratimoksa is the base of stages. There is also difference between he and Zen Buddhist in taking refuge in the triple Gem(Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). After all, he thinks that sila is the base of Buddhism development, and there is dialectic relationship between people and sila, so charitable enthusiasm should be all the way along the stages. This paper also analyze the relationship between the bodhisattva ideals and practices he promoted positively and the views on Action of Bodhisattva of Master Taixu by the research in the practise he preached. Then his thoughts of stages and the realizations and practice in monk-education is also discussed. This paper comes to the conclusion that his deep study of Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism is the base of his judgment of Buddhism, the tolerant and harmonious view of which is reflected by his analysis of four sects of Buddhism. However, he tooks Prasangika-Madhyamika as proper and pervasive knowledge, but also promote d the unification of Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism, manifest and esoteric Buddhism, Madhyamika Prasangika and Madhyamika Svatantrika. Furthermore, he claimed that Buddhism practice should in accordance with the need of social reality and the Buddhism should play to the score too. By the analysis of his Tibetan -Chinese translation works, this paper points out that his translation thought consists of such theories as : amending the original quotation by learning from each other's strong points and benefiting by associating together, respecting the traditions of Buddhism, focusing on literal translation while taking free translation as supplementary, and keeping the literal features of Buddhist scripture documents. Based comparison on the view of texts analysis of the three main kinds of translation works of "Samnathavipasyana Meditation " , one chapter in Lam-rim-chen-po(The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment), this paper draws the conclusion that deliberately avoiding taking the concept "Dhyana" as "zen(chan)" in his Chinese translation, is his cross-cultural strategy in the translation, which obviously avoids the horizontal fusion of the Tibetan and Chinese Buddhisms, sticks to the original text, and reflects his viewpoints of samnathavipasyana meditation. Further studies on his viewpoints of samnathavipasyana meditation are done by the comparison on the view of texts analysis of Lam-rim-chen-po and Moho Zhiguan, which points out the different interpretations of the concept of samnathavipasyana meditation between he and the tranditional Chinese Buddhist, his viewpoints was paying more attention to samadhi inherits Tsong-kha-pa and was practically significant for the adaption at that time when practical reform on Chinese Buddhist were needed. In addition, his thoughts and devotion of Hetu-vidya are also discussed in this paper.He took part in and made contribution to the development of Chinese Buddhism from modem time on and became one of the Buddhist dignitaries. Actually, there are inevitable historical limitations of their thoughts, for which are the products at certain historic era. At the same time, outstanding as he is in the four groups of the Buddha's following(catasso parisa), he had not yet established the new religion system which unified Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism, but devoted to understanding, explanation, translation and promotion of Tibetan Buddhism. Nonetheless, a new ideological system comes from the hardworking over generations and their outlook on life and death and hard struggle brought the prosperous Buddhist studies in nowadays.Finally, the influence on Chinese Buddhism from modem time on of Ven. Fazun is far-reaching, so it is historical valuable to systemize deep research on both his life and thought, for not only the philosophical reflection on Buddhism history but also the practical significance of harmonious society.