| In the history of Chinese Buddhism, a number of scholars established their unique ideological systems by interpreting Buddhist scriptures, and Zong-mi is one of the representatives. He has been traditionally honored as the fifth "patriarch" in both the Hua-yan scholastic tradition and the He-ze line of Southern Chan School. Hence he affiliated with Hua-yan and Chan, two Buddhist traditions which were prominently of Chinese characteristics. Zong-mi was a prolific author and his commentaries on Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment were his key works. He has always reflected on and experienced the teaching of Hua-yan and Chan, and eventually found a perfect access in Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. He spent a lot of effort to interpret Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment painstakingly and systematically, and wrote seven commentary works, of which yuan-jue-jing-da-shu (A Complete Commentary on Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment) is the fundamental and representative one. In da-shu, Zong-mi established his Buddhist ideological system, and combined his own experience on Chan and Hua-yan with his thinking on the relationship between the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment and Hua-yan (avatamsaka) Sutra and the Awakening of Faith in Mahdydna. This present thesis analyzes how Zong-mi elaborated his thoughts by interpreting Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment on the basis of da-shu.With the point of modern hermeneutics, this dissertation focused on three aspects as follow:the reason he chose Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment to interpret, and the theoretical basis of his hermeneutical thought, and the features of his interpretation method and philosophical connotations.The FOREWORD introduces the significance and status of the research, the main contents of the dissertation. In academia, studies about the examination and interpretation of Chinese Buddhist are quite few, and hermeneutical perspective will conduce to grasping Zong-mi’s Buddhist thought from the thread of the text.The SECOND Chapter retells the story of the development of Zong-mi’s thought, and outlines the whole process of learning and thinking of Zong-mi around Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. Then it discusses the reason why Zong-mi interpreted Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment instead of Hua-yan Sutra, and finds out zhi-ti-tou-ji (reveal the nature and adapt to the capacity of beings) is the reason why Zong-mi chose Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment to interpret.The THIRD AND FOURTH Chapter discusses Zong-mi’s thoughts of the essence of teachings and the classifying the teachings. These thoughts provide important theoretic foundation to interpretation. The essence of teachings refers to the form of carrying the teachings, while the classifying the teachings the specific contents. Zong-mi’s thought of the essence of teachings inherited the thought from the former generation, but also made a difference. His thought of the essence of teachings had profound hermeneutics implications while interpreting Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. From voices or words to Unimpeded Samadhi, the essence of teachings contributes to creative interpretation of Sutra. Zong-mi’s thoughts of the classifying the teachings was consistent with earlier generations. On the one hand, Zong-mi carried forward Fa-zang’s five teachings classification in his commentary, on the other hand, he reformed creatively the five teachings classification teaching in his du-xu (Chan Preface) and yuan-ren-lun (Inquiry into the Origin of Man) on the basis of chan-jiao-yi-zhi (Synthesis of Practice and Teaching). The significance of Zong-mi’s classification of teachings is yuan-jiao (Perfect Teaching) of four teachings from a perspective of inheritance, and also is chan-jiao-yi-zhi of three teachings, zhong (advanced), dun (sudden), yuan (prefect).The FIFTH Chapter discusses the interpreting methods in Zong-mi’s da-shu from two aspects, that is ke-pan (sectioning) system and the statement parsing. These methods are common in Buddhist interpretation. In Zong-mi’s view, every word contains Buddhist teaching, every clause adapts to the capacity of beings. Hence, Zong-mi made detailed commentaries on almost every word and every clause of Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, and even questioned several translation of the Sutra.The SIXTH Chapter mainly elaborates how Zong-mi established his own Buddhist thought system by interpreting Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. He considered this Sutra the best of all on the perspective of zhi-ti-tou-ji, and constructed his theoretical system of Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment in these two ways in his da-shu. Zong-mi stood on a higher altitude to recreate the sutra with the pattern’two doors towards one mind’of Awakening of Faith in Mahdydna, to compensate for lacking of attention for dun-wu-chu-ji (novice for the sudden enlightenment) in Hua-yan Sutra. Zong-mi made the mind communicate with the Dharmadhatus, and thus the meditation in Hua-yan Sutra and the consciousness in Chan practice can communicate with each other effectively. Zong-mi categorized the practice of dun-jian (sudden and gradual) and wu-xiu (enlightenment and cultivation), and considered Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment as the scripture embodied the practice of enlightenment in understanding followed by gradual cultivation, and showed the superiority of Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment on the perspective of zhi-ti-tou-ji.The SEVENTH Chapter reveals Zong-mi’s combining Hua-yan with Chan is a pioneer to the integration of Hua-yan and Chan later ages by elaborating the influence of Zong-mi’s interpretation on later ages, and Fa-yan school’s absorption and application of the thoughts of Hua-yan school.The EIGHTTH Chapter elaborates several aspects of Zong-mi’s hermeneutics thoughts in his da-shu. |
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