The Kegon Three Persons Study

The "Three Sages" mentioned in this thesis denotes the combination of Guanyin Buddhisatva at center with Wenshu Boddhisatva and Puxian Boddhisatva on either side. There are abundant proving cases of this combination from not only literary credentials but also Buddhist caves. The religious belief in Three Sages, which can be traced back into a long history as well as its modern populatity, marks a pivotal influence on Chinese Buddhist system. This can be best illustrated by the ensuing dissertation.The birth of this combination is a logical outcome of many factors.Firstly, considering from South and North Dynasties period to Tang Dynasty, the introduction and translation of Guanyin Boddhisatva scriptures (or suttra), in which the records of his early achievement to Boddhi and his capability of appearing in Buddha's form expose him with the quality as Buddha, bring a natural admiration to this boddhisatva. Consequently, he accomplishes the same status with Wenshu and Puxian Boddhisatva only to take the central role occupied by the Buddha.Secondly, the revelation of Huayan thought adds another factor into the theoretical maturation of Three Sages. Wenshu and Puxian Boddhisatva are regarded as the superior ones in Huayan Scriptures, enjoying many connotations from Huayan advocates. For instance, Fazang, the concluding monk of Huayan school, articulates their pivotal impact in Huayan Scriptures. Li Tongxuan is the first one to hold the viewpoint in his works On the Huayan Scriptures that by composing these three Boddhisatvas one can realize the Piruzina Buddha. Chengguan offers similar explanation to both Guanyin Boddhistva and Piruzina Buddha in his two works, namely On the Coherence of the Three Sages and Writings on Puxian Boddhisatva Acts. According to Chengguan's explanation, Wenshu Boddhiasatva represents the wisdom of "realizing Boddhi" while Puxian Boddhisatva represents the wisdom of "proven Boddhi," the integration of which is the Pirizina Buddha Notably, Guanyin Boddhisatva represents the realm of "realizing Boddhi" and "realized Boddhi." Both Piruzina Buddha and Guanyin Boddhisatva are the realm and condition of "realzing" and "being realized." The aforementioned explanation finds evidence from theoretical materials.Thirdly, the popularity and practice of the Secret School started from Tang Dynasty has a direct impact on the birth of the combination of Three Sages. During the Empress Wu period, Huazang's Huayan meditation with the Eleven-Face Boddhisatva and the Great Willingness Boddhisatva's secret practice finds a heavy trench on the sanctum practice of Three Sages, the Omnipresent Eleven-Face Boddhisatva, and Piruzina Buddha since developed in Song Dynasty. "The Boddhi Heart as reason, the Fraternity as root, the Convenience as method", this aphorism of the Secret School, is the significant theory of the Secret practice. From the scholaristic perspective, these three sentences contain the virtues and logic of Three Sages. Simply put, the idols of Three Sages are the exhibition of these truth, Wenshu Bodhisatva resembling the Boddhi heart, Guanyin resembling the root of fraternity, and Puxian resembling the method of convenience.The idols, sanctum, and belief of Three Sages are the other vital issue. Duing the long history, the idols of Three Sages have changed froms many times, and gradually become a cohesive and mutually-supporting integrity with other surrounding ones. Similarly, these idols form a whole set of sanctum with the reverted sitting Guanyin in the Main Hall of Buddha, and Wenshu, Puxian, the reverent Eleven-Face Boddisatva or Piruzina Buddha in the Back Mansion. Based on their relationship, this thesis attempts to excavate hidden Buddhist theories and practice. Meanwhile, I try to conclude the widely-debated left-or-right position of Wenshu and Puxian Boddhisatva, also discussing it from steps on theoretical thought and practice.Eventually, Three Sages Archtype is an original Chinese belief system combining both the Mahayana school and the Secret school. It originates from a theoretical and practical integration between Huayan school and Secret school. The practice of meditation by Three Sages, i.e. Guanyin, Wenshu, and Puxian Boddhisatva, fully displays the height and wisdom of Chinese Buddhism both in theory and practice.