The Study Of Dunhuang Doubtful And Bogus Sutras——lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty

Since the introduction of Indian Buddhism to China,a series of sinicization of Buddhism containing the collision,exchanges and integrations between Indian Buddhism and Chinese culture has occurred,and the distinct phenomenon of doubtful and bogus sutras emerged.The Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty is a classical work among numerous Dunhuang doubtful and bogus sutras.Through the reference,transformation and innovation of the content of Indian Buddhism,the work presents the unique ideas under the integration between China and India,and expresses and reflects the social humanistic situation,the psychological state of the public and the appeals of religious belief at that time.This paper carries out study of the Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty mainly from two dimensions of the literature and the argumentation,and contains three chapters as well as an appendix.The first chapter is "the literature research of Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty",which investigates the doubtful and bogus sutra with textual research of literature.In the first section of this chapter,a relatively complete edition and literature arrangement of the four existing Dunhuang hand-copied books[(S.2734,P.3008(P.3008 yi).S.4572,S.3051)]of the doubtful and bogus sutra is conducted.In the second section,according to the literature arrangement in previous section and the currently mastered relevant information,the history of the doubtful and bogus sutra is divided into periods.By deducing the upper and lower limits of the writing year of the doubtful and bogus sutra,it is finally determined that the writing year is between 794 AD and 980 AD.The second chapter is "the argumentation research of Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty",which focuses on the study of two ideas with the most characteristic of Buddhism sinicization in the work,namely,"Increasing lifespan and benefit" and "Heaven and celestial hybridity",and further concludes that " the writers of the doubtful and bogus sutras tended to absorb the Chinese traditional thoughts based on Buddhism standards and according to the needs(or political needs and personally expressed wishes)of the then people,and convey certain Buddhist thoughts in a way accepted and favored by the public at that time.The first section of this chapter is "Increasing lifespan and benefit",which holds that the doubtful and bogus sutra has reformed the lifespan thought with "karma" thought and"inter-dependence" thought as the core in Indian Buddhism,and added the color of the manipulation of personality god thus endowing the lifespan thought in the doubtful and bogus sutra with an initiative and acquisitive attitude in Taoism,which is on the contrary to the resigned(passive)and receptive attitude towards lifespan in previous Buddhist thoughts.This transformation has social background reasons,namely,the broad foundation of the masses of Taoism and the social turbulence.The second section is "Heaven and celestial hybridity".which analyzes the hybridity of the Buddhist heavens system and the Taoist celestial system from two aspects of "the worship of stars" and "the integration of Sumeru Mountain and Kunlun Mountains".The third chapter is "the value of Dunhuang doubtful and bogus sutras from the perspective of Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty",which discusses the value of a number of doubtful and bogus sutras represented by Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty.The first section of this chapter presents "the value as general literature",which interprets the language value,artistic value and historical value of Dunhuang doubtful and bogus sutras by regarding the sutras as general literature.The second section presents "the value as Buddhist literature",which explains the argumentation value and emendation value of Dunhuang doubtful and bogus sutras by regarding the sutras as Buddhist literature.The appendix supplements,corrects,sorts out and collates the Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty according to the existing handwriting copies.Finally,this paper holds that a number of Dunhuang doubtful and bogus sutras represented by Lotus Sutra Ma Ming Bodhisattva Chapter Thirty are typical products of sinicization of Buddhism,and the in-depth study of Dunhuang doubtful and bogus sutras precisely manifests cultural and national confidence.The writers of doubtful and bogus sutras tended to selectively absorb the Chinese traditional thoughts from the standpoint of Buddhism standards and according to the then social needs or personally expressed wishes,so as to reform the Indian Buddhist ideological contents,thus making Indian Buddhism possess a solid foundation of the masses and a broad spreading range.Given this,the doubtful and bogus sutras will be a section that reflects the social situation,mass psychology and religious concerns at that time,and of vital significance and value.