Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment
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The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment or Complete Enlightenment (
Divided into twelve chapters as a series of discussions on
Titles
Its full Chinese title: Dà fāngguăng yuánjué xiūduōluó liǎoyì jīng (大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經, lit. 'the Great Vaipulya (Corrective & Expansive) Sutra on the Perfect Enlightenment and (the Sutra) Joyful Cultivation of the Thorough Understanding' [b]).
Its reconstructed title in Sanskrit is Mahāvaipulya pūrṇabuddha-sūtra prasannārtha-sūtra.[7][c]
History
Its translation into Chinese is traditionally attributed to Buddhatrāta, an Indian or
Summary
The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment is arranged in twelve chapters, plus a short introductory section. The introductory section describes the scene of the
This kind of structure reflects a motif associated with the doctrine of the
Gihwa's primary means of categorization of the chapters is according to the "three capacities" of practitioners: superior, middling and inferior. According to Gihwa, the first three chapters are aimed at those of superior capacity, the next seven for those of middling capacity and the final two for those of inferior capacity. However, this method of categorization does not necessarily mean that the later chapters become gradually easier to read and understand. In fact some of the most difficult discussions come in the later chapters. Most notable in this regard is the discussion of the "four traces" of Self, Person, Sentient Being and Life in Chapter Nine. Since the distinction between each of these four is extremely subtle, and the wording of the text itself is not that clear, this turns out to be one of the most difficult chapters to digest.
Notes
- ^ Also translated as The Scripture on Fully Perfected Enlightenment[1] and Sutra of Perfect Awareness;[2] 1 fasc. (T 842.17.913a-922a)
- ^ Duōluó (多羅) is a transcription of the first syllable of prasanna, meaning ‘to joyfully seek’.[5]
- A nītārtha (了義 liǎoyì) sutra aims to reveal an exhaustive and unbiased array of teaching.[6]
- ^ That sūtra appears twice in the title is not a typo, and this repetition has been remarked as peculiar by scholars.[3]
References
- ^ "Article". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Buddhist Ray, Inc. 1 January 1995. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ Frederick Paul Brandauer (1973). A critical study of the Hsi-yu pu. Stanford University. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9609854-7-0. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ a b Muller 1998, p. 64.
- ^ BuddhistDoor Glossary
- ^ Soothill, W.E.; Hodous, Lewis (1937). A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms.
- ISBN 978-81-7488-156-4. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ （日本）《佛書解說大辭典》第一卷 p.281，
- ^ a b Gregory, Peter N. (1994). "Tsung-mi's Perfect Enlightenment Retreat: Ch'an Ritual During the T'ang Dynasty" (PDF). Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie. 7. Kyōtō: 120. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-87773-710-0. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- Muller, Charles (1998). "East Asian Apocryphal Scriptures: Their Origin and Role in the Development of Sinitic Buddhism". Bulletin of Toyo Gakuen University. 6: 63–76.
Bibliography
- Muller, A. Charles. The Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment: Korean Buddhism's Guide to Meditation. Albany: SUNY Press, 1999.
- Gregory, Peter N.; trans. (2005). The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. In: Apocryphal Scriptures, Berkeley, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, ISBN 1-886439-29-X, pp. 43–133
External links
- Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, translated by Charles Muller 2003
- Original Chinese text from the Taisho Tripitaka, Volume 17, No. 842 大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經
- Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")]