Solid Phase And Compassion

The thesis focuses on the study of the relation between the truth and the provisional world. Qisong's idea on the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism and the relationship between politics and religion is the major source of research. Using the related scriptures and commentary works on the subject and drawing insights from the major Chinese Mahayana schools such as the Sanlun, Tiantai, Yogacara, Huayan, and Chan for the correct interpretation of the theme, the paper aims at revealing the method and content of a Buddhist interpretation of the relation between the truth and the provisional world. The reason for treating Qisong's thought from this pint of view is because firstly the Confucianist scholars who attacked Buddhism out of their lack of understanding of the real relevance of Buddhist ideal and the real intention of Buddhists' believers who went out of their community to live the life of seemingly recluse. Thus there were misunderstanding and misleading criticism about Buddhist thought and practice not attributing to the building of a harmonious society. Second reason is that the traditional Buddhist theory and practice contain some inclination of stressing the absolute truth while ignoring the worldly life. The two intertwining reasons, especially the second reason caused a lot of misunderstanding in regard to Buddhism in China. In views of this, it can be known that only through a clear elaboration on the true idea of the Mahayana Buddhism regarding the relation between the absolute truth and the provisional world, may it be possible to show the difference between the Buddhism and Confucianism, and that of the Confucianism and Feudal Politics. Meanwhile, it is thus possible to give a theoretical stimulation to the Buddhist believers and theorists, urging them to put the theoretical care of the world into practice and therefore change the distorted public image of world renouncement. Qisong is a typical example of such a Buddhist defender. He answered the attack from the Confucianists at his time and pointed out the social worth of Buddhism through his eloquent elaboration on the truth spirit of Mahayana Buddhism from the analysis of its way of thinking and the relevant idea on the relation between the emptiness and existence, the absolute and the provisional, the world and the renouncement of the world etc.The paper is entitled Absolute truth and Compassion—a study of the Buddhist understanding of the relation between the truth and the provisional world based on Qisong's thought. It is consisted of five parts. The Preface gives an introduction the state of Qisong study and the author's plan for this paper. Chapter One is a background review of Qisong's thought from his personal life and his time. Chapter Two discusses the basic Mahayana Buddhist understanding of a series of relations such as the relation between the Transcendental and the Provisional, the Absolute and the Phenomenal, the Truth and the Provisional, the Absolute and the Existent, the Worldly and the Other-worldly etc. Also there is the introduction of the idea on the relation of the three major schools of thought in the Tang Dynasty (namely the relation of the Confucianism, the Daoism and the Buddhism) and the reason why Buddhism was then considered a religion with a series of Gods. Then Qisong's idea of Inner Unity of all the three major thought schools is presented. Chapter Three reveals Qisong's idea on the relation between Essence and Manifestation, the Mind and the Consciousness. Referring to the comments of Tiantai scholars, here in this chapter offers a criticism to the Huayan and Chan schools for their insufficiency in defining the relation between the truth and the provisional world. Buddhist idea of unconditional love and piety...