The Study Of The Ultimate Wisdom Of The Mahayana

The ultimate wisdom of the Mahayana is an important masterpiece not only for the study of the Buddhist thoughts of Kuma^raji^va and Huiyuan, but also for the study of the localization of Indian Buddhism in China.Based on the discussion between Kuma^raji^va and Huiyuan, and on the reference of other works of them, this thesis was conceived to make a relative thorough and objective analysis, revivifying the theoretical bases of Kuma^raji^va and Huiyuan, elucidating the ideas of the two pundits. The concepts of Four gross elements, Material existence, Reality body, Reality-realm and Dharma-realm are the problems on phenomenalism of cosmology and true original nature of Prajna; Arhan, Bodhisattva, Buddha and Nirvana are problems of Sphere or Visaya; Becoming a Buddha, the return from Buddha, the prediction of Buddhahood, etc are the problem of practice. The author interpreted and analyzed the important concepts of The ultimate wisdom of the Mahayana under the framework of ontology, phenomenalism, efforts and visaya. In addition, the author put The ultimate wisdom of the Mahayana in the historical procedure of localization of Indian Buddhism in China, compared the thoughts of Kuma^raji^va and Huiyuan, elucidating the influence of The ultimate wisdom of the Mahayana on the development of Buddhist doctrines.In The ultimate wisdom of the Mahayana, the nature of Reality body was one of the emphases of questioning, occupying a great part in the book. In the viewpoint of Huiyuan, the Reality body did not have any real image, but it was a undeniable and imperishable reality. In contrast, Kuma^raji^va held that Reality body had no absolute entity, and Reality body of Buddha was nothing but a reaction to the union of causes and conditions, also doomed to void and tranquil.On the generation and characteristics of material existence, Huiyuan divided the Existence into two: the Existence for direct and indirect causes, and the Existence for Real elements, with the latter as the prerequisite of the former. While Kuma^raji^va wanted to guide Huiyuan to avoid the misleading of outside teaching and wrong views, disavowing the entity of Four gross elements.In the discussion on cultivation, Kuma^raji^va guided the bodhisattva meditation with the idea of Ma^dhyamika Prajna features as emptiness, emphasizing that wisdom of Prajna should be used to analyze the true marks of all elemental constructs. In comparison, Huiyuan showed his unmindful resistance, in the obstinate believe of the pure dharma realm of Buddha really existed. Kuma^raji^va emphasized the significance of cultivation and extensive learning, without denying the importance of understanding doctrines with Prajna wisdom. Huiyuan declared the importance of Sudden Enlightenment in the extensive learning, for he was always seeking a direct and easy way of cultivation, especially for the need of the Chinese grass roots.About the prediction of Buddhahood, Huiyuan believed that the different Phala resulted from the different cultivation. Kuma^raji^va considered Phala an emptiness all in all, nothing but the different stages of cultivation. He claimed that people should be unconditioned and uncreated.From all the questions Huiyuan consulted to Kuma^raji^va, we can find that Huiyuan's thought was a complex of Indian Mahayana & Hinayana Buddhism and Chinese theism and realism. Although Huiyuan had some understand on the Prajna thought, he kept himself in the stubborn seeking of absolute and eternal entity as the base of his Buddhist theory. To Huiyuan's questions, Kuma^raji^va consistently held the thinking methods, content and virtuality of Mahayana Ma^dhyamika thought, because he doubted the reality of entity, with the idea of causes originating from emptiness. He believed that the thought of true original nature was only the matter of epistemology. Kuma^raji^va declared that the true recognition of the nature of cosmos and life could only be reached with the complete negation in the thinking and epistemic methods.In the conflict of Huiyuan and Kuma^raji^va on their different understanding on The ultimate wisdom of the Mahayana, we could find the possibilities of merging of Indian Buddhism and Chinese traditional culture, which predicted the direction of Chinese Buddhism development. As the conclusion, the discussion between Huiyuan and Kuma^raji^va had its vital importance on the development of the Nirvana buddha-nature theory, teaching classification theory, cultivation theory of Chinese Buddhism.