Research On The Yuan Jue Faith

As a branch of Buddhist faith.The Yuanjue belief system is based on The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment(圆觉经).This text was translated in the prosperity time of Tang Dynasty and it was during this period that the Yuanjue belief system emerged in China.Which was determined by the social background of the Tang Dynasty and the unique characteristics of The Sutra of Complete Enlightenmen.The Tang Dynasty was a period when Buddhism truly integrated into Chinese society and had matured.It was a time when many eminent monks gathered and various sects emerged.But it also faced the crisis of internal and external divisions.At this time,Tsung-mi hoped to solve the division problem of Buddhism by using Yuanjue scripture.Meanwhile,this became the opportunity for The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment to become the Yuanjue faith.Supported by the enormous and complex Buddhist system that Tsung-mi developed based on The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment.The Yuanjue faith was able to emerge.However,over-reliance on Tsung-mi ’s teachings led to both advantages and disadvantages being reflected in the spread of the faith.Mainly manifested in the inclusiveness of the theoretical framework.The complexity of the practice rituals and the confusion of the objects of faith.However,in the Tang Dynasty,Tsung-mi’s doctrine of the accordance of Zen and schools(禅教一致)was not the mainstream Buddhist thought.Therefore,the Yuanjue faith did not become popular in the Tang Dynasty.But achieved comprehensive theoretical and practical development in the Song Dynasty.During the Song Dynasty under the extreme influence of Tsung-mi.A group of monks and scholars who studied The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment were formed.Through their influence,the Yuanjue faith gradually penetrated into the folk society and became popular.Yuanjue faith activities naturally became more abundant.With the trend of reading,copying,annotating and explaining The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment.As well as Buddhist art sculptures themed around The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment and temple constructions and literary creations named after“Yuanjue”being very popular in society.Among them,the regions of Shanxi and Sichuan were the most popular.With a group of Buddhist art sculptures themed around The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment appearing.These sculptures not only reached the peak of Chinese aesthetic in terms of color lines and images.But also had various forms reflecting the development of the Yuanjue faith in different regions.Taking the iconographic analysis of the main Buddha stastue in the sculptures as an example.We can clearly see the different trends in the development of the Yuanjue faith in these two regions.The shift from the“Three Hua-yen Saints”(华严三圣)as the main image to the“Triple Body of Buddha”(三身佛)reflects the transformation from orthodoxy to more regional characteristics in the Sichuan region.Even in the Ming dynasty,the Twelve Yuanjeu Murals(十二圆觉菩萨)in Sichuan still demonstrated strong regional features.While the“Three Great Bodhisattvas”(三大士)in Shanxi embodied the close relationship between the Huayan and Esoteric Buddhism.As Huayan Buddhism declined,the Yuanjue faith in Shanxi also gradually faded away.With the continued deepening of the doctrine accordance of Zen and schools.The Yuanjue faith became an important part of Buddhist beliefs and was accepted by all walks of society during the Ming and Qing dynasties.However,the independence of the Yuanjue faith greatly weakened as it gradually became part of other belief systems.Nonetheless,the influence of the Yuanjue faith did not diminish.As it represented the Chinese Mahayana Buddhist thought in terms of doctrine and practice,exerted great influence in literature and art.Furthermore,influenced by China,the Yuanjue faith spread to Korea,Japan,Western Xia,Liao and other regions since the Song dynasty serving as a bridge for cultural exchanges among nations.