@article{ART002030014},
author={Koh, Seunghak},
title={The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna},
journal={불교학리뷰},
issn={1975-2660},
year={2011},
number={10},
pages={69-91},
doi={10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69}
TY - JOUR
AU - Koh, Seunghak
TI - The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna
JO - 불교학리뷰
PY - 2011
VL - null
IS - 10
PB - Geumgang Center for Buddhist Studies
SP - 69
EP - 91
SN - 1975-2660
AB - In relation to the thesis of Chinese authorship of the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna (Dasheng qixin lun 大乘起信論), we may point out that a sort of Sinicized mode of thinking, especially an affirmation of the present world, is implied in the text. This article aims at clarifying that fundamental ignorance (genben wuming 根本無明) referred to in the text denotes one’s failure to realize the identity of the realm of sentient beings with that of the Buddha or nirvāṇa, through a comparison of the text with the Scripture of Neither Increase Nor Decrease (Buzeng bujian jing 不增不減經) and the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra (Shengman jing 勝鬘經), two scriptures that explicate the tathāgata-garbha (rulai zang 如來藏) thought. In particular, the Awakening of Faith does not regard afflictions as objects of elimination.
Instead, the text emphasizes that one should recognize that afflictions are devoid of self-nature. And such a view of afflictions is congruent with the Huayan idea of the one true dharma realm (yi zhen fajie 一眞法界).
Original enlightenment (benjue 本覺) introduced in the text indicates the function of tathāgata-garbha as an internal cause for attaining buddhahood and the activities of Buddhas and bodhisattvas as an external condition for enlightenment. While tathāgata-garbha arouses aspiration for enlightenment in the practitioners’ mind, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas lead those practitioners to attain buddhahood. The text’s account of the permeation (Skt. vāsanā) of suchness in terms of its functionality (zhenru yong xunxi 眞如用熏習) and the gate of stopping (Skt. śamatha) and contemplation (Skt. vipaśyanā) (zhiguan men 止觀門) implies that tathāgatagarbha is intricately connected with the practice of compassion throughout the entire stages of cultivation.
In sum, the Awakening of Faith explicates the structure of one’s mind and mechanism of enlightenment on the one hand, while it affirms the present state of sentient beings as a foundation of cultivation and stresses their compassionate engagement as an ultimate realization of their enlightenment on the other hand.
KW - Awakening of Faith;tathāgata-garbha;original enlightenment;affirmation of the present world;compassion;Sinicized mode of thinking
DO - 10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
ER -
Koh, Seunghak. (2011). The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. 불교학리뷰, 10, 69-91.
Koh, Seunghak. 2011, "The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna", 불교학리뷰, no.10, pp.69-91. Available from: doi:10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
Koh, Seunghak "The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna" 불교학리뷰 10 pp.69-91 (2011) : 69.
Koh, Seunghak. The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. 2011; 10 : 69-91. Available from: doi:10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
Koh, Seunghak. "The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna" 불교학리뷰 no.10(2011) : 69-91.doi: 10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
Koh, Seunghak. The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. 불교학리뷰, 10, 69-91. doi: 10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
Koh, Seunghak. The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. 불교학리뷰. 2011; 10 69-91. doi: 10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
Koh, Seunghak. The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. 2011; 10 : 69-91. Available from: doi:10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
Koh, Seunghak. "The Soteriological Significance of Tathāgata-Garbha in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna" 불교학리뷰 no.10(2011) : 69-91.doi: 10.29213/crbs..10.201112.69
