본문 바로가기
  • Home
Basic Search

Citations of the Dabanniepan jing ji jie in the Fahua yiji and Fayun’s Understanding of the Lotus Sūtra and Nirvāṇa Sūtra

  • 불교학리뷰
  • Abbr : Critical Review for Buddhist Studies
  • 2026, (40), pp.33~63
  • DOI : 10.29213/crbs..40.202610.33
  • Publisher : Geumgang Center for Buddhist Studies
  • Research Area : Humanities > Buddhist Studies
  • Received : August 31, 2026
  • Accepted : October 2, 2026
  • Published : October 31, 2026

Sung Eunkyung 1

1동국대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes how Fayun(法雲) cites the Dabanniepan jing ji jie(大 般涅槃經集解, hereafter Ji jie) in his Fahua yiji(法華義記, hereafter Yiji). One of the Three Great Dharma Masters of the Liang dynasty, Fayun was regarded by later commentators on the Lotus Sūtra(法華經), including Zhiyi(智顗) and Jizang(吉藏), as an outstanding authority on its interpretation. Fayun cites the Ji jie frequently throughout the Yiji. These citations are important for understanding the purpose of his commentary on the Lotus Sūtra. Fayun frequently quotes the Ji jie in various sections of the Yiji. These quotations provide important clues for understanding the scholarly basis of his commentary on the Lotus Sūtra. However, previous studies have paid little attention to Fayun as a commentator on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra; only the Mochizuki Bukkyō Daijiten(望月佛敎大辭典) briefly touches upon this issue. Accordingly, this paper aims to clarify how Fayun applied a Nirvanic interpretative framework in his commentary on the Lotus Sūtra by analysing the patterns of citation in the Ji jie. The analysis shows that Fayun applied a Nirvāṇa-school interpretive framework in the Yiji. By citing the views of numerous Nirvāṇa-school scholars, he demonstrated that his scholarly foundation lay in that tradition. In contrast to the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, Fayun maintains that the Buddha’s lifespan(buddhāyuṣ) as described in the Lotus Sūtra does not signify the doctrine of permanence(nitya, 常住). Nevertheless, in his commentary on the “Chapter on the Dharma Preacher”(法師品), he elevates the status of the Lotus Sūtra by describing it as foremost in gathering the preceding teachings and opening the subsequent teaching(會前開後): it brings together the earlier doctrines of the Three Vehicles and opens the way to the teaching of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. Moreover, in his commentary on the “Chapter on Skillful Means”(方便 品), Fayun assigns the Five Period Teachings(五時敎) to different doctrinal dimensions. He presents scriptures such as the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra(大 品經), the Lotus Sūtra, and the Nirvāṇa Sūtra as independent scriptures rather than ranking them as superior or inferior. From this perspective, it can be argued that, within Southern Dynasties Buddhism(南朝佛敎), where a doctrinal framework centered on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra had taken shape, Fayun reassessed the distinctive value of the Lotus Sūtra through his commentary and contributed to its widespread popularity.

Journal Copyright Policy

BY-NC-ND 아이콘

This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only if attribution is given to the creator.

Statistics

  • 33 Viewed
  • 22 Downloaded

Tools

Issue List

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2025 are currently being built.

Basic Search Advanced Search