The Elevation of the Status of the Lotus Sūtra in the Panjiao Systems of China
This paper studies the elevation of the status of the Lotus Sūtra in the panjiao 判教 systems of China. As the sūtra that advocated the theory of Turning Three Vehicles into One Vehicle 會三歸一, the Lotus Sūtra was always positioned as the second most important sūtra among the Buddhist sūtras in the earl...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2014]
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| In: |
Journal of Chinese religions
Year: 2014, Volume: 42, Issue: 1, Pages: 67-94 |
| Further subjects: | B
Four Vehicles Teachings
B Lotus Sūtra B Five Periods and Eight Teachings B panjiao B Zhiyi B Fayun |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | This paper studies the elevation of the status of the Lotus Sūtra in the panjiao 判教 systems of China. As the sūtra that advocated the theory of Turning Three Vehicles into One Vehicle 會三歸一, the Lotus Sūtra was always positioned as the second most important sūtra among the Buddhist sūtras in the early panjiao systems. Guangzhai Fayun 光宅法雲 (467-529), the Director of Monks 僧正 in the Liang 梁 period, elevated the status of the Lotus Sūtra as first sūtra by ranking it higher than the Nirvāṇa Sūtra in his Five Periods Teachings 五時教 theory and evaluating it as the only Real Teaching 實教 in his Four Vehicles Teachings 四乘教 theory. Fayun's panjiao theories paved the way for Zhiyi 智顗 (538-597), who promoted the Lotus Sūtra as the supreme sūtra by advancing Fayun's theory in his own Five Periods and Eight Teachings 八教 panjiao systems. This paper also takes into consideration differences between Zhiyi's sectarian panjiao system and ecumenical systems such as Jizang's, which also regarded the Lotus Sūtra very highly. |
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| ISSN: | 2050-8999 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Chinese religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1179/0737769X14Z.0000000009 |