The History of the Formation of Early Chinese Buddhism : A Study on Discourse Characteristics

The History of the Formation of Early Chinese Buddhism: A Study on Discourse Characteristics analyzes the process of the sinicization of Buddhism. It provides a comprehensive investigation on how the perceived similarities between Buddhism and Daoism originated and how traditional Daoist terminologies were applied in the translation of Buddhist texts. By doing so, the text critiques the Daoistization of Buddhism and also offers a comparative overview of the general human ways of thinking in India and China by focusing on the relationship between universal ways of understanding the world during the Wei-Jin era. By analyzing commentaries by scholarly Chinese monks in the Wei-Jin era, and the philosophical nature of Neo-Daoism thought that played the most direct role in the Chinese transformation of Buddhism, this book is an attempt to understand why discourses on topics such as imperishability of the spirit became main discussion topics in early Chinese Buddhism. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Foreword Chapter 1: The Origins and the Characteristics of Buddhist and Daoist Thoughts Heterogeneity between Indian and Chinese Mythological Thinking Mythological Thinking as an Intermediate Step between Mythical Thinking and Logical Thinking Mythological Thinking in India The Characteristics of Vedic Traditional Mythology The Characteristics of Pre-Vedic Mythology The Mythological Way of Thinking in China The Chinese Way of Thinking in the Shang Dynasty Period Seen through the Composition of the Oracle Bone Script The Characteristics of Chinese Mythology The Uniqueness of the Buddhist Worldview The Originality of the Buddhist Worldview: Critique of the Metaphysical Worldview and Confirmation of the Vitality of the Empirical World Negation of Metaphysical Thinking: The Buddhist Logic of Double Negation Upanishadic Metaphysics Viewed from the Developmental Standpoint of Dualistic Modes of Thought Newly Interpreted Conceptualization of Double Negation Introduced by Buddhism: Consistency from Early Buddhism to the Madhyamaka-Śāstra Characteristics of the Description Style of the Buddhist Theory of Dependent Arising One Characteristic of the Description Method of Dependent Arising in Early Buddhism The Projective Trichotomous Way of Thinking of the Triṃśikā Uniqueness of the Daoistic Worldview Understanding the Mythical Undividedness: The Active Acceptance of Chaos and the Insistence of a Nondualistic Way of Thinking The Circulative Trichotomous Way of Thinking of Daoism Viewed through the Description Style of Three Different Conceptualizations of the Dao Chapter Summary: The Mythological Way of Thinking, the Encounter between Daoism and Buddhism Notes Chapter 2: Religious Characteristics of Central Asians and Buddhism in the Kushan Era General Characteristics of the Understanding of Buddhism in the Old Standard Translation Era Popular Religious Characteristics, and Faith in Maitreya and Amitābha, in Early Chinese Buddhism Characteristics of Chinese Intellectuals’ Interests in Buddhism in the Hongming Ji The Characteristics of Northwestern Indian Buddhism Understanding the Region Ruled by the Kushan Empire Commercial Prosperity and the Changes in the Form of Buddhism in the Kushan Empire Characteristics of Zoroastrianism as the Source of Religious Ideas of Central Asians in the Kushan Empire Region The Origin and Religious Sentiments of the People Who Established Zoroastrianism The Characteristics and Influences of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism in the Kushan Era Notes Chapter 3: The Characteristics of Wei Jin Era Buddhism Characteristics of the Chinese Ways of Thinking in the Wei-Jin Era The Phenomenon of the Decline of “The Logic of Reflexive Seeking” Wangbi’s Neo-Daoist Thought of Taking Nothingness as the Basis Characteristics of the Understanding of Buddhism by the Neo-Daoists in the Wei-Jin Era Buddhism Introduced to China Before the Eastern Jin Era and the Changes in the Religious Orientation of the Chinese The Ways of Thinking of Pre-Qin Daoism, Neo-Daoism, and Buddhism Analyses of the Methods of Understanding the Various Buddhist Concepts of the Wei-Jin Neo-Daoists The Theory of Qi (氣論) Characteristics of the Argument on the Imperishability of the Soul The Understanding of the Theory of Karmic Retribution According to the Chinese Buddhist Concept of Dependent Arising Understood as Simple Causality An Ontological Understanding of the Concept of Emptiness (空) The Chinese Interpretation of the Concept of Nirvana (涅槃) The Neo-Daoist Way of Thinking appearing in the Thoughts of Zhi Dun, Daoan, and Hui Yuan Ideological Differences Between Pre-Qin Daoism and Neo-Daoism Analyses of Zhidun’s, Daoan’s, and Huiyuan’s Understanding of Buddhism The Overall Chinese Understanding of Indian Buddhism at the Beginning of the Wei-Jin Era The Causes and Conditions of the Mixed Concepts of Buddhism and Daoism The Commonalities in the Understanding of the Limits of Dualistic or Conceptual Thinking, and the Different Methods Used to Overcome Them Aspects of the Daositic Understanding of the Dependent Arising Theory Analyses of the Commentaries of Zhidun, Daoan, and Huiyuan Analysis of Zhidun’s Preface to a Synoptic Extract to the Larger and Smaller Versions of the Prajñāpāramitā (大小品對比要抄序) Analysis of Daoan’s Preface to the Commentary on the Combined Texts Analyses of A General Preface to Sutra on the Cultivation of Expedient Meditations translated on Mount Lu (廬山出修行方便禪經統序) and Preface to a Collection of Extracts from (the Translation of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra) (大智論抄序) by Huiyuan The Neo-Daoistic Transformation of the Concepts of Prajñā and Emptiness in the Zhaolun (肇論) General Issues in the Understanding of the Concept of Emptiness Analysis of the Ways of Understanding the Concepts of Prajñā and Emptiness in the Zhaolun (肇論) The Concept of Prajñā in the Essay on Prajñā Without Knowing (般若無知論) The Concept of Being in the Treatise on the Immutability of Things (物不遷論) The Concept of Emptiness in Discussion of the Emptiness of the Unreal (不眞空論) Sarvāstivādin Discussions Appearing in the Zhaolun and the Treatise on the Immutability of Things (物不遷論) Circumstances Surrounding the Importation of Sarvâstivāda Theories into China and the Translation of Texts Prior to Sengzhao Textual Analyses of Exemplary Statements Associated with the Treatise On The Immutability Of Things [Wubuquianlun] in Sarvâstivāda Literature Translated at the End of the Fourth Century AD Philosophical Characteristics of the Debates on Being and Nonbeing in the Wei-Jin Era Understanding the Philosophical Goals of the Madhyamaka-Śāstra in Relation to the Treatise on the Immutability of Things Analysis of the Treatise on the Immutability of Things: Tracing the Origin and Inner Meanings of the Methods of Defining Isolated Being The Tendency for Substantialistic Thinking in the Dharma Body Theory during the Wei-Jin Era Penetration of the Concept of a Substantialistic Soul (神) into Buddhism Buddhism and Zoroastrianism during the Kushan Empire Era The Mechanism of Human Consciousness in the Establishment of the Concept of God Reflecting on the Classic Concept of God and the Meaning of Establishing a New Concept of God Kalupahana’s Way of Understanding Regarding the Penetration of Substantialistic Thinking into Buddhism The Characteristics of the Zoroastrian Concept of God and the Meaning of the Colossal Buddha Statues The Sinitic Transformation of Dharma Body Theory in Early Chinese Buddhism Notes Chapter 4: Examples of the Continuous Influences of Early Chinese Buddhist Discourses Syncretic Characteristics of Buddhism and Daoism in the Apocryphal Text, Treasure Store Treatise (寶藏論) Characteristics of the Commentaries on “Thus I Have Heard (如是我聞)” By Huineng (慧能) And Yefu (冶父) Appearing in the Commentaries Of Five Masters (五家解) of the Diamond Sutra (金剛經) The Original Meaning of “Evam Mayā Śrutam” Huineng’s Commentary on “Thus Have I Heard (如是我聞)” Yefu’s Commentary on “Thus (如是)” Yefu’s Commentary on “I Have Heard (我聞)” The Concept of “Oneness (一)” Understood as Original Oneness Remaining Issues Concluding Remarks Notes Translators’ Notes Notes Bibliography Index About the Author About the Translators Ron Dziwenka Alexander Choi