Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

In this paper, I illuminate some characteristics of Woncheuk's view on the relationship between the Second and Third Buddhacakras presented in Sa.dhinirmocana-s.tra. For this, based on some newly identified materials (parts of the section Discourse on Essence of Buddha's Teaching (教體論) of "Seo pum" (序品; Ch. Xu pin, Introductory Chapter); omitted in classical Chinese) in Ḥphags pa dgoṅs pa zab mo ṅes par ḥgrel paḥi mdo rgya cher ḥgrel pa, the Tibetan version of Haesimmilgyeong so (解深密經疏; Ch. Jieshenmijing shu, Commentary on Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra), written by Woncheuk (圓測 613-696; Ch. Yuance), and related materials in his works, I present some hermeneutical premises of his view on the Three Buddha-cakras, his interpretation of the criteria of discrimination between nītārtha and neyārtha, and his views on the development of Buddhist thought. First, as a commentator on Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra, Woncheuk, according to the hermerneutical premises of Three Buddha-cakras, presents that (1) the common theme of both the Second and Third Buddha-cakras are Emptiness (空), so there is neither superiority nor inferiority between them, but (2) from the viewpoint of either ending or creating disputes, the Third is actually superior to the Second Budda-cakra. Second, he further interprets that the criteria of discrimination between nītārtha and neyārtha is not the theme of Buddha-cakra itself, but both the differences of the speaker's preaching style according to the hearer's abilities, and the effects of preaching on the part of the hearer. Third, with special reference to the newly identified materials mentioned above, I illuminate that Woncheuk, from the standpoint of a Yogacāra thinker who thinks that only his school really understands Emptiness, reinterprets Emptiness as nītārtha based on his own hermeneutical horizon that Emptiness itself, in fact, penetrates through Three Characters (三性), therefore integrating both the Second and Third Buddha-cakras as one. Futhermore, extending the line of thought above, I reveal that his sensational opinion that the Second Buddha-cakra, Prajñā-pāramitā literatures are also nītārtha is understandable in that from the viewpoint of Ultimate Truth (勝義諦), Emptiness is conceived to be Three Characters. In conclusion, Woncheuk's view, first of all, is characterized by the emphasis on the continuity and ultimate sameness between the two Buddha-cakras in terms of including the Second from the standpoint of the Third Buddha-cakra. But at the same time, the status of the Third Buddha-cakra is actually higher in his mind than the Second since the former is a perfect teaching that overcomes the negative extremes of the latter. I believe that this derives from his fate as a Yogacāra commentator who regarded Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra as one of the supreme canonical authorities.