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

The purpose of this treatise is to examine the relation between truth and word in Chinese yogācāra buddhism. In the mind-only school, the problem of truth necessarily connotes the limitation of the word and thinking, the function of which is based on the word. Therefore, discussions of the five characters(五相) of the Ultimate Truth(勝義諦) in Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra (解深密經) are focused not on the explanation of the nature of the truth beyond description, but on showing yogi the true way of yoga to it. At first, by thoroughly understanding the ultimate truth to be known in spite of its being indescribable, Fa-hsiang(法相) scholars try to approach the thusness(眞如) of what is, more than they can arrange the various beings and truths, or repeat the fundamental lack of the word and thinking. Accordingly, in the argument of the five characters, they clearly designate the religious and philosophical basis of all theories about truth, that is, the thusness beyond description (離言眞如) is known to saints . In the next place, the meditation of the five characters is for yogi to free himself from violent fights, endless doubts and spiritual conceits. Therefore, to make yogi get out of those obstructions which they inevitably confront and to approach the thusness beyond description, the scripture teaches meditation on the tree characters: the character of being beyond thinking, that of not being able to speak the sameness and difference between the ultimate truth and all dharmas, and that of a good flavor(一味) which is omnipresent in all dharmas.