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

Around the 7th century, the East Asian Buddhist’ s awareness of Buddhist doctrine was a hermeneutical issue. The subject was the fundamental completeness of enlightenment and the practical necessity of Chan meditation. In this paper, I investigate how Tsung-mi(780~841) solved this issue, particularly focusing on the concept fundamental source and mutual understanding.Tsung-mi refused a dualistic code of signifier and signified, and indicated that it was for a orthodoxy issue made between theoretical Buddhism to be wrong. He thought that the signified emerged during a signifier and disciplinant’s mind in a mutual checking processes. In other words, the meaning is not excavated in languages, but It is what each disciplinant has implemented.Tsung-mi didn’t require that a disciplinant return to the fundamental source. Because it will become clear when real heterogeneity is considered a factual situation and there is effort towarns mutual understanding. On this account, he supported the Hezezong of chan Buddhism(荷澤宗) and immediate accordance with opportunity(逐機頓)Tsung-mi‘s concept of the Fundamental Source and a mutual Understanding are measures to combine the fundamental completeness of enlightenment and practical necessity of Chan meditation. He rejected the eccentric attitude that Buddha’s words are fundamental perfection, and valued consideration of the factual situation and the effort to mutual understanding.