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

In Chinese Buddhism, the Pure Land teachings actively interacted and were integrated with other Buddhist traditions. At times, new theories and traditions emerge through these exchanges and integrations. During the Qing dynasty, a period in which Buddhism was viewed as relatively weak compared to other historical periods in China, the Pure Land teachings managed to develop substantially. Peng Shaosheng, a householder and scholar of Buddhism of Qing Dynasty, paid attention to the relationship between the Pure Land teachings and the philosophy of the Huayan School and sought solidarity between the two traditions. He argued that the Huayan Jing, meaning the Flower-adorned Sutra, is oriented toward Pure Land teachings. In so doing, he employed the concept of Dharma-body that emerged prominently in the Huayan School. In lieu of Amitabha that was often brought up in Pure Land Buddhism, he used Vairocana as the object of Buddhist recitation practice. Also, he said that the goal of the Buddhist recitation practice was not to reach the Pure Land in which Amitabha resided, but the Dharmadhatu or the Lotus Treasury World in which Vairocana always existed. This line of thought played the role of seeking the space of peace and happiness not in the other world that exists in the future, but in this world of the present.