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

This paper aims to shed new light on the Laṅkāvatārasūtra (LAS)from the standpoint of its relationship with the MadhyamakaSchool. This relationship between the LAS and MadhyamakaSchool was discovered during the debate between theMadhyamaka and Yogācāra Schools that began in the 5th centuryin Indian Buddhism. It was Bhāvaviveka 淸弁 (490ˉ570) whonot only started this debate, but also quoted some passages fromthe LAS to support his proposition. Thus, in this paper, the TwoTruths, which comprise the fundamental doctrine of Madhyamaka,were investigated through the philosophical relationship betweenthe LAS and the Madhyamaka School based on Bhāvaviveka’sown work, the Nirvana chapter of Prajñāpradipa. This study carried out three steps. First was the investigation ofwhy Bhāvaviveka quoted some passages from the LAS during thedebate. There were two points were brought to light. First, the LAS is a highly polemical text, attacking Hinayana and non-Buddhistgroups from the standpoint of the niḥ-svabhāva of all things,considering all things from paramārtha, which is the cessationof perception. The second was the investigation between thepassages of the LAS and the Nirvana chapter of Prajñāpradipa. These passages meant to deny the separation of the paratantrasvabhāva from the parikalpita svabhāva because the parikalpitaand paratantra represent co-existence and non-duality. Basedon this fact, it was revealed that these passages from the LASultimately show the existence of saṃvṛti and the non-existence ofparamārtha as represented by the two truths of Madhyamaka. Atthe same time, it was also revealed that denying the existence ofthe paratantra svabhāva in the paramārtha meant these passageslikewise deny the tri-svabhāva. Finally, an investigation on thetwo truths of the LAS was also compared to the two truths ofBhāvaviveka. It was revealed that the two truths of the LAS werethe same as the two truths of the Madhyamaka School, which citesthe existence of saṃvṛti and the non-existence of paramārtha.