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

This paper is a trial of exposition on characteristics of Woncheuk's view on ekayāna in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra and appreciation of its meaning from a viewpoint of Theory of Third Buddha-cakras in Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra. As for this, I noticed a famous passage in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, “十方佛土中, 唯有一乘法, 無二亦無三, 除佛方便說.” Because in exposing his view on various interpretations about the very passage, Woncheuk (圓測 613-696, Ch. Yuance) quoted a passage from Shedashenglun-shi (攝大乘論釋) of Vasubandhu, which was translated and added by Paramārtha (眞諦 499-569, Ch. Zhendi) as canonical evidence for a second interpretation, which he supported, and on the contrary, does not support the first interpretation, that of Kuiji (窺基, 632-682). I believe Woncheuk’s view on ekayāna in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra is most outstanding in this point, and so I illuminate with what intention he cites a passage from Paramārtha and why he would not accept Kuiji’s interpretation. For this, first I investigated in what context Woncheuk presents the very passage as canonical evidence for the meaning of “One” in Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra. I found that in his thought ekayāna in both Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra and Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra means the Equality of Ideal (理趣) (=Buddha’s ultimate Enlightenment) or of Base (法界) (=Buddha-nature as source of cultivation), the Equality of Liberation-body (解脫身), and the Equality of Ways to Ideal (理趣道). I also found that these three are all based on the Equality of tathatā. Second, in tracing the origin of his interpretation, I consulted the context of the citation from Shedashenglun-shi of Paramārtha; the meaning of tathatā in his Buddhist practice system, and his interpretation of Ekayāna Doctrine in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra into Theory of Three Buddha-cakras in Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra. Paramārtha emphasizes that the practice of Hearer's Vehicle will be succeeded to the ultimate result of Buddha's Vehicle from the viewpoint of the universality of tathatā, and, subsuming Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra under the Third nitārtha, understands that Buddha preached the continuity and equality between Hearer's and Great Vehicle to reconcile the earnest conflict between the two Vehicle practitioners. Third, to expose the outstanding tendency of Kuiji's interpretations relative to that of Wocheuk, I scrutinized his understanding of the very passage, Enjoyment-body (報身), and Liberation-body. Contrary to Paramārtha, Kuiji throughout stresses the discontinuity between the groups of practitioners mentioned above to invoke that the one and only Buddha's Vehicle (=Enjoyment-body) is superior to Hearer's Vehicle, and intentionally discriminates Liberation-body of the former, “True Liberation” (眞解脫) (=Enjoyment-body) from that of the latter, “Metaphorical Liberation” (假解脫), emphasizing the essential difference between the two. In conclusion, from the viewpoint of the Equality of tathatā, Woncheuk interprets the meaning of “One” in Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra as the Equality of Ideal or Base, the Equality of Ways to Ideal, and the Equality of Liberation-body between the two groups of practitioners in terms of employing the very passage in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra as canonical evidence. In this sense, Woncheuk is believed to be a continuer of Paramārtha that subsumes Ekayāna Doctrine in Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra under the nitārtha in Theory of Three Buddha-cakras in Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra for emphasizing the continuity between the two Vehicles. On the other hand, he refuses Kuiji’s interpretation of the very passage because he believes that such interpretation that emphasizes the essential difference between Hearer’s and Buddha’s Vehicles is in danger of falling into the extreme of “reification” (增益).