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

Textual organization means to break a sutra or treatise down into smaller sections for exegesis and analysis. It is also a trademark of traditional East Asian Buddhist commentarial work. The resultant analyses of a text can usually be schematized into a large, roots-to-branches type of chart. The three largest general divisions of a sutra according to commentarial analysis are the preface 序分, the main teaching 正宗分, and the dissemination section 流通分, with each of these being broken down to various levels of sections and subsections. It is thought that this practice originated in China during the period of the Northern and Southern courts(南北朝, 420–589), from the time of Dao’an 道安. After its introduction into China, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra was the focus of much exegetical attention, and commentary and analysis of this sutra formed one of the major focal points of Chinese Buddhist doctrinal development in this period; the tradition eventually spoke of this activity as the Nirvāṇa school. The most significant primary source for this exegetical activity during the first century after the text’s translation is the Dabanniepanjingjijie 大般涅槃經集解, compiled in 509 by Baoliang 寶亮 in the Liang 梁 dynasty. This text excerpts the comments of a number of masters on the text, including the prefaces by ten:Emperor Wu of Liang 梁武帝, Daosheng 道生, Sengliang 僧亮, Tanji 曇濟, Sengzong 僧宗, Baoliang himself, Zhixiu 智秀, Fazhi 法智, Faan 法安 and Tanzhun 曇准, and comments by other masters such as Huilang 慧朗, Tan’ai 曇愛, Tanqian 曇懺, Mingjun 明駿, Daohui 道慧, Falian 法蓮 and Jiaoyi 敬遺. Through the textual organization of Nirvāṇa Sūtra in their commentaries, they differentiated their own doctrinal positions from others. Through the vigorous and complex practice of such exegetical works, they were also able to establish their own unique scholarly world.