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Sthiramati's Interpretation of Buddhology and Soteriology

Dissertation

Dissertation

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Abstract

This thesis gives an account of Yogācāra Buddhist thought as presented in the works of Sthiramati, a leading sixth-century thinker in the Yogācāra tradition, along with a translation of his commentary on the Chapter on Enlightenment of the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra. The thesis introduces Sthiramati's life and times, and discusses the authorship and authenticity of works attributed to him.
      Sthiramati's viewpoint is placed in the overall context of Yogācāra ontology. The thesis elucidates the fundamental categories of Yogācāra ontology, giving an analysis of the three identities (trisvabhāva) and their interrelationships, the connection between the three identities and the principle of representation-only (vijñaptimātra), and an account of basis-transformation (āśrayaparāvṛtti). This provides a philosophical foundation for interpreting the Yogācāra concept of Buddhahood, bringing out the intrinsic link between ontological realization and soteriological attainment in the Yogācāra system.
      The thesis traces the Yogācāra account of Buddhahood in both its essence and its manifestation: Buddhahood is shown as both the absolute ground of being and as the locus for innumerable pure qualities and forms of mastery through which enlightenment is communicated to ordinary sentient beings. In this connection, the thesis presents the Yogācāra analysis of the Three Bodies of Buddha (Dharmakāya, the Truth-Body; Sambhogakāya, the Enjoyment-Body; Nirmāṇakāya, the Emanation-Body), which encompass both the essential being and the manifest functioning of Buddha. The three Budda-bodies are correlated with the four liberative wisdoms (jñāna) of the Buddha (the Mirror-like Wisdom, the Equality Wisdom, the Analytical Wisdom, and the All-Accomplishing Wisdom). The thesis recounts the classic Yogācāra discussion of the attributes of Buddhahood in terms of unity and multiplicity, and the nature and scope of Buddha's salvific activities.
      The aims of the thesis are (1) to present Yogācāra Buddhology in its own terms; (2) to clarify the conceptual structure of Yogācāra Buddhology and the relationship in Yogācāra thought between Buddha and the phenomenal world, and between Buddha and the minds of sentient beings; and (3) to facilitate cross-cultural comparisons between Buddha and concepts of the Absolute in other religious traditions by providing a reliable presentation of the ontological, epistemological, and soteriological aspects of Yogācāra Buddhology.

Citation	Nguyen, Cuong Tu. "Sthiramati's Interpretation of Buddhology and Soteriology." PhD diss., Harvard University, 1990.

Contents

PART I. STHIRAMATI'S INTERPRETATION OF YOGĀCĀRA ONTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY

• INTRODUCTION1
• CHAPTER I: STHIRAMATI'S AND HIS WORKS
• 1. Sthiramati’s Life and Times13
• 2. Sthiramati’s Works23
  • The Kāśyapaparivartaṭīkā25
  • The Dasheng zhongguan shilun33
  • The Abhidharmasamuccayavyākhyā39
  • The Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇavibhāṣa43
  • The Abhidharmakośabhāṣyaṭīkā Tattvārthanāma45
  • The Triṃśikāvijñaptibhāṣya47
  • The Madhyāntavibhāgaṭīkā53
  • The Sūtrālaṃkāravṛttibhāṣya56
    
    
• CHAPTER II: STHIRAMATI'S AND THE YOGĀCĀRA ONTOLOGY

Introduction 84 1. Fundamental Categories in Yogacara Ontology 92 2. An Analysis of the Three Identities 104

3. The Relationship among the Three Identities 120 4. The Three Identities and Representation-Only 128 5. The Three Kinds of Identitylessness 147 6. Basis-Transformation 159 Conclusion 169 CHAPTER III: STHIRAMATI’S INTEPRETATION OF BUDDHOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY 1. Concept, Source Material, and Method Recapitulated 204 2. Buddhahood and the Structure of Reality 207 3. The Implicit Hermeneutics of the Structure 218 of Yogacara Buddhology 4. An Analysis of the Categories of Buddhahood 233 5- The Four Liberative Wisdoms 241 6. The Three Buadha-Bodies 252 7. Buddha is neither Singular nor Plural 267 8. The Nature of Buddha's Salvific Activties 272 9. Conclusion 278 CONCLUSION: YOGACARA BUDDHOLOGY IN A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE 1. Yogacara Philosophy in its own Terms 317 2. Conceptual Structure of Yogacara Buddhology 320 3. A Comparison of Christian Ideas of God and Yogacara Ideas of Buddha 324

4. The Study of Yogacara Buddhology and Methodological Implications for Buddhist Studies and Comparative Religion 327 PART I I : AN ANNOTATED TRANSLATION OF CHAPTER IX (ON ENLIGHTENMENT) OF THE SU TR a L A M K a R A V £ T T IB H A ? Y A INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSLATION 338 Introduction 340 1. On Omniscience 342 2. On the Nonduality of Buddhahood 347 3- On Buddhahood as the Supreme Refuge 353 4. On Basis-transformation 364 5- On the Activities of Buddha as Effortless and Uniterrupted 375 6. On the Profundity of the Pure Realm 379 7. On the Divisions of Mastery 396 8. On Buddhahood as the Cause of Bringing Sentient Beings to Maturity 411 9. On the Realm of Ultimate Reality 424 10. On the Divisions of Buddha-Body 432 11. On the Divisions of Buddha-Wisdom 440 12. That Buddha is neither Singular nor Plural 453 13. On the Skillful Means to Buddhahood 456

14. On the Unity of the Mutual Activity of the Buddhas 459 15. On the Exertion for Buddhahood 463 16. Summary 465 APPENDIX 522 BIBLIOGRAPHY 523