Exposition of the Sutra of Brahma's Net

Book

This volume has much to offer to students and practitioners of Buddhism in the English-speaking world. First and foremost, it contains the first scholarly translation of the full Mahāyāna Sutra of Brahmā's Net into English. Of greatest interest to most, of course, will be the "Mahāyāna Prātimokṣa" ("Precepts Manual") that comprises the second half of the sutra; but the sutra as a whole represents the documentation of a vitally important stage in the development of Mahāyāna thought. At the same time, the reader will have access to the magisterial commentary on this sutra by Taehyeon. Taehyeon's was the only major commentary to treat the entire sutra, and was regarded by a large swath of East Asian Vinaya experts as being the most thorough and balanced exegesis ever written on the text. The Beommanggyeong gojeokgi was taken as the definitive work on the sutra in the Japanese Ritsu school, where it was the subject of more than sixty subcommentaries. At the same time, readers will be presented with the largest single work to be rendered in English to date by the eminent Silla exegete Taehyeon, a scholar who went far beyond his primary field of Yogācāra to write on virtually every facet of the Mahāyāna Buddhist system. (Muller, preface, xxvii)

Citation	Muller, A. Charles, ed. and trans. Exposition of the Sutra of Brahma's Net. Collected Works of Korean Buddhism 11. Seoul: Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, 2012. http://www.acmuller.net/kor-bud/11_sutra_of_brahmas_net.pdf.

Preface to

The Collected Works of Korean Buddhismi

On the Occasion of Publishing

The Collected Works of Korean Buddhismv

Preface to the English Edition of

The Collected Works of Korean Buddhismviii

Prefacexxvii

Abbreviationsxxx

I. INTRODUCTION3
- 1. Foreword5
- 2. Taehyeon's Life and Works6
  - A. Taehyeon's Life6
  - B. Taehyeon's Writings13
- 3. Taehyeon's Mahāyāna Vinaya Studies19
  - A. Silla Research on the Sutra of Brahma's Net19
  - B. Sutras, Vinayas, śāstras, and Commentaries quoted in the Beommanggyeong gojeokgi23
  - C. Characteristics of the Beommanggyeong gojeokgi30
  - D. Influence in Japan34
  - E. Taehyeon's Interpretive Approaches toward the Sutra of Brahma's Net39
- 4. Meeting the Demands for Secular Relevance44

A. Taehyeon's View of the Sutra of Brahma’s

Net and “Filial Piety” 孝 and “Obligation for Kindnesses Received” 恩

B. Other Regulations for Dealing with the World

of the Time

5. Vinaya Thought through the Three Pure Sets of

Precepts

6. References
A. Canonical Collections
B. Scriptural Sources
C. Attributed Works
D. Modern Works

II. ROLL ONE Commentators Preface

1. Time and Place
2. Capacity [of the Audience]
3. How it is Categorized Within the Canon
4. Circumstances and Details regarding the

Translation

A. Number of Verses 頌品
B. Causes and Conditions in China 中國 因緣

34 39 44 44 48 52 59 59 60 60 62 65 68 68 68 68 69 70 70 xxi

5. Doctrinal Tenets 宗趣
A. In General 總
B. Mental Behavior 心行
C. The Ultimate Theme 歸趣
6. The Title 題名
A. The Short Title 題目

Main Text

A. The Explanation by the Original Teacher 本師說
B. Opportunity for an Audience and Questions 見問
C. The Answer 答

III. ROLL TWO Ten Grounds 十地

1. Ground of the Equality of the Essence 體性平等地
2. Ground of the Skillful Wisdom of the Essence

體性善慧地

3. Ground of the Luminosity of the Essence 體性光明地
4. Ground of the Knowability of the Essence 體性爾焰地
5. Ground of Wisdom-Illumination of the Essence

體性慧照地

6. Ground of the Floral Radiance of the Essence

體性華光地

7. Ground of Completion of the Essential Nature

體性滿足地

8. Ground of the Buddha’s Roar of the Essential Nature

體性佛吼地 72 72 73 74 79 79 81 82 84 93 151 153 153 157 169 173 179 184 188 193 xxii

9. Ground of the Flower Ornamentation of the Essence

體性華嚴地

10. Ground of Entry into the Buddha Realm of the

Essential Nature 體性入佛界地 IV. ROLL THREE The Grave Precepts 戒文

1. Invocation 付囑
A. The Teaching Transmitted to the

Transformation-body Buddhas 化佛傳說

B. Repaying of Kindness and Separate Iteration of

the Teaching 報恩別化

C. The Exhortation 策發
D. The Bodhisattva Precepts
E. Preface on the Formation of the Precepts 結戒序
2. The Main Sermon 正說分
A. General Outline 總標
3. The Ten Grave Precepts 十重戒
A. Prohibition of Pleasurable Killing

快意殺生戒第一

B. Prohibition of Stealing the Property of Others

劫盜人物戒第二

C. Prohibition of the Heartless Pursuit of Lust

無慈行欲戒第三經

D. Prohibition of Intentional Lying

故心妄語戒第四經 198 201 209 211 211 213 213 221 224 246 254 254 260 260 266 275 284 xxiii 287 289 293 296 303 307 309 315 317 317 317 318 318 341 357 375 401 424 425

E. Prohibition of the Sale of Alcohol

酤酒生罪戒第五經

F. Prohibition of Speaking of the Faults of Others

談他過失戒第六經

G. Prohibition of Praising Oneself and

Disparaging Others 自讚毀他戒第七

H. Prohibition of Stinginess and Abuse of Others

慳生毀辱戒第八

I. Prohibition of Holding Resentments and Not

Accepting Apologies 瞋不受謝戒第九

J. Prohibition of Denigration of the Three

Treasures 毀謗三寶戒第十

K. Conclusion 結成門

V. ROLL FOUR The Minor Precepts

1. Preface to the Minor Precepts 輕戒序文
A. Concluding the Former [Grave Precepts] and

Initiating the Latter [Minor Precepts] 結前生後

2. Enumeration of the Precepts 次第誦出
A. Division of Ten Precepts 判十戒
B. Division of Ten Precepts 判十戒
C. Division of Ten Precepts 判十戒
D. Division of Nine Precepts 判九戒
E. Division of Nine Precepts 判九戒
3. General Conclusion 總結
A. Dissemination Section 流通分

xxiv INDEX Contributors Members of the English Translation Editorial Board The Collected Works of Korean Buddhism Members of the Compilation Committee of Korean Buddhist Thought In Memoriam The Most Venerable Kasan Jikwan Executive Members of the Steering Committee of Korean Buddhist Thought Collected Works of Korean Buddhism 429 451 453 454 455 457

458

Fanwang jing - *Brahmajālasūtra - (Chos kyi rgya mo sangs rgyas rnam par snang mdzad kyis byang chub sems dpa'i sems kyi gnas bshad pa le'u bcu pa). (D 256) mdo sde, za 74a4-91a7 (vol. 66). rKTs, Columbia AIBS, ACIP, .
Taehyŏn. 梵網經古迹記. Beommanggyeong gojeokgi. T1815, 40: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T1815.html.