On the “Encouragement of Practice and the Benefits Thereof” Section in the Sok mahayon non

Abstract

The Sok mahayon non treats the main gist of the Awakening of Faith as the teaching of the section on “Establishing the Meaning,” and develops a unique theory to interpret that section employing thirty-three kinds of Dharma gates. The “Encouragement of Practice and the Benefits Thereof” section discussed in this paper recommends the holding, contemplation, and cultivation of the teachings of Mahāyāna, and warns against slandering them. In interpreting the “Encouragement of Practice and the Benefits Thereof” section, the intimate relationship revealed in the Sok mahayon non with the teachings and Dharma gates of the “Establishing the Meaning” section will be discussed.