Chingen’s Views on Sūtras Treated in the Hokke-Genki: On Sūtras Other Than the Lotus Sūtra

Abstract

This paper focuses on how Chingen’s Hokke-Genki features sūtras other than Lotus Sūtra. In the Hokke-Genki, the Perfection of Wisdom sūtra is treated negatively, and the Huayan jing is treated positively. Further, the Hokke-Genki shows a strong competitiveness against the Suvarṇabhāsottama-sūtra. However, on the other hand, the Hokke-Genki claimed that it should not argue over the superiority or inferiority of the sūtras. This claim was inherited by texts such as the Konjaku Monogatari-Shū and Genkō-Shakusho. In addition, this paper also discusses the fact that a unique motif “Flying scriptures in the sky” can be seen in the stories that recognize the combination of the Lotus Sūtra and the Guan Wuliangshuo jing.