The Buddha-Nature Theory of “Mahāyāna Teachers” in the Jin’gang bei 金剛錍

Abstract

In the past, the Jin’gang bei 金剛錍 of Zhanran 湛然 （711-782） was considered to criticize the yěkè 野客. This yěkè has been identified as Fazang法藏. In this paper, I show that using the term “ordinary people” （shìrén世人） the author deliberately cites only a part of the Buddha-nature theory of Huiyuan慧遠, Jizang吉藏, and Fazang 法藏, changes their original intention, and for the sake of his own theory insists that there is no Buddha-nature in beings without a heart. The yěkè is the one who learns and follows the shìrén’s teachings, and the person who has the wrong view is the shìrén. Therefore, this treatise disproves the assertion that the yěkè should be criticized.