Middle Way and Consciousness-Only Ideas in Zixuan’s Commentary on the Śūraṅgama-sūtra

Abstract

From the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Śūraṅgama-sūtra was annotated by scholars of various Buddhist affiliations, and by non-Buddhist scholars. Because the commentaries have different academic backgrounds, their interpretations of the sūtra are different. Tiantai Buddhist scholars use Tiantai teachings to guide their interpretations, with the tendency of the Song period idea that “the six Confucian classics offer an interpretation of one’s own heart, and one’s heart includes all the things of the world 六経注我.” As a successor of the Huayan School, Zixuan interpreted the Śūraṅgama-sūtra as a way of “communicating with each other” under the guidance of Huayan teachings, adopting ideological elements including those of the “Middle Way” and “Consciousness-Only.”

He interpreted the direction of the Middle Way thought in the Śūraṅgama-sūtra by using the ideas of the Madhyamaka-śāstra. In addition, he interpreted the direction of the Śūraṅgama-sūtra with the thought of the Triṃśikā and the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi. This fully shows his adoption of many excellent ideas and eclectic characteristics.