Traditional Japanese Commentaries on the *Suvarnasaptatisastra _??__??__??__??_

Focusing upon the Kin shichiju ron so kyo (_??__??__??__??__??__??_)

Abstract

The *Suvarnasaptatisastra, which is an important treatise of Samkhya philosophy, survives only in the Chinese translation done by Paramartha _??__??_ sometime between 548 and 569. Commentarial tradition begins with the citations from it found in the Chengweishi ulun shuji _??__??__??__??__??__??_, written in Tang China, and continues with a real exegetical boom in 18^th century Japan. Although the Japanese exegetes refer to the same passage cited in the Chengweishi/un shuji, they express different opinions concerning the *Suvarnasaptatisastra. I analyse the interpretations of this passage in the Kin shichiju ron biko _??__??__??__??__??__??_ by Gyo'o Gonzo _??__??__??__??_ (1724-1785), the Kin shichiju ron sho _??__??__??__??__??_ by Chido Hoju _??__??__??__??_ (1723-1800), the Kin shichiju ron ge _??__??__??__??__??_ by Shuro _??__??_ (?-1788), and the Kin shichiju ron so kyo _??__??__??__??__??__??_ by Rinjo Kaido _??__??__??__??_ (1751-1810) and focus mainly upon their understanding of the relation between the prose parks of the *Suvarnasaptatisastra and Vasubandhu.