The Development in China of the Mahavairocanabhisambodhi-sutra Commentaries

Concerning Wengu's Preface

Abstract

The traditional view is that regarding the commentaries titled Dapiluzhena chengfo shenbian jiachi jing shu _??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??_ (T 1796, abbreviated as Darijing shu _??__??__??__??_) and Piluzhena chengfo shenbian jiachi jing yishi _??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??__??_ (abbreviated as Yishi) on the Chinese translation of the Mahavairocanabhisambodhi-sutra (T 848), Zhiyan _??__??_ (dates unknown) and Wengu _??__??_ (dates unknown) edited the Darijing shu to produce the Yishi. This view has been treated as accepted knowledge.
However, in the preface to the Yishi written by Wengu and in Chinese and Japanese documents prior to Annen's _??__??_ (841-889) Bodaishingi sho _??__??__??__??__??_, there is no clear indication that they edited the text. Although Wengu notes in his preface that he was unable to examine the Sanskrit original, the Yishi contains passages that state the Sanskrit text was consulted. There are several reasons to doubt that Wengu himself was involved in the editing of the Yishi. Furthermore, Enchin _??__??_ (814-891) notes in his Gishaku mokuroku _??__??__??__??_ that Wengu's preface was transmitted as a discrete text.
Therefore, the author believes that Wengu's preface was originally a separate text that existed before the formation of the Yishi, and that the evidence for Wengu's editing of the text is weak.