Intention and Acceptance of Kang Senghui (康僧会)
Transformation and Diffusion of Jātaka 73 Saccaṃkira-jātaka
2016 Volume 30 Pages 87-105
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2016 Volume 30 Pages 87-105
Buddhism spread worldwide and established its status. However, its
diffusion was difficult because Buddhist teachings were hard to understand.
Even so, to solely read Buddhist teachings are not to understand Buddhism.
Therefore, monks use illustrative examples such as fable to explain the
essence of Buddhism. Some of them are the Buddhist tales called jātaka. When
Buddhist monks they deliver sermons they used these tales to make it easier
for people to understand. These tales bridged the gap between teachings and
people. But Kang Senghui tried to educate kings using jātaka to become true
kings.
The Liudu ji jing is said that Kang Senghui gathered sutras and divided them
into ‘The Six Pāramitās’. However, the sutras in The Liudu ji jing are not the
original form of the collected sutras. Kang Senghui added his own sentences
to the original sutras. Thus, Kang Senghui himself interposed in each sutra. I
will make it clear the sentences he added and the reason why he added these
sentences by comparing with other similar sutras. First I will describe all Kang
Senghui’s life and then his sutra The Liudu ji jing.
The basic structure of the Chapter 25 on The Liudu ji jing is ‘Animals and
a man were drifting in a river because of a flood. Bodhisattva saved them.
These animals returned the favor to Bodhisattva, but the man revenged the
Bodhisattva instead of returning the favor.’
