| Summary: | 碩士 === 南華大學 === 宗教學研究所 === 98 === The Lotus Sutra of Wonderful Dharma, which is known as the king of Sutras, is one of the respected classics in the Mahayana Scriptures. Generations of monks, in terms of their ideology and their practices of Buddhism, have a profound connection with this Sutra. This study focuse on the discussion of the versions and translations of the Lotus Sutra, Master Han Shan’s life and his motivation of writing An Interpretation of the Lotus Sutra, the influence of the Buddha-nature theory on Chinese Buddism, the Buddha-nature theory in An Interpretation of the Lotus Sutra, etc. The purpose of this study is to show how Master Han Shan interpreted the Lotus Sutra in the light of the Buddha-nature theory.
Master Han Shan, who was one of the four main Buddhist masters in the Ming dynasty, composed An Interpretation of the Lotus Sutra on the basis of Kumarajiva’s Chinese translation of the Lotus Sutra. In his Interpretation, Master Han Shan used a unique approach to combine different opinions to interpret the Buddha-nature theory in the Lotus Sutra. Through his reading of the chapter on “Skillful Means,” Master Han Shan realized the truth of the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. His reading of the chapter on “The Revelation of the Pagoda” enabled him to perceive the profound meaning of the Buddha’s teaching. He adopted Hua-yen School’s division of the Buddha’s teaching and divived the Lotus Sutra into four parts: the initiating, the displaying, the cultivating, and the attaining of the penetrative power of the Buddha’s wisdom. Master Han Shan cited passages from the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Surangama Sutra, the Lankavatara Sutra, the Mahayana-sraddhotpada Sastra, etc. to support his points.
Master Han Shan interpreted the title of the Lotus Sutra as the Tathagatagarbha mind of the realm of the only truth, the ultimate truth, and the penetrative power of the Buddha’s wisdom. The so-called “penetrative power of the Buddha’s wisdom” refers to the one great work of the Buddha, the one vehicle, the all inclusive wisdom, and so on. Through Master Han Shan’s interpretation of the Buddha-nature theory in the Lotus Sutra, we learn different kinds of interpretations of the Buddha-nature theory in the history of Chinese Buddism, for example, the concept of the Tathagatagarbha-mind of absolute purity, the theory of original enlightenment, the concept of habituation, the concept of the transformation of consciousness, and the Chih-kuan practice and the three kinds of Buddha-nature of the Tien-tai School, etc.
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