References
Pure Land Systematics in India: The Buddhabhūmisūtra and the Trikāya Doctrine
From Buddha-Nature
Pure Land Systematics in India: The Buddhabhūmisūtra and the Trikāya Doctrine
Article
Article
| Citation: | Keenan, John P. "Pure Land Systematics in India: The Buddhabhūmisūtra and the Trikāya Doctrine." Pacific World no. 3 (1987): 29–35. |
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Abstract
When tracing the lines of Indian Buddhist doctrinal development, Buddhologists most often portray Pure Land teaching as cultic in focus and devotional in impact. The
principal Pure Land scriptures do indeed aim at an inculcation of faith and practice, and do not evidence any intent toward systematic explication of the meaning of the doctrine presented.
There are Indian Buddhist thinkers who deliteralize and deconstruct Pure Land. However, these thinkers are not, so it would appear, themselves Pure Land adherents, but rather philosophers from the Sastra schools. Asaṅga argues that pure Buddha fields are ideas flowing from wisdom. Vasubandhu interprets Pure Land as pure mind. Śīlabhadra and Bandhuprabha see Pure Land as a symbol for wisdom focused on the pure Dharma realm. But nowhere, it would appear, is there any evidence of Indian Pure Land thinkers who themselves focus upon the doctrinal content of Pure Land and attempt to deliteralize its message.
The intent of this paper is to argue for the opposite thesis: That there is indeed a record of systematic and reflective thinking in India on the meaning of Pure Land and that this is the Buddhabhūmisūtra, The Scripture on the Buddha Land. (Keenan, introduction, 29)