Sthiramati's Interpretation of Buddhology and Soteriology

Dissertation

Abstract

This thesis gives an account of Yogācāra Buddhist thought as presented in the works of Sthiramati, a leading sixth-century thinker in the Yogācāra tradition, along with a translation of his commentary on the Chapter on Enlightenment of the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra. The thesis introduces Sthiramati's life and times, and discusses the authorship and authenticity of works attributed to him.
      Sthiramati's viewpoint is placed in the overall context of Yogācāra ontology. The thesis elucidates the fundamental categories of Yogācāra ontology, giving an analysis of the three identities (trisvabhāva) and their interrelationships, the connection between the three identities and the principle of representation-only (vijñaptimātra), and an account of basis-transformation (āśrayaparāvṛtti). This provides a philosophical foundation for interpreting the Yogācāra concept of Buddhahood, bringing out the intrinsic link between ontological realization and soteriological attainment in the Yogācāra system.
      The thesis traces the Yogācāra account of Buddhahood in both its essence and its manifestation: Buddhahood is shown as both the absolute ground of being and as the locus for innumerable pure qualities and forms of mastery through which enlightenment is communicated to ordinary sentient beings. In this connection, the thesis presents the Yogācāra analysis of the Three Bodies of Buddha (Dharmakāya, the Truth-Body; Sambhogakāya, the Enjoyment-Body; Nirmāṇakāya, the Emanation-Body), which encompass both the essential being and the manifest functioning of Buddha. The three Budda-bodies are correlated with the four liberative wisdoms (jñāna) of the Buddha (the Mirror-like Wisdom, the Equality Wisdom, the Analytical Wisdom, and the All-Accomplishing Wisdom). The thesis recounts the classic Yogācāra discussion of the attributes of Buddhahood in terms of unity and multiplicity, and the nature and scope of Buddha's salvific activities.
      The aims of the thesis are (1) to present Yogācāra Buddhology in its own terms; (2) to clarify the conceptual structure of Yogācāra Buddhology and the relationship in Yogācāra thought between Buddha and the phenomenal world, and between Buddha and the minds of sentient beings; and (3) to facilitate cross-cultural comparisons between Buddha and concepts of the Absolute in other religious traditions by providing a reliable presentation of the ontological, epistemological, and soteriological aspects of Yogācāra Buddhology.

Citation	Nguyen, Cuong Tu. "Sthiramati's Interpretation of Buddhology and Soteriology." PhD diss., Harvard University, 1990.

PART I. STHIRAMATI'S INTERPRETATION OF YOGĀCĀRA ONTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION1
CHAPTER I: STHIRAMATI'S AND HIS WORKS
1. Sthiramati’s Life and Times13
2. Sthiramati’s Works23
- The Kāśyapaparivartaṭīkā25
- The Dasheng zhongguan shilun33
- The Abhidharmasamuccayavyākhyā39
- The Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇavibhāṣa43
- The Abhidharmakośabhāṣyaṭīkā Tattvārthanāma45
- The Triṃśikāvijñaptibhāṣya47
- The Madhyāntavibhāgaṭīkā53
- The Sūtrālaṃkāravṛttibhāṣya56
CHAPTER II: STHIRAMATI'S AND THE YOGĀCĀRA ONTOLOGY
Introduction84
1. Fundamental Categories in Yogācāra Ontology92
2. An Analysis of the Three Identities104
3. The Relationship among the Three Identities120
4. The Three Identities and Representation-Only128
5. The Three Kinds of Identitylessness147
6. Basis-Transformation159
Conclusion169
CHAPTER III: STHIRAMATI'S INTEPRETATION OF BUDDHOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY
1. Concept, Source Material, and Method Recapitulated204
2. Buddhahood and the Structure of Reality207
3. The Implicit Hermeneutics of the Structure of Yogācāra Buddhology218
4. An Analysis of the Categories of Buddhahood233
5. The Four Liberative Wisdoms241
6. The Three Buddha-Bodies252
7. Buddha is neither Singular nor Plural267
8. The Nature of Buddha's Salvific Activities272
9. Conclusion278
CONCLUSION: YOGĀCĀRA BUDDHOLOGY IN A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
1. Yogācāra Philosophy in its own Terms317
2. Conceptual Structure of Yogācāra Buddhology320
3. A Comparison of Christian Ideas of God and Yogācāra Ideas of Buddha324
4. The Study of Yogācāra Buddhology and Methodological Implications for Buddhist Studies and Comparative Religion327
PART II: AN ANNOTATED TRANSLATION OF CHAPTER IX (ON ENLIGHTENMENT) OF THE SUTRĀLAṂKĀRAVṚTTIBHĀṢYA
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSLATION338
Introduction340
1. On Omniscience342
2. On the Nonduality of Buddhahood347
3. On Buddhahood as the Supreme Refuge353
4. On Basis-transformation364
5. On the Activities of Buddha as Effortless and Uninterrupted375
6. On the Profundity of the Pure Realm379
7. On the Divisions of Mastery396
8. On Buddhahood as the Cause of Bringing Sentient Beings to

Maturity411

9. On the Realm of Ultimate Reality424
10. On the Divisions of Buddha-Body432
11. On the Divisions of Buddha-Wisdom440
12. That Buddha is neither Singular nor Plural453
13. On the Skillful Means to Buddhahood456
14. On the Unity of the Mutual Activity of the Buddhas459
15. On the Exertion for Buddhahood463
16. Summary465
APPENDIX522
BIBLIOGRAPHY523