English
There are two lines of transmission of the doctrine of this sect; viz., the line of Ka-jo and of (len-ju. The former is as follows: The first patriarch in India was the Boddisattva Nagar^una (Ryu-ju), the author of the Chu-ron and JTi-ni-mon-ron, two of the three /Sastra?. He transmitted the doctrine to the Bodhisattva Deva (Dai-ba), the author of tlie Hyaku-ron. He was succeeded by Rahula (Ra-go- ra), whose successor was Nilanetra ?(Sho-moku, lit. 'blue eye'). After this, there was a prince of the country of KharaA'ar (Ki-ji), Suryasoma by name, who was well versed in the Three /STistras and taught the doctrine to Kumara^/iva (Ra-jii). In his sixty- third year, Kumara^/iva arrived in China, and reached Cho-an, the capital, when he was eighty-one years 46 SAN-RON-SHU. old. There he translated the Three /S'astras into Chinese and became the founder of this sect in China. His disciples numbered three thousand, of whom the four greatest (Shi-tetsu) were Do-slio, So-jo, Do-yti and So-ei. Do-sho transmitted the doctrine to Don- sai, Do-ro, So-ro, Ho-ro, and Kichi-zo of the mona-s tery of Ka-jo-ji successively. This last named made the doctrine of this sect perfect. His disciple E-kwan came from Korea to Japan in 625 A. D., and was appointed to Gwan-go-ji. He once lectured on the Threa /S'astras as prayers to pro- cure rain with success, and was appointed So-jo or Bishop. He is considered to be the first patriarch of this sect in Japan. He transmitted the doctrine to Fuku-ryo, who come from Go in China. Fuku-ryo transmitted it to Chi-zo, who went over to China and became a disciple of Kichi-zo, known as Ka-jo Dai- shi. After that, Do-ji, Zen-gi, Gon-so and An-cho, etc. successively transmitted this doctrine, and made it flourish in this country. The otlier line is that of Nilanetra (Sho-mokii) Bhavaviveka (Sho-ben), . C'i^anaprabha (Chi-ko) and Divakara (Nichi-sho), who were all Indians. Divakara transmitted the doctrine to Ho-z6, better known by his posthumous title of Gen-jn Dai-shi, who died in 712 A. D. Af terH^-zo, there was no successor in China. Of the above two lines of transmission, the Ka-jo SAN-RON-SHU. 47- school is considered the orthodox one. IT. The doctrine of the sect. Diirino- his whole life, Buddha, preached two kinds of truth (Ni-tai), to remove the confused ideas of the people who were either Astikas, i. e. those who he- lieved in the existence of every thing, or Nastikas, i. e. those who believed in the emptiness of every thing. These ideas caused them to suffer from endless trans- migration, so that they are called the original confusion (Hon-mei). The two kinds of truth are true by general consent (Zoku-tai); and true or absolute truth (Shin-dai). These are not the subjects on which Buddha medita- ted, but only the differences of the style of his preach- in o-. It is said in the Madhyamaka-sastra, that Buddhas preach the Law to the beings according to the two kinds of truth. But after Buddha's entry into Nirva?^a, people mistook his words and. again became either Astikas or Nastikas These mistakes are called the later con- fusion (Matsu-mei). The Three /S'astras of this sect were then composed by the Bodhisattvas Nagar^una and Deva, for the purpose of destroying this confu- sion. The full title of Chu-ion (Madhyamaka-sastra) is Chu-kwan-ron, or ' Book on the middle meditation.' The word Chu means the middle path of ^ not obtain- ing ' (Mu-toku). To contemplate on this middle path is the right meditation. The book contains 48 SAN-EON-SHU. the words which come out from this right meditation. The words themselves are the two kinds of truth. Truth hy general consent (Zoka-tai) is explained for the Nastikas, who helieve that there is nothing. The true truth (Shin-dai) is expounded for the Asti- kas who believe that there is something. Thus they are equally made to understand the middle path. There are twenty-seA'en chapters in the Madhyamaka-sastra. The first twenty-five chapters refute the confused ideas of the learners of the Ma- hayana doctrine; and the last two, those of the Hinayana. The • Dvadasa-nikaya-Sastra (Ju-ni~mon-ron) is divided into twelve parts and refutes the confusion of the men of the Mahayana. Generally speaking, this /S'astra also consists of the words of the two kinds of truth, by which the later confusion is refuted. The two /Sastras^Madhy amaka and Dvadasa- nikaya, are the works of Nagar(/una. Did Indians ever believe his works? They did indeel. The people of the sixteen gre it provinces into which India was formerly divided, unanimously called Nagar^/una 'Buddha without his charactersistic marks' (Mu-so-go-butsu), and respected his works as if they had been the Sutras of Buddha's own words. This respect of the people perhaps originated in the prophecy spoken by Buddha in the Laftkavatara-sutra(Ryo-ga-kyo),Svhich JB as follows; Nos. 175,176,177. SAX-KON-SHU. 49 ' After tl^e Nirva?ia of the Tatliagata, There will bo a man in the future, T.isten to uie carefully, 0 Maliamati (Dai-e), A man wlio will hold my Law. In the great country of South, There w-ill be a venerable Bhikshii, The Bodhisattva Nagar(/una by name, Wiio will destroy the viewy of Astikas and Nastikas, Who will pre.ich unto men my A^aua (S'ehicle'), The highest Law of the Mahayiina, And will attain to the Pramudi(a-bhumi (^ stage of joy'). And go to be born iu the country of Sukhavati.' Now there jnay be a man who asserts the following opinion. The Laiikavatara is one of tlie Maluiyana- siUras, and these Sutras are not Buddha's words, but come from tlie hands of men of later periods. Buddha enterd Nirviwza on tlie fifiecnth day of the second month, and two montlis after, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, Mahakasyapa collected the Tripi^aka at the Sapta-pan?a ('seven leaves ') cave. Besides this collection, there are not any other Sutras containing Buddlia's words. None of the Mahayana-sutras are genuine, s) tliat thoy are said to have been discovered either in tlie dragon palace beneath the sea, or in tlie iron tower in India, etc. Thus thoy are not worth while to be believed in. 50 ' ' SAX-ROX-SHtJ. Wo sliall now answer him; so as ti nicako him understand clearly, jnst as tlie obstinate clouds arj hlown away by the strong wind. The Indians who doubted about tlie genuineness of the Mahayana doctrine were of two kinds. Some entertainei the" doubt, not bsino: free from vuWar and rude customs. Tlie others know the invincibleness of the Maliayana doctrine, yet obstinately uttered these disrespectful "words against it. In ancient times, there were four divisions of people in India ( i. e. the four castes). They were 1. Kslia- triyas (Setsu-tei-ri), or the royal race, 2. Brahma?ias (Ba-ra-mon), or the military class, 3 Vaisya (Bi-sha), or the merchants, and 4. /S'udras (Shu-da), or the hiisbandmen,^ Besides them, there was a mixed tribe called Kandkls^s. The men of a higher clas? looked upon those of a lower, as on the lower animals. For the purpose of destroying this rude custom, Buddha showed them the great path or doctrine, by which they could freely attain to Buddhahood, be- cause they were equally possessed of the nature of enlightenment. But, after Buddha entered Nirva^ia, lie people still did not quite forget their old rude ^ According to the Manu, the four castes are Brahma?ias, or the priestly class; Kshatrlyas, or ihe military class; Vaisya, or men whose business was agriculture and trade; and ySTidras, or the servilo tribe. SAN-RON-SHTJ. 51 customs, and believed only that they might attain to the state of /S'ravaL-as or Pratyekabuddhas, but not to Buddhahood, whicli hitter would be reached only by a person like /S'akyamuni in this universe. So that they doubted about the Mahayana doctrine, which taught that all beings would become Buddhas. It is just as a Preta (Ga-ki), or departed spirit, can- not see the water but only sees the fire while looking at the real water. There were three different collections of the Tripi- #aka made after Buddha's entery into NirVcUa. The first was the collection made within the cave of seven leaves near Ra^/agnha, the capital of Magadha. This is called the Tripi^aka of the Sthavira school (Jo-za-bu). The second was that made, without the cave. This is the Tripiiaka of tlie Mahasamghika school (Dai-shii-bu). The third was the (collection made by ILingnsvi and Maitreya. This is the collection of the Mahayana books.