Prajna Paramita Thought and Chinese Ch'an
by
Bhikshuni Shih Hui Wen
4. PRAJNA-PARAMITA TEXTS IN CHINESE
During the one hundred odd years from Chu
Shih-hsing's 
promotion of the Prajna-Paramita to Master Kumarajiva's translations, the
Buddhist doctrines most flourishing in China were those of the Prajna-paramita.
A list of famous monks and scholars of the Western and Eastern Chin
dynasties ( 
, 265-420) who
specialized in the Prajna-paramita may be given here:
Chu
Shih-hsing who lectured on the Astasahasrika Prajna-paramita and left
China in 260 in
order to obtain more complete texts,
Wei
Shih-tu 
who composed an
abstract of Lokaksema's version of the Astasahasrika
Prajna-paramita,
Po
Fa-tso 
,
?-306) from Northern Honan,
who wrote a commentary on the Fang-Kuang
ching 
,
Chih
Hsiao-lung 
who revised the Fang-kuang
ching in 303 together with Chu
Shu-lan (
),
Chung-shan
Chih he-shang 
who copied the
Fang-kuang ching. K'ang Seng-yuan 
who specialized in the exegesis of the smaller and larger . versions of
the
Prajna-paramita in the first half of the fourth century,
Chih
Min-tu 
who developed the
teaching of the non-existence of mind.
Chu fa-ya 
of the early fourth
century who began to explain. Buddhist texts by
Taoist terminology,
Chu
Tao-ch'ien (
,286-374) who
expounded the larger Prajna-Paramita,
Chu
Fa-yun 
, a student of Chu Tao-ch'ien
who was well-versed In the Fang-kuang ching,
Chih
Tun ( 
, or Tao-lin 
.314-366) who specialized In the
Tao-hsing ching
YU
Fa-K'ai ( 
, ca.300-370) who
lectured on the Fang-Kuang ching and disputed with
Chih Tun on the theory
of the emptiness of matter as such,
Shih
Tao-an who explained the larger and smaller versions of the Prajna-paramita,
Chu
Pa-t'ai (
, 320-387) who
lectured on the Fang-Kuang chinq and disputed with
Hsi Ch'ao.
Chu
Seng-fu (
, ca. 300-370) who
specialized in the exegesis of the larger and
smal1er Prajna-paramita.
Shih
Tao-li 
, a disciple of tao an
who gave lectures on the Fang-kuang ching,
YU
Fa-tao (
)who expounded the Fang-kuang
ching,
Shih Hui-yuan who devoted much energy to the study of the Prajna-paramita,
Tao-i
ni'(
) Hui-yuan's aunt who
lectured also on the smaller Prajna paramita,
Hsi
Ch'ao (
,336-377) who support ed
the teachings of Chih Tao-lin,
Ho
Mo 
who agreed with Yu Fa-kai's
teachings,
Yin
Hao (
?-356) who devoted
several years to the study of the Prajna-paramita,
"The
Monk from the North" (
) who met Chih Tun at Wa-kuan Monastery (
)and
explained the smaller version of the Prajna-paramita,
Fa-wei 
, a student of Yu fa-kai's
who disputed with Chih Tun.6
Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva's extraordinary importance is obvious
since he executed two of the "four great translations"
during the Eastern Chin dynasty (
317-420), viz. that of the
Prajna-paramita sutras and related
works like the Ta chi-tu lun, and that of the Lotus
Sutra. The most comprehensive translation of a
Prajna-paramita sutra is that in 600 fascicles by Hsuan-tsang (
,600-664)
but several parts of it had been translated before. (The Chinese text of
this paper adds a "Comparative Chart of the Maha-prajna"
paramita Sutra and Its Partial Translations.")
CONCLUDING REMARKS
I have
tried u show how Chinese Ch'an developed from Prajna-paramita thought
because Prajna-paramita texts provide the basis of the Mahayana school of
emptiness, Some aspects of traditional Chinese philo sophy approximate the
Buddhist teachings, too, wherefore true emptiness and wonderful existence
came to flourish 1n this country. As to non-emptiness in
emptiness, the
gist of Buddha's spirit of wisdom and compassion, and the four
Immeasurable attitudes of benevolence, compassion, joy over the good done
by others, and equanimity, she could not only equal, but even surpassed
the corresponding State of development in India.
Living
in the last decades of the 20th Century, while we are making great strides
in terms of material progress, we shou1d promulgate the Prajna-paramita
thought of true emptiness and wonderful existence in order to teach
humankind compassion and wisdom. This influence of Prajna-paramita
thought hopefully intensifies the emphasis on the right thought of
compassion
and, wisdom and helps to deve1op this twofold concept so that
not only the survival of humankind may be secured, but also life in peace
be attained.
Right wisdom, right confidence, and right thought are aspects of the Buddhist view of human life. May all people concerned cooperate full of vigor and create a happy future for humankind along these lines!
NOTES:
5 v.
Shih Yin-hai 
tr.: Chung-yin
Ch'an Tsunq shih 
Taipei 1972,
p. 94.
6 cf.
T'ang Hsi-yu
: Liang-han wei
chin nan-bei-chao fo-chiao shih,
, Ting-wen shu-chu, Taipei 1976, 2nd ed., pp. 155-157.