Transcript Chinese and Western Philosophy: An Introduction

Buddhism
-Consciousness-only
School 唯識宗
Hsuan-Tsang 玄奘
(596?602?-664)
I. Sociopolitical influence more than
theoretical influence
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Brought back huge amount of Buddhist
works
Translation of the works
Introduction of Buddhist vocabularies to
Chinese life
Theoretically, the hair splitting analysis is
alien to the Chinese mind, which is more
inclined to make synthesis
II. Eight Consciousness
1-5: Five sense consciousnesses
(eye, ear, nose, tongue, body)
眼識，耳識，鼻識，舌識，身識
different spheres of external world
6: Sense-center consciousness
意識 (forms conceptions)
Third transformation 三能變
the consciousness that discriminates
spheres of objects 了別境識
external world as a whole
7: Thought-center consciousness
末那識 (wills and reasons)
Second transformation 二能變
the consciousness that deliberates 思量
takes alaya as its object
8: Storehouse consciousness
阿賴耶識 alaya. It stores the seed
in flux, being influenced by
the first 6 consciousnesses
and produces manifestations
First transformation 初能變
the consciousness whose fruits
(retribution) ripen at later times 異熟
Each consciousness is further analyzed into four functional portions: Objective, subjective, selfwitnessing, rewitnessing.
Each consciousness is also divided into many sub-categories and elements.
Buddhism
-Hua Yan School
華嚴宗
The most philosophical Buddhist school in China
Interpenetration and mutual identification/inclusion
Fa-tsang 法藏
(643-712)
Treatise on the Golden Lion 華嚴金獅子章
Hundred Gates to the Sea of Ideas of the Flowering Splendor Scripture 華嚴經義海百門
I. Discussion of the five doctrines
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Hinayana (Theravada) vs. Mahayana
Assessment of different schools: Self-justification
through a review of history.
An inclusive and developmental approach: Each stage is
higher than the one before but contains the insight of the
previous one in itself: from simple denial of the reality of
characters, to an affirmation of absolute emptiness; from
absolute emptiness to the recognition of dependent
arising or co-existence; from going beyond dependent
arising to sudden enlightenment, from non-attachment
to coming to the state of “the all is the one, the one is
the all” state of interpenetration and inclusion.
II. Interpenetration and mutual inclusion
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Hall and Ames: Four kinds of part-whole relations –
a) extrinsic parts and whole – a pile of potatoes.
b) functionally interrelated – an engine and the car.
c) the whole as an archetype and the parts as instances –
a chair and "furniture."
d) a part reflects or contains its whole in some
adumbrated sense – hologram.
Fa-zhang's Indra’s net example and the hall of mirrors (412).
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The gold lion as an illustration:
1. From the relationship between substance/principle (the gold) and
characters (the lion)
– The gold has no nature of its own. It shows itself through its
form/characters, which is caused by the craftsman. Apart from the gold
there is no character of the lion. The interpenetration of the substance and
its characters. Neither obstruct the other.
– Each part of the substance (the gold, one, the principle) reflects all the
other parts (the parts of the lion, many, dharma, the characters or facts),
and all the other parts reflect this part.
– The difference between the substance and characters arises because when
we look at the gold, there is no lion but gold, and when we look at the lion,
there is no gold but the lion. When one is manifest the other is hidden.
When we look at them both, they are both manifest and hidden. (7.5, p.
411-2)
2. From causal relation
– The way that the gold and the lion are formed is done through the mind.
(7.10, p. 413)
– The lion (dharma) comes into existence and goes out of existence, linked by
their causes. So instances of time (past, present, future) all contain each
other. When one arises, all others arise. (7.9, p. 412)
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III. Six Characters (section 8)
1. Universality
2. Specialty
3. Similarity
4. Difference
5. Integration
6. Disintegration
Three pairs, all present in the gold lion.
When the holistic vision is attained, one reaches Nirvana.
IV. Four kinds of Causes:
1. Karma causation (业感缘起)
2. Causation by the storehouse consciousness
(alaya) (赖耶缘起)
3. Causation by thusness (真如缘起)
4. Dharmadhatu causation (法界缘起)
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Daily One-minute Paper
1. What is the big point you learned in class today?
2. What is the main, unanswered question you leave
class with today?