现代中国的《起信》义诤与“比较经学” [Debates about The Awakening of Faith Sutra in Contemporary China from the Perspective of Comparative Scripture]

Abstract

The Awakening of Faith Sutra is foundational for the formation and development of Chinese Buddhism. But as for the identity of its author and translator there are still lots of debates. The beginning of 20th century saw a heated debate on this issue between Chinese and Japanese Buddhist scholars. The discussion influenced the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism and even affected the methodology of traditional Chinese cultural thinking. There was passionate discussion concerning the core ideas and historical influence of the Awakening of Faith Sutra among the three leading scholars of 20th century China, XIONG Shili, LYU Cheng and Yinshun. Facing the modern transformation of Chinese society, the three Buddhist scholars chose different stands and thus developed different interpretations of the Sutra. Their interpretations were all profound, though they were very different from each other. This debate could be regarded as an exercise in comparative scripture within Chinese Buddhism. Studying the debate carefully provides unique stimulation for doing comparative scripture today.