Cheng Weishi Lun
Encyclopedia
The Cheng Weishi Lun or Discourse on the Perfection of Consciousness-only is a comprehensive discourse on the central teachings of Yogacara, framed around Vasubandhu's
seminal Yogacara
work Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā ("Thirty Verses on Consciousness-only"). It was written by the Chinese
monk Xuanzang
in the 7th century CE. It is sometimes referred to as Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi, its equivalent name in the Sanskrit
language.
in India
at Nālandā University
, he discovered ten commentaries on Vasubandhu's Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā. He drew upon these commentaries, especially the commentary of Dharmapāla, when writing his own detailed explanation of the Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā, which became the Cheng Weishi Lun.
The Cheng Weishi Lun became one of the key texts of the Faxiang (Chinese Yogacara) school, and is also frequently quoted in the writings of Hossō (Japanese Yogacara) school, where it is referred to as the Jōyuishikiron.
in 1973. This translation is based upon Louis de La Vallée Poussin's early translation of the Cheng Weishi Lun into French
(Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi: La Siddhi de Hiuan-Tsang). Wei's translation is now out of print and difficult to find. More recently, Francis Cook made a new English translation of the text for the Numata Center's Taisho Tripitaka translation effort.
To date, the following English translations of the Cheng Weishi Lun have been rendered:
Dan Lusthaus
of the University of Missouri
has written a modern commentary on the Cheng Weishi Lun.
Vasubandhu
Vasubandhu was an Indian Buddhist monk, and along with his half-brother Asanga, one of the main founders of the Indian Yogācāra school. However, some scholars consider Vasubandhu to be two distinct people. Vasubandhu is one of the most influential figures in the entire history of Buddhism...
seminal Yogacara
Yogacara
Yogācāra is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing phenomenology and ontology through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices. It developed within Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism in about the 4th century CE...
work Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā ("Thirty Verses on Consciousness-only"). It was written by the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
monk Xuanzang
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period...
in the 7th century CE. It is sometimes referred to as Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi, its equivalent name in the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
language.
Origins and importance
When Xuanzang was studying BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
at Nālandā University
Nalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
, he discovered ten commentaries on Vasubandhu's Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā. He drew upon these commentaries, especially the commentary of Dharmapāla, when writing his own detailed explanation of the Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā, which became the Cheng Weishi Lun.
The Cheng Weishi Lun became one of the key texts of the Faxiang (Chinese Yogacara) school, and is also frequently quoted in the writings of Hossō (Japanese Yogacara) school, where it is referred to as the Jōyuishikiron.
English translations and scholarship
Wei Tat translated the Ch'eng Wei-Shih Lun into English for the first time in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1973. This translation is based upon Louis de La Vallée Poussin's early translation of the Cheng Weishi Lun into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi: La Siddhi de Hiuan-Tsang). Wei's translation is now out of print and difficult to find. More recently, Francis Cook made a new English translation of the text for the Numata Center's Taisho Tripitaka translation effort.
To date, the following English translations of the Cheng Weishi Lun have been rendered:
- Wei Tat, Ch'eng Wei-Shih Lun: Doctrine of Mere-Consciousness, Hardcover. 1973 ISBN unknown
- Francis H. Cook, Three Texts on Consciousness Only, Hardcover. 1999 ISBN 1-88643-904-4
Dan Lusthaus
Dan Lusthaus
Dan Lusthaus, a graduate of Temple University's Department of Religion, is a specialist in Yogācāra Buddhism. The author of several articles and books on the topic, Lusthaus has taught at UCLA, Florida State University, the University of Missouri, and in the Spring of 2005 he was a professor at...
of the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
has written a modern commentary on the Cheng Weishi Lun.
External links
- Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")
- excerpt--The Treatise on the Establishment of the Doctrine of Consciousness-Only
- Wei Tat (tr.) : Ch'eng wei-shih lun: The doctrine of mere-consciousness
- Epstein, Ronald. 1985. The Transformation of Consciousness into Wisdom in the Chinese Consciousness-Only School According to the Cheng Wei-Shi Lun.
- Wei Tat tr. : Cheng Wei-Shih Lun ( Doctrine of Mere-Consciousness) ebook