Sanlun
Encyclopedia
Mādhyamaka in East Asia refers to the Buddhist traditions in East Asia
which represent the India
n Mādhyamaka
system of thought. In Chinese Buddhism, these are often referred to as the Sānlùn school (Ch. 三論宗), or "Three Treatise" school, known as Sanron in Japanese Buddhism.
and Āryadeva
, which were then translated into Chinese
by Kumārajīva
. These three foundational texts are:
Nāgārjuna is traditionally regarded as the Indian founder of the Sanlun school, while Kumārajīva is traditionally regarded as the founder of Sanlun school in China. However, the Three Treatise teachings were perhaps first propagated widely by Jizang
.
In the 20th century, a famous monk of the Sanlun school was Venerable Yin Shun
.
, the Korea
n monk Ekan
brought the Sanlun school to Japan
, where it was known as Sanron. Like all early Buddhist schools in Nara
, Japan
it eventually died out and was absorbed by later Japanese Buddhist sects, such as Shingon and Tendai
.
The Three Treatise School, in keeping with Madhyamika doctrine, teaches that all phenomena, including ideas and thoughts, are fundamentally empty of a permanent, static existence. This is also defined as shunyata
in Buddhism. In conventional existence, all phenomena can be said to exist, have names and so on, but in the Sanlun school, the ultimate truth is their empty nature.
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
which represent the 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...
n Mādhyamaka
Madhyamaka
Madhyamaka refers primarily to a Mahāyāna Buddhist school of Buddhist philosophy systematized by Nāgārjuna. Nāgārjuna may have arrived at his positions from a desire to achieve a consistent exegesis of the Buddha's doctrine as recorded in the āgamas...
system of thought. In Chinese Buddhism, these are often referred to as the Sānlùn school (Ch. 三論宗), or "Three Treatise" school, known as Sanron in Japanese Buddhism.
History in China
The name Sanlun derives from the fact that its doctrinal basis is formed by three principal Mādhyamaka texts composed by NāgārjunaNagarjuna
Nāgārjuna was an important Buddhist teacher and philosopher. Along with his disciple Āryadeva, he is credited with founding the Mādhyamaka school of Mahāyāna Buddhism...
and Āryadeva
Aryadeva
Aryadeva , was a disciple of Nagarjuna and author of several important Mahayana Madhyamaka Buddhist texts. He is also known as Kanadeva the 15th patriarch in the Zen tradition and Bodhisattva Deva in Sri Lanka where he was born as the son of a king. Some Chinese sources however, suggest he was...
, which were then translated into Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
by Kumārajīva
Kumarajiva
Kumārajīva; was a Kuchean Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. Kumārajīva settled in Chang'an, which was the imperial...
. These three foundational texts are:
- Nāgārjuna's MūlamadhyamakakārikāMulamadhyamakakarikaThe Mūlamadhyamakakārikā , or Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way, is a key text by Nagarjuna, one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.-Competing interpretations:...
, or "Fundamental Verses on the Middle WayMiddle wayThe Middle Way or Middle Path is the descriptive term that Siddhartha Gautama used to describe the character of the path he discovered that led to liberation. It was coined in the very first teaching that he delivered after his enlightenment...
" (Ch. 中論, T. 1564) - Nāgārjuna's Dvādaśanikāyaśāstra, or "Treatise on the Twelve Gates" (Ch. 十二門論, T. 1568)
- Āryadeva's Śatakaśāstra, or "Hundred-Verse Treatise" (百論, T. 1569)
Nāgārjuna is traditionally regarded as the Indian founder of the Sanlun school, while Kumārajīva is traditionally regarded as the founder of Sanlun school in China. However, the Three Treatise teachings were perhaps first propagated widely by Jizang
Jizang
Jizang was a Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar who is often regarded as the founder of the Three Treatise School. He is also known as Jiaxiang or Master Jiaxiang , because he acquired fame at the Jiaxiang Temple.-Biography:...
.
In the 20th century, a famous monk of the Sanlun school was Venerable Yin Shun
Yin Shun
Yin Shun was a well-known Buddhist monk and scholar in the tradition of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, particularly the Three Treatise school. Yin Shun's research helped bring forth the ideal of Humanistic Buddhism, a leading mainstream Buddhist philosophy studied and upheld by many practitioners...
.
History in Japan
In 625625
Year 625 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 625 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Religion :* March 23 – Battle of Uhud Year 625...
, the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n monk Ekan
Ekan
Hyegwan Hyegwan Hyegwan (Japanese: was a priest who came across the sea from Goguryeo to Japan in the Asuka period. He is known for introducing the Chinese Buddhist school of Sanlun to Japan.Ekan studied under Jizang and learned Sanron...
brought the Sanlun school to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where it was known as Sanron. Like all early Buddhist schools in Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
it eventually died out and was absorbed by later Japanese Buddhist sects, such as Shingon and Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
.
The Three Treatise School, in keeping with Madhyamika doctrine, teaches that all phenomena, including ideas and thoughts, are fundamentally empty of a permanent, static existence. This is also defined as shunyata
Shunyata
Śūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...
in Buddhism. In conventional existence, all phenomena can be said to exist, have names and so on, but in the Sanlun school, the ultimate truth is their empty nature.