Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 23. (Budapest, 2004)
Imre HAMAR: Hermeneutical Methods in Chengguan's Commentary to the Avatamsakasütra
ancient as that of the Classics. Even vernacular elements infiltrated into the first renditions of Buddhist scriptures. 18 Vocabulary and grammar had not changed much since these texts appeared, therefore there was not so much need for glosses to words and grammatical explanation. The greatest challenge for Buddhist commentators lay, no doubt, in establishing the coherence of diverse sütras which were spoken or at least inspired by Buddha himself. In the early apologetic work, How Master Mou Removes the Doubts (Mouzi lihuo lun •^^BË^fi), 19 Buddhism was criticised by a Confucian scholar, because its scriptures were too vast, hence nobody could read all of them. 20 The Buddhists created a new hermeneutical method, called panjiao PWi (classification of teachings) which is supposed to systematise all Buddhist teachings by establishing a hierarchy among them. 21 The first panjiao systems appeared in the prefaces to commentaries. As the preface became more and more extensive and detailed, it was called Xuantan Enigmatical Discussion. 22 This title reveals the close relationship between Buddhist exegesis and Xuanxue. Scholar monks attempted to define the central concept that underlies the sütra they studied. In case of Huayan tradition, Zhiyan, Fazang and Chengguan agreed that the central concept of the Avatamsakasütra is the dharmadhätu dependent arising ifajie yuanqi ÍQ), which reveals the interrelatednes of all phenomena. The Avatamsakasütra is a collection of formerly independently circulated sütras, therefore it needed a great hermeneutical effort of commentators to substantiate its coherence. A narrative framework served as a convenient means establishing closer connection between the isolated chapters closer, thus commentators emphasised the "seven places and eight or nine assembles" (qichu baljiu hui tMA/Jla") where and during which this sütra was preached. To prove that the sequence of chapters is definitely not accidental but is arranged with a hidden meaning, Chengguan introduces the term laiyi ~$£M, the purport of coming, at the beginning of his commentary to every chapter where he explains the reason why the chapter he is going to comment on appears at that place of the sütra. In the Christian tradition, Origen and Eusebius argued that the four Gospels follow one another in an ordered sequence. 23 The genuine hermeneutical method that Chinese Buddhists invented is the kepan or kewen PtlSC, structuring the text. The invention is sometimes attributed to Daoan, but in his extant commentaries it is not found. This is the reason why Öchö Enichi credits Daosheng with this device whose commentary to the Lotus sütra includes the structure of the text. 24 However, the categories of introductory section (xufen hlHrr), the sütra proper (zhengzong JETIK) and concluding section (liutongfen IjniMft-) are not used. He surmises that these three categories, which later became the standard scheme for division of a sütra, originated with the commentators of the Lotus sütra in the Liang dynasty. 25 Chengguan's Commentary is a fine example of a sophisticated kepan, as he provides a very complicated outline of the sütra by carefully examining and giving heading to every passage that form a coherent unity. Through realising the hierarchy of these small units, the structure of the text, readers can get access to the meaning of the text more easily. After all, the whole text cannot be understood without the correct understanding of the parts. Kepan furnishes a new perspective to reading and understanding Mahäyäna sütras. It requires constant deconstruction and reconstruction of the text. It stops the overwhelming flow of words which sometimes makes reading sütras tedious for those who either have not reached the realm from which these scripture originate, or do not have the faith that presupposes a kind of insight into that world. It breaks the text into small pieces in order to reconstruct it by showing the connection between the parts and establishing their hierarchy. It introduces an analytical level that coexists with the original mythological level of the sütra. Finally, I am going to show how Chengguan made his comments in order to reveal the hidden meaning of the text. The chapter we selected from this voluminous scripture is of great inter-
