The Practice of Mahāyāna Si Nianchu in Sixth Century China: Huisi's Interpretation and Practice of Si Nianchu in His Sui Ziyi Sanmei=中國六世紀的大乘四念處禪法 -- 慧思在《隨自意三昧》中對四念處之詮釋與修法
Huisi=慧思; Si Nianchu=四念處; Sui Ziyi Sanmei=隨自意三昧; Mahāyāna Meditation=大乘禪法
摘要
One of the most important recurring themes in Huisi’s 慧思 meditation texts is the practice of Si nianchu 四念處 (sm?ty-upasthāna, Four Mindfulnesses). However, unlike the Four Mindfulnesses prescribed in the Pāli Mahā-satipa??hāna Sutta or those described in the Chinese ?gamas, Huisi’s interpretations and practice of the Four Mindfulnesses draws extensively from the Mohe bore boluomi jing 摩訶般若波羅蜜經 (Pañcaviṃ?atisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra; hereafter: The Sūtra on the Perfection of Wisdom), the Da zhidu lun 大智度論 (Mahā-Prajāpāramitā?āstra; hereafter: The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom), and the Miaofa lianhua jing 妙法蓮華經 (Saddharmapu?darīka Sūtra) translated by Kumarājīva. In this paper, I would like to analyze Huisi’s Four Mindfulnesses in his Suiziyi sanmei 隨自意三昧 to clarify how Huisi’s Four Mindfulnesses reflected both the basic structure and a type of further development of the traditional Four Mindfulnesses. I would also analyze how Huisi’s elaboration of the Four Mindfulnesses is based on various Mahāyāna sūtras. This analysis will provide more clues for our understanding of the Mahāyāna Four Mindfulnesses meditation in sixth Century China and in the Chinese Mahāyāna meditation tradition.
