The debate over the Treatise on the Immutability of Things (Wu pu ch'ien lun) in the late Ming is an important event in the history of modern Buddhist thought. Centering on the meaning of "immutability" (pu ch'ien) in the Treatise , the debate engaged a number of prominent exegetes and practitioners from late Ming Buddhist circles for several decades. This study is limited to a description of the central arguments of each school, and the critique presented by K'ung-yin Chen-ch'eng, advocate of a theory of "movement" (wang-huan pien-lun). This paper is divided into two sections. The first section examines the content of Chen-ch'eng's critique and the objections raised by his opponents during the early years of the debate. The second section examines the debates between various thinkers during the later period. Finally, the conclusion lists four propositions that point to the significance of the debate for Buddhist reform of the late Ming：(1) the debate was a search for legitimacy and a re-examination of the original meaning of the scriptures; (2) the debate reflects a tension between a rational epistemological model and a direct , intuitive model; (3) the debate marks the end of traditional Buddhist exegesis; (4) the debate was a natural development of the popularization of Buddhist thought. For all of these reasons, the debate on the Treatise on the Immutability of Things is an excellent starting point for an inquiry into the state of Buddhist thought at the end of the Ming , and as such is worthy of attention.
