Mahaparinirvana-sutra (abbreviated as Nirvana-sutra) refers to the true permanence thought, meaning the thoughts that one can exploit terms as perpetual constancy, tranquility, self-dominance, and purity for description, such as often used “Buddha-body” and “Buddha-earth,” and “Nirvana View” that enters Nirvana, and “Buddha-nature View” with Buddha-nature found on the multitude. Of those thoughts, they are different from what was inherited by Ji-tsang with regard to the series of Buddhist scholarship on Parajna and Madhyamika. However, Nirvana-sutra was most prevalent and popular in the Buddhist world where Ji-tsang was, and even a group of nirvana masters were formed who specializes in the discussion of such argumentation. Based on the contextual factor, it had rendered Ji-tsang to acquire certain level of understanding for Nirvana-sutra. Nonetheless, would such understanding have affected the integrated sect of Sanlun he inherited and turn out with diverse interpretation? Or, how would Ji-tsang first base on its fundamentals to view about the thought of real-constancy of Nirvana-sutra? And it is exactly the problem the author would like to investigate. This article would focus on the true permanence thought in Nirvana-sutra for elaboration, and then discourse and expound the core idea and theoretical structure regarding the teaching of Ji-tsang. In conclusion, it would clarify the attitude it holds for true permanence thought in Nirvana-sutra.
