Kuiji’s Shuo Wugoucheng jing shu is a commentary on Xuanzang’s translation of the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa, and therefore differs from commentaries based on Kumārajīva’s translation. Kuiji abandoned the conceptual structure in Kumārajīva’s hermeneutic tradition to interpret Xuanzang’s translation of the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa, instead shifting to bodhisattva practice as its interpretative axis. In addition, Kuiji uses the Yogācāra theory of vijñapti to explain the qualities and causation of Buddha lands. He emphasizes the importance of chapter one, the preface, especially focusing on the dialogue of Buddha lands. However, Kuiji’s Shuo Wugoucheng jing shu never overtakes Kumārajīva’s tradition, not only because Kumārajīva’s translation had long been widely accepted by Chinese Buddhists, but also because of Kuiji’s interpretative strategy. Kuiji’s doctrinal classification, which follows the three sequential teachings in the Sandhinirmocana Sūtra, claims kongli 空理 and yingli 應理 doctrines are the two main systems in Mahāyāna. Kongli doctrine includes the madhyamaka of Bhavyaviveka, and yingli doctrine includes the Yogācāra of Dharmapāla and Yogācāra including tathāgatagarbha. People could not deny that the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa includes much kongli thought, but Kumārajīva’s tradition also uses tathāgatagarbha in its explanations. Kuiji emphasized yingli over kongli in his interpretation by including both kongli and yingli in his Shuo Wugoucheng jing shu. Kuiji’s original purpose is to emphasize the Yogācāra of Dharmapāla as a new and better approach for understanding and interpreting the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa, but he could not separate the tathāgatagarbha from Yogācāra or displace Kumārajīva’s tradition from the mainstream in Chinese Buddhism. Nevertheless, Kuiji’s Shuo Wugoucheng jing shu has its own value which can not be reduced to Kumārajīva’s tradition. Its claims about the relative truth of language and the ordinary world, and its emphasis on graduated bodhisattva practice are unique, different from the mādhyamaka focus on śūnyata. In short, Kuiji tried to save the ordinary world, but he still could not overcome Kumārajīva’s exegetical tradition.
