In the late Qing-early Republican period, the reintroduction from Japan of Yogacara classics such as the Cheng weishi lun shuji (Annotated Treatise on Consciousness-Only) parked an intense interest in studying the Yogacara, The history of early modem Buddhism records a similar phenomenon in the late Ming: a group of Buddhist laity and monastics attempted to understand the doctrinal implications of Yogacara classics such as the Cheng weishi Iun 成唯識論, Yinming ruzheng Iilun 因明入正理論, and Guan suoyuan yuan lun 觀所緣緣論 on the basis of later work such as the Huayenjing shuchao 華嚴經疏鈔 by Chingliang Chengguan 清涼澄觀, Zongjing Iu 宗鏡錄 by Yongming Yanshou 永明延壽, and Weishi kaimeng wenda 唯識開蒙問答 by Tongji Yunfeng 通濟雲峰. This vigorous scholarly interest lasted until the early Qing dynasty. Contemporary scholars in this field, such a. Sheng Yen 聖嚴 and Chang Chi-chiang 張志強, rely heavily on Buddhist scriptures in general circulation; there is still, however, a great deal of related literature lying scattered and relatively neglected in libraries across China and elsewhere. Systematic collation and analysis of these materials provide us with a more solid documentary foundation for a comprehensive study of Yogacara's development during the late Ming and early Qing period, helping us identify it ideological feature . orientation and contribution. The Cheng weishi fun was the primary object of Yogacara scholarship throughout that period. Accordingly, this article not only presents textual research specifically on the seven lesser known annotations of the Cheng weishi fun that the author has found in various libraries, but also elaborates on the potential value and significance of these annotations for the pedagogic history of Yogacara in that period. It is hoped that further scholarly attention will be given to this subject in future.
