Chengguan=澄觀; Chan school=禪宗; Huayan school=華嚴宗; Tang dynasty=唐朝; Chinese Buddhism=中國佛教; mind=心; Buddhist philosophy=佛教哲學
摘要
The article consists of a translation and study of Chengguan da huangdaizi wen xinyao 澄觀答皇太子問心要 (Chengguan’s Response to the Crown Prince’s Query about the Essentials of Mind), a short philosophical essay composed by Chengguan 澄觀 (738–839), the reputed fourth patriarch of the Huayan school 華嚴宗. The text provides a succinct and eloquent summation of Chengguan’s discernment and elucidation of the central tenets of Buddhism, with a focus on the true nature of mind and reality. Instead of situating the text under a narrow sectarian rubric—or reading it as a compelling summary of Huayan doctrine—the article argues that the essay’s contents point to the existence of a general philosophical viewpoint and a soteriological stance that were embraced by the main traditions of elite Buddhism during the late Tang era. Accordingly, Chengguan’s essay exemplifies the broad acceptance of a pan-sectarian Buddhist framework—with its repertoire of literary metaphors, specialized terminology, and philosophical outlook—that was shared by major Buddhist traditions such as Tiantai 天臺, Huayan, and Chan 禪.
