early Mahāyāna samādhi sūtras; Śūraṃgamasamādhi-sūtra; infinite loop of self-reference; buddhist docetic theory; buddhist narratives
摘要
The aim of this paper is to provide a new interpretation for the term Śūraṃgama-samādhi, an important concept in the Mahāyāna literature, by proposing new exegeses of its primary and derivative meanings as they appear in the Śūraṃgamasamādhi-sūtra (hereafter SSS). While many have defined samādhi as a form of meditative practice, a state of mind, or a collection of terms as argued by Andrew Skilton, the concept samādhi in the SSS can be understood as a locus of gathering or convergence in the metaphorical sense. In SSS, this metaphorical location refers to the supramundane state of those buddhas and tenth-stage bodhisattvas, wherein all his supernatural powers and manifestations converge. Lamotte’s interpretation of Śūraṃgama as “marche héroïque/heroic progress”, however, only provides a single understanding of this polysemous concept. This article will offer a more nuanced understanding and interpretation of this compound term. Regarding the derivative meanings of the term, the present paper argues that the traditional interpretation of the term Śūraṃgama-samādhi (in the derivative meaning) as self-referential to the sūtra itself (Śūraṃgama-samādhi = SSS) does not align with the meaning of the term as it appears in the SSS. The exclusion of “self-reference” in our interpretation of the derivative meaning of the term therefore avoids the paradox of an “infinite loop of self-reference” as presented by past studies on the subject.
目次
Abstract 1 Keywords 1 1. Introduction: Previous Interpretations of the Term Śūraṃgamasamādhi 1 2. The Theoretical Issues Inherent to Previous Interpretations of the Term Samādhi 2 3. New Interpretation of the Primary Meaning of Śūraṃgama-Samādhi 4 3.1. Śūraṃgama-Samādhi as the Buddha’s Supramundane State of Being 4 3.2. Meaning of Samādhi: Why Is the Buddha’s Supramundane State Called Samādhi? 7 3.3. The Literal and Metaphorical Meaning of Śūraṃgama 10 4. Are There Appropriate Cultivation Practices Related to Śūraṃgama-Samādhi? 13 5. The Derivative Meanings of Śūraṃgama-Samādhi and Their Relationship with Narratives: Is There True Self-Reference in Mahāyāna Sūtras? 16 6. Conclusions 20 Funding 21 Institutional Review Board Statement 21 Informed Consent Statement 21 Data Availability Statement 21 Conflicts of Interest 21 Abbreviations 22 Notes 22 References 26
