以「善巧方便」為核心的《法華經》思想理念及其對當代佛教義學建構之可能價值=An Analysis of the Lotus Sutra Focusing on Upayakausalya and its Possible Contribution to the Contemporary Construction of Buddhist Thought
In this paper, the author begins with the dialogue between Master Lushan Huiyuan (AD 334-416) and the famous Buddhist translator Master Kumārajīva (344-413) in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Prajñāpāramitā Sutra proposed an analogy for the relation between Prajñāpāramitā and upāyakauśalya (skillful means) of a bodhisattva as the two wings of a bird, thus promoting discussion of the contrast between the Prajñāpāramitā Sutra and another famous Mahayana Buddhist classic, the Lotus Sutra. Based on this discussion, this paper tries to make a detailed analysis of the related analogy in the Aṣtasāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā, the earliest Prajñāpāramitā Sutra. Meanwhile, the author also cites other evidence in this sutra to emphasize the similarity between Prajñāpāramitā and upāyakauśalya. Next, by reinterpreting the Lotus Sutra, the author demonstrates that concepts and thought related to skillful means are the core and most important ideas in this classic early Mahayana scripture. By doing so, our paper confirms the extremely important position of this special bodhisattva wisdom, skillful means, in Mahayana thought. The author also seeks to outline the logic of Mahayana thought based on upāyakauśalya. Finally, the author innovatively reveals the meaning of this kind of bodhisattva wisdom towards the contemporary construction of Buddhist thought.
