dc.description.abstract | The motivation and purpose of this study were mainly to clarify the ontological ideas of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, and to present the practice methods – cultivation based on the popular “Platform Sutra” as the core. It mainly uses Buddhist Studies research method (philosophical investigations) and textual analysis; and by asking questions, clarifying and solving the problems in order to explore the main idea for this thesis.
This study intends to explore the Buddhist ontological thoughts, the Buddha-nature ontology of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, and its presentation of spiritual cultivation. The former acts as the background and basic knowledge for this research on ontology. The latter is the core and the research objective of this study. The preliminary results of the research in this thesis can be summarized into three points:
1. Buddhist ontological philosophy generally has three characteristics: first, Buddhist ontological philosophy is an expedient means, a kind of “provisional name” (existence/phenomena); second, Buddhist ontology is a category of ontology that belongs to the kind of practical and verificable that “can be proved, can be cultivated, and can be realised”; the third is that Buddhist ontological philosophy is different from Western ontological philosophy and does not violate the position of Buddhist thought.
2. The Buddha-nature of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, can be integrated into two major characteristics: First, from the language aspect, the phrases spoken by the sixth Patriarch Huineng such as “Buddha-nature”, “Self-nature”, “Innate-nature", “True-nature”, “Subtle-Nature”, “Real-nature”, and “Dharma-nature” are words that refer to the indifference of “Buddha-nature ontology” and “noumenon-phenomenon”. Second, in terms of the features, it can be summarized into five major characteristics: (1) Buddha-nature ontology is inherently sufficient, neither increasing nor decreasing; (2) Buddha-nature ontology has the characteristic of purity and unshakability; (3) Buddha-nature ontology has the characteristic of non-duality; (4) the Buddha-nature ontoloty is able to give rise to tens of thousands of dharmas, which is intended to contain the meaning of “arising from conditions”, the subtle functions arising from Buddha-nature; (5) the Buddha-nature ontology acts as the proof of the seal of realisation according to the Chan School.
3. The practice method of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch: is mainly an in-depth exploration. There are three methods: (1) “Three Non Purposes”, (2) “Cultivation from the Results” and (3) “The Method of Non-duality”. “Three Non Purposes” is the main essence of cultivation, “Cultivation from the Results” is to attain Buddhahood by practicing from the Buddha-nature ontology, and the “Method of Non-duality” is for the transmission of the Dharma and to teach everyone, so that they can return to the real meaning of the middle path and to return to the Buddha-nature ontology.
Based on the preliminary results, the present study explored Buddha-nature ontological thoughts of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch using the “Platform Sutra” as the core of research; and the viability of the proposed research, hopes the method used in this study, is beneficial to the public, that the body and mind can be settled. It′s the key to spiritual practices, can enlighten the good roots in people′s minds, makes hearing it can enable the body and mind to be at ease. This is the cause for the intention to make an in-depth study of Buddha-nature ontology of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch and its practice of the Dharma, and the thesis will present it as the inherent Buddha-nature ontology and the explicit self-cultivation practice method. | en_US |