Sanlun

The Sanron Shuu (Japanese三 论 宗; German about "school of three Shastra ") is a 7th century emerged from the Chinese sanlun Japanese form of the philosophical school of Madhyamaka Mahayana Buddhism. The name refers to the canon of the school, consisting of the three discussions (三 论Chinese, Pinyin sanlun, W.-G. San -lun ) is.

History

Himself a disciple of the founder of, The own to tradition, the Sanron Shuu was in the year 625 by the Korean monk Hye -kuan ( 600; jap Ekan ), a student of Ji Cang ( 549-623; Chinese吉 蔵; jap Kichizo justified sanlun branch Fa - long, Seng - ch'uan ) in Japan and the gango -ji spread, which is why he is considered their first Patriarch. ( Jap. ESO 600 ) has been used in Japan Actually Sanron teachings were but previously by Hye- cha ( 600; ; jap Eji teacher of Prince Shōtoku Taishi ) and Hye- chong.

Hye -kuan was awarded in the year of his arrival in Japan a year earlier -created title of Sojo, who referred to the highest office in the former Buddhist Japan at all. Associated with this was the task of true doctrine and discipline to ensure the monastic system.

Hye- Kuan students who monk scholars (僧 学者, sōgakusha ) Fukuryō and chizo, led by him in the 7th century continues the Sanron shū. Chizo taught after a trip to China on Hōryū -ji and was also appointed 673 Sojo. He is regarded as the second patriarch of the school.

Third Patriarch was the monk scholar Doji ( 675-744 ), a student Chizōs, the 701 or 702-718 the Daian -ji in Nara made ​​after a stay in China to the center of the school and shortly again strengthened the influence of the Sanron shū, who was conceived in the course of strengthening the Hosso shū already on the wane. Nevertheless, the philosophical teachings of the Sanron shū in the early Nara period should still count to the most dominant, although it already at this time in various non-uniform teaching centers on gango -ji, Daian -ji, Saidai -ji, Hōryū -ji and the Todai -ji was fragmented.

Middle of the Nara period there was a new Sanron teaching in Japan, the Betsu - Sanron which fell back in disregarding the lineage of Ji Cang on the Indian tradition of the sixth and seventh centuries.

Under the influence of Shingon shū came to an increased interest in esoteric Buddhism ( Mikkyo ) in the Heian period within the Sanron shū. The Shingon monk and founder of the Tozan -ha of Shugendō Shobo (圣 宝; 832-909 ) directed the early 10th century, the Tonan in at Todai -ji as a center of Sanron studies. Its application allows combination of Sanron and Shingon teachings became known under the name Ronmitsu to their known representatives Yokan (1033-1111), were among Chinkai (1087-1165) and Myōhen ( 1142-1224 ). However, this line ultimately died with the death of the priest Echin in 1169.

More to the teachings of Sanron shū committed, but already on the synthesis of their teachings with those of other schools hinarbeitende authors were Chūdōbō Shoshu († 1291 ) at the Shingon in the Todai -ji and Chozen († 1307 ) on the Keigū - in the Koryu -ji in Kyoto. Together with the Shinzen - in of the Todai -ji, these were the - even if only academic - centers of Sanron activities until the late Muromachi period. At about this time went out the Sanron shū but as an independent school and, like the Kusha shū and Jōjitsu shū, only an object of academic studies for other schools. As the teachings of Hosso shū should determine the development of Buddhism in Japan until the present day its theoretical core but.

Writings

The above-mentioned three discussions are:

• Churon ( Skt. Madhyamaka - sastra; German about " discourse on the Middle Way " ), a commentary on Nagarjuna's Mula -Madhyamaka Karika, originated in the 4th century. The authorship is disputed.
• Jūnimon - ron ( Skt. Dvādaśa Nikāya - sastra; German about " discourse to the Twelve additions " ), a text by Nagarjuna himself
• Hyaku - ron ( Skt. Sata Sastra; German about " discourse in a hundred verses " ), a text of Nagarjuna students Aryadeva ( 3rd century; jap Daiba ).

All texts are translations of the Chinese translations of Sanskrit originals, made ​​by Kumarajiva ( 344-413; jap Kumarajū ), an Indian monk and scholar who had translated tons of Buddhist scriptures. They contain a variety of teachings of the Indian Mādhyamika, which are usually developed in refutations of other teachings.

The oldest surviving writings, which were written by representatives of the Sanron shū, date from the 8th century, including by Chiko (a student Chizōs ) the Hannya -shin - gyō - justu -gi, a commentary on the Hannya -shin - gyō and Ancho ( 763-814; student of Zengi ( 729-812 ), himself a disciple of doji ) the Chūgan - ron -sho -ki -ki -sho or Churon (not to be confused with the same name but only known by name font by Chiko ), a commentary on the Churon.

Teaching

The Sanron shū radicalized explicated by Nagarjuna logic of Tetralemma and turned it on without restriction to all discussed in their statements, which were therefore considered to be indefinite and, therefore, mutatis mutandis empty (Japanese kū ), which ultimately also on the teaching of Sanron shū themselves were correct, and just as well this assertion, etc. ad infinitum. By all concepts and linguistic statements are also subjected to the " Middle Way eightfold negation " (Japanese happu - Chudo ) without exception, are even contradictory monistic or dualistic positions avoided and the enlightenment, ie the entry can be achieved nirvana.

False Doctrines

The false teachings hang of Sanron shū according to four different categories of attachment:

• Non-Buddhist teachings, who believe in the existence of the self and the factors of existence (which includes the materialists and the representatives of the concept of atman )
• Doctrines that understand the Abhidharma wrong (including the Sarvastivadin with their view of the eternal existence of the Dharma in the three worlds, ie, the temporal modes past, present and future)
• Teachings, adhering to the concept of emptiness of self and Dharma ( this includes the Jōjitsu shū )
• Teachings that hold on to postulate the non-existence (including Mahayanist teachings that claim their non-existence in the rejection hīnayānistischer teachings )

Tetralemma

All alleged views of these teachings (as well as all views at all) are, according to the Sanron shū assigned to one of four formulas of Tetralemmas:

After assigning the concrete individual views the writings of Sanron shū then continue with it, to refute this in a reductio ad absurdum. Ultimately, the only truth is true only those that lie beyond these points of view, namely the absolute truth ( satya paramārtha ).

However, this come in its absoluteness also no independent existence to, but defined only in the rejection of the Nirvana be detrimental ( ie here: all in accordance with the Tetralemma explicated ) provisions by virtue of insight into their emptiness, which in the systematic analysis of the rejection of just the claims of these insights (which always are explicable only in the form of tetralemma ) in a process of the middle way ad infinitum means.

Interpretation of the factors of existence

Unlike the Abhidharma schools did not share the Sanron shū the existence of factors in complex systems of categories, but took a simple scheme of different classes interpreting the factors of existence:

Classification of Sutras

Unlike in Buddhist schools usually, the Sanron shū took a no establishment of a hierarchy of sutras in reference to the ability to explain one's own teaching. To include line-ups of both Sutras suttas from the area of ​​Hinaya and the Mahāyāna, so accordingly of Sravakas ( ie, anyone that understands itself as a disciple of Buddha teachers ) as well as Bodhisattvas. Ultimately, however, were for the Sanron shū all sutras only means that could only in their adaptation to the conventional understanding of the learner relevance, but thus as an adapted teaching ( upaya ) are generally equivalent.