Commentary on the Rebirth of the Pure Land

Japanese: 《往生論註》 - おうじょうろんちゅう

...The Pure Land doctrine and faith that guided the Japanese monks Honen and Shinran began with Donlan at the end of the Northern Wei dynasty, passed through Doshaku, and was perfected by Zendo. Donlan, who was initially familiar with Nagarjuna's emptiness philosophy, met the Indian monk Bodhiruci in Luoyang and was shown a new translation of the Muryoju Sutra, which led him to convert to Pure Land Buddhism. Later, at the Xuanzhong Temple in Shanxi, he wrote a commentary on the Sutra, Commentary on Rebirth in the Pure Land, proclaiming that one should take the easy path of relying on the power of the Buddha's original vow as a path of Buddhist training, and established the Pure Land doctrine that places the so-called Three Pure Land Sutras at the center of faith in rebirth in the Pure Land. The Three Pure Land Sutras are the Sutra of Immeasurable Life translated by Kangsenggai of the Three Kingdoms Wei Dynasty, the Sutra of Contemplation of Immeasurable Life believed to have been translated by Choranyasa of the Southern Song Dynasty, and the Sutra of Amitabha translated by Kumarajiva of the Later Qin Dynasty. Of these, the Sutra of Immeasurable Life has seven versions, including five Chinese translations, Sanskrit and Tibetan versions, and explains the original vow of Amitabha Buddha, forming the basis of Pure Land doctrine. The Sutra of Immeasurable Life is also available in Sanskrit and Tibetan versions, and because it succinctly summarizes the state of Pure Land, it is the sutra that is most often recited or copied, and has helped to popularize Pure Land Buddhism. On the other hand, the original Sanskrit text of the Sutra of Contemplation of Immeasurable Life has not survived, and there are various theories that it was written in Central Asia or China.

From the Commentary on the Pure Land Treatise

…The main work of the Chinese Northern Wei monk Donluan (476-542). It is a commentary on the Pure Land Treatise by Vasubandhu (Vasupad or Vasubandhu) of India, and is also called the Commentary on Rebirth in the Pure Land, or the Commentary on the Pure Land. It is also abbreviated to the Commentary or Commentary on the Pure Land Treatise. 2 volumes. …

From Donran

...But in Luoyang, he met Bodhiruci, who had come from North India, and was given the newly translated "Commentary on the Sutra of Immeasurable Life" (also called "Contemplation of the Sutra of Immeasurable Life") by Vasshin. He was so ashamed that he burned the "Shinju Sutra" and converted to Pure Land Buddhism, and later lived in Shibi Xuanzhong Temple in Fenzhou. He regarded the so-called "Three Pure Land Sutras" ("Commentary on the Treatise on Immeasurable Life", "Contemplation of the Sutra of Immeasurable Life", and "Amitabha Sutra") as sacred texts for the belief in rebirth in the Pure Land, and wrote "Ges in Praise of Amitabha Buddha", which could be called a hymn to Amitabha Buddha, in addition to his main work "Commentary on the Treatise on Immeasurable Life", which is a commentary on the "Commentary on the Treatise on Immeasurable Life", and proclaimed that one should abandon the "difficult path" and adopt the "easy path" of relying on the power of the Buddha's vows, and established the Pure Land doctrine. Its doctrine was transmitted to Japan via Doshaku and Zendo, and became the basis of Honen and Shinran, especially Shinran's Pure Land doctrine.

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to the "Commentary on the Treatise on Sheng Buddhism" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…日本の法然，親鸞らを導いた純浄土教義と信仰は，北魏末の曇鸞（どんらん）に始まり，道綽（どうしやく）を経て善導によって大成される。はじめ竜樹系の空思想に親しんでいた曇鸞は，洛陽でインド僧の菩提流支に会い，新訳の世親撰《無量寿経論》を示されて浄土教に回心し，のち山西の玄中寺でこれを注解した《往生論註》を撰述し，仏道修行の道として仏の本願力に乗ずる易行道につくことを宣布するとともに，いわゆる〈浄土三部経〉を浄土往生の信仰の中心とする浄土教義をうちたてた。〈浄土三部経〉とは，三国魏の康僧鎧訳《無量寿経》と南朝宋の畺良耶舎訳とされる《観無量寿経》と後秦のクマーラジーバ(鳩摩羅什)訳の《阿弥陀経》で，そのうち《無量寿経》は漢訳5本のほかにサンスクリット本とチベット本の計7種があり，阿弥陀仏の本願を説いて浄土教義の基本となり，《阿弥陀経》はサンスクリット本やチベット本もあり，浄土のありさまを簡潔にまとめているので，最もよく読誦あるいは書写されて浄土教を普及したのに対し，《観無量寿経》はサンスクリット原典が残存せず，中央アジア撰述説，中国撰述説などが唱えられている経典である。…

【浄土論註】より

…中国，北魏の僧曇鸞（どんらん）(476‐542)の主著。インドのバスバンドゥ(世親または天親)の《浄土論》に対する注釈で，《往生論註》ともいい，《論註》《註論》とも略称される。2巻。…

【曇鸞】より

…しかし洛陽で，北インドからきていた菩提流支に会い，仏教にも無量寿の法があると，新訳なったばかりの世親撰《無量寿経論》(一説に《観無量寿経》)を授けられて大いに恥じ入り，《仙経》を焼いて浄土教に回心し，のちには汾州の石壁玄中寺に住した。いわゆる〈浄土三部経〉(《無量寿経》《観無量寿経》《阿弥陀経》)を浄土往生の信仰の聖典とし，《無量寿経論》の注釈たる主著《往生論註》のほか，阿弥陀仏への賛美歌ともいうべき《讃阿弥陀仏偈》を著し，〈難行道〉を捨てて仏願力に乗ずる〈易行道〉につくべきことを宣布し，浄土教義を確立した。その教義は，道綽（どうしやく），善導をへて日本に伝わり，法然，親鸞，とくに親鸞の浄土教義の基礎となった。…

※「《往生論註》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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