Chéng wéishí lùn shū chāo 成唯識論疏抄
Excerpts on the Commentary on the Demonstration of Consciousness-Only by 靈泰 (Língtài, 撰)
About the work
A 16-fascicle sub-commentary by 靈泰 (Língtài), a direct disciple of 窺基, on Kuījī’s KR6n0026 Chéng wéishí lùn shùjì (T43n1830). Preserved in the Xuzangjing (X50n0819) and also in the late-Míng Jiāxìng canon supplement. The “chāo” 抄 (“excerpts”) format indicates a topical extraction from the shùjì with elaborative comment — i.e. a study-aid for the principal Cí’ēn commentary rather than an independent work.
Structural Division
CANWWW does not assign internal structure for X50n0819.
Abstract
靈泰’s direct discipleship under 窺基 places him in the first generation of post-foundational Cí’ēnsì commentators — earlier than 慧沼’s mature output and contemporary with the early activity of Huìzhāo. The dating window adopted (680–720) covers the period from Kuījī’s death in 682 (when Língtài began composing his independent works) through to the early eighth century. As a direct disciple, Língtài’s transmission of Kuījī’s reading is regarded as particularly reliable, and the text is repeatedly cited by later Cí’ēn commentators including 智周 in his KR6n0032 yǎnmì.
The shū chāo is one of the more substantial sub-commentaries on the shùjì and provides extensive material on the doctrinal cruces of T1585 / T1830 — particularly on the eight-consciousness scheme and on the bodhisattva-bhūmi correlations — that is not available in other extant first-generation Cí’ēn sources.
Translations and research
- Yoshimura Makoto 吉村誠. Chūgoku Yuishiki shisōshi kenkyū. Tokyo: Daizō shuppan, 2013.
- Sponberg, Alan. Meditation in Fa-hsiang Buddhism. PhD diss., Princeton, 1979.