The aim of this paper is to research the effect of the dispution around the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna (<大乘起信論>) on the formation of Modern New Confucianism in modern China. So I am going to examine the relation of 'the One Mind Ope ...
The aim of this paper is to research the effect of the dispution around the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna (<大乘起信論>) on the formation of Modern New Confucianism in modern China. So I am going to examine the relation of 'the One Mind Opens Two Gates(一心開二門)' and 'the unity of Substance and Function(體用不二)', especially focused on the philosophy of Xiong Xhi-Li(熊十力).
The Awakening of Faith has characteristics that 'the unity of Substance and Function', and regards Suchness(眞如) as Mind(心) of the universe. These characteristics have something in common with 'the idea of Nature-Goodness'(性善論), the spirit of Confucianism, and the cheerful view of realism. The idea of 'the One Mind Opens Two Gates' means the high valuation of realism, through the unity of the different aspects of 'The Mind in terms of the Absolute'(心眞如門) and 'The Mind in terms of phenomena'(心生滅門). It says that each of these two aspects embraces all states of existence, because these two aspects are mutually inclusive. Furthermore everything of the world is the embodiment of Suchness, and this Suchness is spreaded in everything. So the Awakening of Faith says that each person has 'Buddha- Nature'(佛性), and every person can be a Buddha. The conclusion of the Awakening of Faith is the relief by Belief. This is the point where occurs the dispution through the Awakening of Faith. There were in the two different directions and thereby scholars were naturally classified into two groups. The one group, who would speak well of Chinese Buddhism, tried to place high value on the Awakening of Faith. The other, who would want to restore the original idea of Indian Buddhism, tried to criticize the Awakening of Faith. The former was Tai Xu(太虛) and the scholars of the Buddhistic Academy of Wu-chang(武昌佛學院), while the latter was Ouyang Jingwu(歐陽竟無) and the scholars of the Academy in Nan-jing(南京內學院). Concretely, the former spoke highly of the Awakening of Faith and so attached importance to Chinese Buddhism. On the other hand, the latter assumed a critical attitude toward the Awakening of Faith, because they regarded it as a kind of forgery, and finally respected the Buddhism of Wei-shi. The former thought that denying the Awakening of Faith was equivalent to denying Chinese Buddhism, and so regarded the elevation of the Buddhistic spirit of China as the best way to get the power of standing against Western philosophy. The latter regarded the rational, speculative spirit of Buddhism of Wei-shi as the best way of substituting Western philosophy.
It was Xiong Xhi-Li that assimilated the fruits of the dispution and stands at Confucian ground, and raise the new philosophy. Xiong Xhi-Li criticised Consciousness Only School(唯識學), and producted New Consciousness Only Theory(新唯識論). The characteristics of the Awakening of Faith are the same of the philosophy of Xiong Xhi-Li. The key point of his philosophy is the unity of Substance and Function(體用不二), too. And he regards Substance as 'the universal Mind'(宇宙心), or 'the original Mind'(本心). Xiong Xhi-Li and the Awakening of Faith say that this world is true and pure, but there needs explanation why dirty things are in the world. The Awakening of Faith reply that dirty things come from Alaya consciousness. Xiong Xhi-Li answer that dirty things come from 'the Mind of habit energies'(習心), too. But 'the original Mind' wins 'the Mind of habit energies', eventually. After all, in the aspect of Substance, 'The Mind in terms of the Absolute'(心眞如門) and 'The Mind in terms of phenomena'(心生滅門) fit 'the original Mind'(本心) and 'the Mind of habit energies'(習心). In the aspect of Methology, they meet 'the knowledge of nature'(性智) and 'the knowledge of weigh'(量智), or the meta-physical truth' and 'the scientific truth'.