Jingying Huiyuan

[5] He also advanced the doctrines of essence-function and the "dependent origination of the tathāgatagarbha" (Ch: 如來藏緣起, pinyin: rulaizang yuanqi), which holds that buddha-nature is the essence of both nirvāṇa and saṃsāra, both of which were seen as its "functions" (yong).

Huiyuan synthesized this teaching with the Yogacara mind-only philosophy, identifying buddha-nature with the fundamental consciousness (ālāyavijñāna).

[1] Huiyuan was born in Dunhuang (in modern-day Gansu) and became a monk in Guxiangusi monastery (Shanxi province) at an early age.

During the reign of the Northern Zhou Emperor Wu (r. 560–578), there was a persecution of Buddhism in which many temples were seized and many monks forced into lay life or military service.

[1] Huiyuan then lived in seclusion for some three years during the rest of the persecution, focusing on reciting sutras and meditation.

[11] After the rise of the Sui Dynasty (581–618), Huiyuan became the overseer of the saṃgha (shamendu) in Henan and worked to restore the Buddhist community.

"[13] Huiyuan's teaching on buddha-nature also draws on essence-function (tiyong) theory and this was influential on later East Asian Buddhist tradition.

[14] It is the intrinsic reality (ti 體) which "constantly abides" (chang zhu 常住; nitya) and yet also adjusts to conditions.

[15] Huiyuan also defines it as the primary cause or seed of Buddhahood and as the immutable true pure mind which can never be tainted.

In his commentary on the Ten Stages Treatise of Vasubandhu, Huiyuan argues that the essence of all things, the buddha-nature, the tathāgatagarbha (buddha womb), which he also calls the absolute mind, is also the source of all dependently arisen reality:Reaching the limit of the original nature, everything is collected only by the absolute aspect of dependent arising.

This is explained in Huiyuan's Notes on the Meaning of the Treatise on the Ten Grounds Sūtra (Shidijinglun yiji) as follows:Regarding the true-consciousness, it can be divided into three aspects, that is, substance, characteristics, and function.

Being the final reality which is of one flavor, it remains self-same whether when hidden or when manifested, whether amidst defilements or [the state of] purity.

With respect to "characteristics," this consciousness is the cognitive mind pertaining to [the realm of] the tathagatagarbha, and is constituted of buddha-dharmas [as numerous as] the sand of the Ganges; just as the cognitive mind pertaining to [the realm of] worldly dharmas is constituted of [the features of] pain and impermanence.

When its pure characteristics are perfected, it is known as the "effect" .... As for "function," when the true- consciousness is in a defiled state, it is allied to false thoughts and produces [the realm of] samsara.

[8] For Huiyuan, the true mind as substance is the profound and tranquil ultimate reality which is eternal, unchanging and without beginning.

[8] While the pure mind remains eternally tranquil in its essential nature, its phenomenal aspect can be contaminated by ignorance.

This refers to how the true consciousness "on being permeated by bad habits [in existence from] the beginning-less past, gives rise to the ground of ignorance".

[8] Huiyuan also rejected the Madhyamaka idea that the ultimate reality was merely the emptiness of dharmas, writing "we assert that the tathagatagarbha is truly non-empty.

[21] In his commentary on the Contemplation Sūtra (觀經, Guān jīng), Huiyuan claims that the main intention of the sutra is the guānfo-samadhi (the meditative absorption of buddha-contemplation).

[35] Like Shandao, Huiyuan also argues that the power of devotional acts (including reciting nianfo) can take all types of beings to the pure land, though this is restricted to the three lower lotus grades of rebirth:Despite the fact that those of the lowest grades have created evil karma in this life, they will gain rebirth [in the Pure Land] through the power of devotion (kuei hsiang chih li) with the virtuous teacher guiding them.

[36]Regarding the nine grades of rebirth, Huiyuan's analysis is perhaps the earliest such commentary on this hotly debated Pure Land teaching.

"[38] This is why Huiyuan can argue that the sutra was taught for the sake of ordinary wordlings while also including aryas (noble beings on higher stages of awakening) into his ranking the nine grades.

However, for Shandao, only the first thirteen visualizations count as meditative, while the others (which focus on the nine grades) he sees as non-meditative and as being linked to recitation of the Buddha's name (nianfo).

Huiyuan writes that this is because the visualization method taught in the Contemplation Sutra is strong enough to erase the evil karma of past transgressions.

[44] Like other Chinese scholars of the time, Huiyuan developed a system of doctrinal classification of Buddhist scripture (panjiao).

[45] Thus, since all Mahayana texts contain the doctrines which reveal the "false" as well as the "true" meaning, Huiyuan's commentaries are quite inclusive, drawing on a vast array of scriptures and ideas to explain his views.

They were particularly influential in authenticating the Pure Land teaching, especially that of the Contemplation Sutra, in the context of mainstream Indian Mahayana thought.

"[52] Furthermore, Tanaka writes that Shandao's reliance on Huiyuan makes sense since he is said to have studied at Wu chen Monastery on mount Zhōngnán near the capital of Chang'an (modern Xi'an).

[1][19] Furthermore, Huiyuan's buddha-nature thought is also a precursor to the East Asian Buddhist idea that even insentient things have Buddha nature.

However, according to Shuman Chen: Huiyuan posits that Buddha-nature, like space, pervades everywhere and all beings, including insentient objects.