Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra Commentary (大般涅槃經疏)

About 大般涅槃經疏

Sui · by 灌頂撰

273,945 · about 913 min

The Commentary on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra was composed by Guanding, the fifth patriarch of the Tiantai school in the Sui dynasty, known as Master Zhang'an. It is an important commentary annotating the northern version of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Inheriting the teachings of his master, Zhiyi, Guanding expounds the meaning of the sutra based on the doctrinal views of the Tiantai school, emphasizing core doctrines such as the eternal abiding of the Tathāgata, the universal Buddha-nature inherent in all sentient beings, and the possibility for icchantikas to attain Buddhahood. This commentary systematically discusses the state of nirvāṇa and the concept of Buddha-nature, integrating the achievements of Buddhist scholarship from the Northern and Southern dynasties. It stands as a key work within the Tiantai doctrinal classification system and has profoundly influenced the development of Chinese Buddhist thought after the Sui and Tang dynasties. It is regarded as an authoritative commentary for the study of the Mahā