Japan · by 釋善珠撰
11,423 · about 38 min
The Preface Commentary to the Cheng Weishi Lun Shuji is an important Buddhist commentary composed by the Japanese monk Shōshu of the Hossō school during the Nara period. This work provides an in-depth exposition based on Kuiji’s Tang-dynasty Cheng Weishi Lun Shuji, systematically analyzing the core doctrines of the Consciousness-Only school, including the theory of consciousness transformation, the doctrine of seeds, and the stages of practice. As a foundational figure of Japanese Consciousness-Only studies, Shōshu not only faithfully transmitted the Faxiang Consciousness-Only thought of Xuanzang’s lineage but also integrated unique Japanese Buddhist interpretations. This text is regarded as a key document for the study of East Asian Consciousness-Only thought, exerting a profound influence on the development of the Japanese Hossō school and providing essential scholarly basis for understanding the transmission and evolution of Consciousness-Only teachings from China to Japan.