The Awakening of Faith (2005)

Revision as of 16:53, 10 January 2020

Book

Taishō 1666
Volume 32

This treatise, The Awakening of Faith, sometimes known by the longer title of The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, presents a concise synopsis of both the theoretical and practical aspects of the central ideas of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and has therefore been widely read as an introduction to this branch. A short work, it remains extremely important in the history of Buddhism, having exerted influence in China and Japan on the schools of Hua-yen (Jp. Kegon), T'ien-t'ai (Jp. Tendai), Chan/Zen, Pure Land (Ch. Jìngtǔzōng; Jp. Jōdo Bukkyō), Chên-yen (Jp. Shingon), and more.

However, many questions remain concerning the author and place of composition, including whether it was composed in India or China, and whether the attributive author Aśvaghoṣa lived before or after Nāgārjuna.

Source Skt. *Mahāyānaśraddhotpāda-śāstra, attributed to Aśvaghoṣa. Brought into the Chinese by Paramārtha as Dasheng qixin lun (大乘起信論). 1 fascicle.

Editor’s Note: This is a reprint of the sutra as translated by the late Dr. Yoshito S. Hakeda and originally published by Columbia University Press. This reprint edition retains Dr. Hakeda's chapter and subdivision headings and his commentaries, which are set in italicized paragraphs within the text itself. (Source: BDK America)

Citation	Hakeda, Yoshito S., trans. The Awakening of Faith. Attributed to Aśvaghoṣa. Translated from the Chinese of Paramārtha (Taishō vol. 32, no. 1666). BDK English Tripiṭaka 63, no. 4. Berkeley, CA: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2005. Reprint of the first edition, 1967.

Contents

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripiṭaka by NUMATA Yehanv
Editorial Foreword by MAYEDA Sengakuvii
Publisher’s Foreword by Francis H. Cookix
Note on the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series Reprint Editionxi
Foreword to the Original Edition by Wm. Theodore de Baryxvi
Preface to the Original Edition by Yoshito S. Hakedaxix
Translator’s Introduction by Yoshito S. Hakedaxxi

The Awakening of Faith

Invocation3
The Contents of the Discourse3
Part One. The Reasons for Writing5
Part Two. Outline7
Part Three. Interpretation11
Chapter I. Revelation of True Meaning11
- I. One Mind and Its Two Aspects11
  - A. The Mind in Terms of the Absolute12
    - 1. Truly Empty14
    - 2. Truly Nonempty15
  - B. The Mind in Terms of Phenomena16
    - 1. The Storehouse Consciousness16
      - a. The Aspect of Enlightenment17
        (1) Original Enlightenment17
        
        (2) The Process of Actualization of Enlightenment17
        (a) Purity of Wisdom20
        
        (b) Suprational Functions21
        
        (3) The Characteristics of the Essence of Enlightenment21
      - b. The Aspect of Nonenlightenment23
      - c. The Relationships between Enlightenment and Nonenlightenment25
        (1) Identity25
        
        (2) Nonidentity26
    - 2. The Cause and Conditions of Humankind’s Being in Samsara26
      - a. Mind27
      - b. Consciousness29
      - c. Defiled States of Mind31
      - d. Comments on the Terms Used in the Foregoing Discussion32
    - 3. The Characteristics of Beings in Samsara34
      - a. Permeation of Ignorance36
      - b. Permeation of Suchness37
        (1) Permeation through Manifestation of the Essence of Suchness39
        
        (2) Permeation through Influences41
        (a) The Specific Coordinating Causes41
        
        (b) The General Coordinating Causes42
- II. The Essence Itself and the Attributes of Suchness, or the Meaning of Mahå44
  - A. The Greatness of the Essense of Suchness44
  - B. The Greatness of the Attributes of Suchness44
  - C. The Greatness of the Influences of Suchness46
- III. From Samsara to Nirvana51
Chapter II. The Correction of Evil Attachments53
- I. The Biased Views Held by Ordinary People53
- II. The Biased Views Held by the Hinayanists57
Chapter III. Analysis of the Types of Aspiration for Enlightenment, or the Meanings of Yåna59
- I. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through the Perfection of Faith60
- II. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through Understanding and Deeds65
- III. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through Insight66
Part Four. On Faith and Practice71
- On Four Faiths71
- On Five Practices72
- The Practice of Cessation74
- The Practice of Clear Observation78
Part Five. Encouragement of Practice and the Benefits Thereof81
Notes83
Glossary91
Bibliography95
Index99
A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series)

Aśvaghoṣa. Mahāyānaśraddhotpādaśāstra. (Dasheng qixin lun). 63 (4), Taisho Volume 32, No. 1666

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 *****{{i|b. The Aspect of Nonenlightenment|23}}
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- Nonenlightenment|25}}
 ******{{i|(1) Identity|25}}
 ******{{i|(2) Nonidentity|26}}
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-. The Cause and Conditions of Humankind’s Being
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- in Samsara 26
+*****{{i|b. Consciousness|29}}
- a. Mind 27
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- b. Consciousness 29
+*****{{i|d. Comments on the Terms Used in the Foregoing Discussion|32}}
- c. Defiled States of Mind 31
+****{{i|3. The Characteristics of Beings in Samsara|34}}
- d. Comments on the Terms Used in the Foregoing
+*****{{i|a. Permeation of Ignorance|36}}
- Discussion 32
+*****{{i|b. Permeation of Suchness|37}}
-. The Characteristics of Beings in Samsara 34
+******{{i|(1) Permeation through Manifestation of the Essence of Suchness|39}}
- a. Permeation of Ignorance 36
+******{{i|(2) Permeation through Influences|41}}
- b. Permeation of Suchness 37
+*******{{i|(a) The Specific Coordinating Causes|41}}
- (1) Permeation through Manifestation of the
+*******{{i|(b) The General Coordinating Causes|42}}
- Essence of Suchness 39
+**{{i|II. The Essence Itself and the Attributes of Suchness, or the Meaning of Mahå|44}}
- (2) Permeation through Influences 41
+***{{i|A. The Greatness of the Essense of Suchness|44}}
- (a) The Specific Coordinating Causes 41
+***{{i|B. The Greatness of the Attributes of Suchness|44}}
- (b) The General Coordinating Causes 42
+***{{i|C. The Greatness of the Influences of Suchness|46}}
- II. The Essence Itself and the Attributes of Suchness,
+**{{i|III. From Samsara to Nirvana|51}}
- or the Meaning of Mahå 44
+*{{i|Chapter II. The Correction of Evil Attachments|53}}
- A. The Greatness of the Essense of Suchness 44
+**{{i|I. The Biased Views Held by Ordinary People|53}}
- B. The Greatness of the Attributes of Suchness 44
+**{{i|II. The Biased Views Held by the Hinayanists|57}}
- C. The Greatness of the Influences of Suchness 46
+*{{i|Chapter III. Analysis of the Types of Aspiration for Enlightenment, or the Meanings of Yåna|59}}
-III. From Samsara to Nirvana 51
+**{{i|I. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through the Perfection of Faith|60}}
- Chapter II. The Correction of Evil Attachments 53
+**{{i|II. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through Understanding and Deeds|65}}
- I. The Biased Views Held by Ordinary People 53
+**{{i|III. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through Insight|66}}
- II. The Biased Views Held by the Hinayanists 57
+*{{i|Part Four. On Faith and Practice|71}}
- Chapter III. Analysis of the Types of Aspiration for
+**{{i|On Four Faiths|71}}
- Enlightenment, or the Meanings of Yåna 59
+**{{i|On Five Practices|72}}
-Contents
+**{{i|The Practice of Cessation|74}}
-xv
+**{{i|The Practice of Clear Observation|78}}
- I. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through the
+*{{i|Part Five. Encouragement of Practice and the Benefits Thereof|81}}
- Perfection of Faith 60
+*{{i|Notes|83}}
- II. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through
+*{{i|Glossary|91}}
- Understanding and Deeds 65
+*{{i|Bibliography|95}}
- III. The Aspiration for Enlightenment through Insight 66
+*{{i|Index|99}}
-Part Four. On Faith and Practice 71
+* A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series)
-On Four Faiths 71
-On Five Practices 72
-The Practice of Cessation 74
-The Practice of Clear Observation 78
-Part Five. Encouragement of Practice and the Benefits
- Thereof 81
-Notes 83
-Glossary 91
-Bibliography 95
-Index 99
-A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripi†aka (First Series)
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