Here we will sketch the main fault line that separates Yinshun’s view of Buddhism from that of his teacher Taixu. It is here, I believe, that Chinese Buddhist thought underwent its most profound change in the 20th century. Crucial to an understanding of this are their respective “hierarchies of teachings” (panjiao).[35] Both Taixu and Yinshun modified the way they presented their systems over the years of their writing and grouped the <pb n="138"/>different Buddhist traditions in various ways. Here we can consider only a small segment of their panjiao.[36]

 

Taixu’s main argument concerning the Mahāyāna schools was that, what today is called the Tathāgatagarbha line of thought, should be considered as the highest teaching. This teaching of “Perfect enlightenment” he claimed, included and surpassed the two other remaining theories, i.e. Yogācāra and Madhyamaka. Although widely considered a reformer, Taixu agrees in this respect with mainstream Chinese Buddhism from the Song dynasty onward and places himself squarely in the camp of the dharmadhātuvādin, whose views are the bone of contention in the discussions about Critical Buddhism.[37]

Taixu’s ranking of the traditions in Chinese Mahāyāna:[38]

1. The Dharmadhātu Perfect-Enlightenment school (Tathāgatagarbha)

2. The Dharmalakṣana Consciousness-Only school (Yogācāra)

3. The Dharmatā Wisdom-of-Emptiness school (Madhyamaka)

 

Yinshun’s approach differs from that of Taixu in several respects. In this question in particular he turns, if not the tables on his teacher, certainly his table upside down. His interpretation of the field is that Madhyamaka should be considered the purest form of Mahāyāna, its “true meaning (zhengyi).” In Yinshun’s ranking the Tathāgatagarbha tradition is the least important, the least true:

1. Empty Nature, Name Only (Madhyamaka)

2. Illusion, Consciousness Only (Yogācāra)

3. True and Eternal, Mind Only (Tathāgatagarbha)

 

As in his understanding of the truth value of the Mahāyāna Schools, Yinshun disagrees with mainstream Chinese doctrine also in the assessment of the role of early Buddhism as found in the Chinese Āgama Sūtras. His appraisal of the Āgamas led to a more extensive reception of the early scriptures among Taiwanese Buddhists. Though Yinshun never mastered any foreign language he insisted in his research on Indian Buddhism. All his major academic works, except one, are on Pre-Mahāyāna or Early Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrine in India. He clearly considers early Indian Buddhism, especially early Mahāyāna thought, to be superior to Chinese forms of Buddhism. This constitutes a significant break with the Chinese tradition.

 

3.2 Academic developments

 

I will focus on two main points: one is the fast growth of Buddhist scholarship in Taiwan during the nineties. The second is the digitalisation and free distribution of the complete Chinese Tripitaka by the Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association (CBETA).

 

3.2.1 Buddhist Academia in Taiwan[39]

Prof. Lan Jifu kept track of the number of academics working in Buddhist studies on Taiwan, while contributing some valuable tools for the study of Chinese Buddhism himself.[40] According to him, in 1993 there were only 60 scholars in Taiwan who had specialised in Buddhism. Out of these twelve held a PhD from foreign universities (7 from Japan, 5 from the U.S.) another 12 got their PhD in Taiwan. Most Buddhist Scholars lacked training in canonical languages other than Chinese, because Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan were not taught in Taiwan.[41] During the eighties Buddhist studies had grown, but were still far from popular, not least because the chances of getting a university position as scholar with a specialisation in Buddhism were meagre.

 

During the nineties the mood has changed. With the improvement of the image of the Sangha in public, the academic study of Buddhism too, has gained some prominence. Today more than 300 scholars are working in the field of Buddhist studies, many of them specialising in Southern (Pali) or Northern (Tibetan) Buddhism. There is an intensive exchange and co-operation between university departments and Buddhist institutes, and many teachers teach in both institutions. A large number of projects and conferences are organised in co-operation between public and religious institutions, something that would have been a rarity 20 years ago. To give but one example, the “Digital Buddhist Library and Museum,” that was started as a joint project of National Taiwan University and Dharma Drum Mountain, has become one of the central clearing houses for Chinese Buddhism on the web.[42]

 

3.2.2 The digitisation of the Chinese Tripitaka