Commentary and Annotations on the Flower Garland Sutra

澄观Jul 2024

Rating 4.8

Word count: 412K words
Chapters: 62

Summary

China's traditional culture has a long intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, local customs and geography, and much else besides—all profound and far-reaching. This series, "Original Texts of the Essence of Classical Chinese Culture," preserves the appearance of the original books, with its priority on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by the ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Huayanjing Shuzhu is a compiled edition of Chengguan's commentary and sub-commentary on the Avatamsaka Sutra from the Tang dynasty, belonging to the series "Original Texts of the Essence of Classical Chinese Culture." The book preserves the appearance of the original text and presents it in the traditional format of commentary and sub-commentary, making it an important reference for understanding Huayan thought. Chengguan's commentary draws widely on various schools and is clearly organized; it explains both the terms and names of the scripture and expounds its doctrinal structure, and is valuable for the study of Buddhist philosophy, the history of Chinese Buddhism, and the literary tradition of traditional commentary. This edition prioritizes conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture and is suitable as an auxiliary reader for studying the Avatamsaka Sutra. It is best read alongside the original sutra: first grasp the general meaning of the scripture, then consult the details of the commentary, avoiding becoming bogged down in terminological analysis from the outset. For readers who wish to understand the doctrinal system of Chinese Buddhism, the style of traditional commentary, or the original appearance of classics of Chinese learning, this book provides a relatively reliable textual foundation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Buddhist readers studying the Avatamsaka Sutra who need the aid of traditional commentary
Researchers interested in Huayan thought and the history of Chinese Buddhism
Editors and scholars engaged in the collation of ancient texts or the study of traditional commentary formats
Enthusiasts of traditional culture who wish to encounter the original appearance of classics of Chinese learning

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no Buddhist background seeking an easy introduction
Readers looking only for plain-language explanations or modern inspirational or psychological content
Readers impatient with the format of classical commentary who prefer narrative works

Reading tips

First read through the general meaning of the relevant chapters of the Avatamsaka Sutra, then work through Chengguan's commentary section by section.
Prepare a table of common Buddhist terms; when a term recurs, look it up thoroughly first and then reread.
Read only a short passage of commentary at a time, keeping brief notes on the levels of doctrine and any questions that arise.
Read alongside other basic introductory works on Huayan thought to build an overall framework.

版权信息
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一并序
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第二
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第三
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第四
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第五（入第一經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第六（入第一卷經第四紙）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七（入第二經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八（入第二經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第九
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十（入第四卷經第三紙）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十一（入第五經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十二（入第五經卷末）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十三（入第六經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十四（入第七經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十五（入第七經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十六（入第八經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十七（入第九卷經第四紙）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十八（入第十卷經第五紙）
十方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第十九（入第十一卷經第五紙）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第二十（入第十三經第四紙）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第二十一至卷七十缺失
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十一（入第四十三經下卷）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十二（入第四十四經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十三（入第四十四經下卷）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十四（入第四十五經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十五（入第四十五經卷末）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十六（入第四十六經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十七（入第四十七經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十八（入第四十八經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第七十九（入第四十九經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十（入第五十卷經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十一（入第五十卷經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十二（入第五十一經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十三（入第五十二經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十四（入第五十二經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十五（入第五十三經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十六（入第五十三經卷末）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十七（入第五十九經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十八（入第五十五經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第八十九（入第五十六經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第九十（入第五十七經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第九十一至卷一百（缺失）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一（入第六十五卷經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百二（入第六十六經）
大方廣佛華嚴經踈卷第一百三（入第六十六經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百四（入第六十七經下卷）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百五（入第六十八經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百六（入第六十九經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百七（入第七十卷經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百八（入第七十一卷經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百九（入第七十一經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百十（入第七十二經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一至卷一百二卷（缺失）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十三（入第七十五經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十四（入七十六卷第六紙）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十五（入第七十六經卷末）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十六（入第七十七經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十七（入第七十八經）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十八（入第七十八經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百一十九（入第七十九經下半）
大方廣佛華嚴經疏卷第一百二十（入第八十卷經下半）

FAQ

Can someone with no Buddhist background read this commentary directly?

It is not really advisable to plunge straight in. Chengguan's commentary is addressed to readers who already have a foundation in the scripture, and the terminology and doctrinal levels are dense. Readers starting from zero can first read a plain-language guide to selected passages of the Avatamsaka Sutra or an introductory book on Buddhism, and then return to the commentary once they understand the basic concepts; comprehension will be much smoother.

How does this book differ from an ordinary edition of the Avatamsaka Sutra?

Ordinary editions usually provide only the scripture text or a plain-language translation, whereas this book presents Chengguan's commentary and annotations on the scripture, focusing on explaining the doctrinal structure, the meaning of terms, and the relationships between passages. It is better suited as auxiliary material for studying the original scripture than as an introductory work to replace it.

What effect does "preserving the appearance of the original book" have on reading?

It means the text stays closer to the original form of traditional commentary, retaining more classical Chinese expression and format, so the threshold for reading is relatively higher. The advantage is that one can directly experience the argumentative style of ancient commentary, which suits readers accustomed to reading ancient texts; if you rarely read classical Chinese, you will need to allow more patience.

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About the author

澄观 Author

Chenguan's dates, nationality, and biographical details are unknown, and publicly available information is limited. Judging from the surviving work, his writings are closely tied to the tradition of the Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism. The library holds one work by him, Huayanjing Shuzhu (Commentary and Annotations on the Avatamsaka Sutra), classified under Eastern philosophy. The book offers explanations and annotations on the Avatamsaka Sutra and is a typical example of Buddhist doctrinal exposition, focusing on clarifying the structure of the scripture and explaining technical terms and levels of meaning. Its style is that of traditional commentary, emphasizing organization and cited sources. Works of this kind are generally intended for readers studying Huayan thought and may also serve as a reference for understanding classical exegesis in Chinese Buddhism. Since the author's life, nationality, teachers, and career cannot be confirmed, this entry makes no conjectures and limits itself to a brief note on the subject and nature of the surviving work.