Huayanjing 華嚴經

Huayanjing 華嚴經 "Flower Garland Sutra", full title Dafang guangfo huayan jing 大方廣佛華嚴經 "Great Vaipulya Buddha Avataṃsaka Sūtra" (Sanskr. Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra), also called Dafang guang Fo hui jing 大方廣佛會經, Zahuajing 雜華經 or Fo zahua jing 佛雜花經, is an essential Buddhist canonical scripture. Is it the principal text upon which the Huayan School (Huayan zong 華嚴宗) of Chinese Buddhism was founded. In character, it is similar to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Ch. Da banruo jing 大般若經), having been gradually expanded through the compilation of a number of Mahāyāna sutras that originally circulated independently—such as the "Ten Stages Sutra" (Daśabhūmika sūtra, Ch. Shidijing 十地經) and the chapter "Entry into the Dharma Realm" (Sanskr. Gandavyūha, Ch. Ru fajie pin 入法界品). It is therefore not the product of a single time or place.

There are three essential translations of the Sanskrit original. First, the Sixty-fascicle version (T0278), commonly known as Liushi huayan 六十華嚴, Jinyi huayan 晉譯華嚴, or Jiuyi huayan 舊譯華嚴. It was translated by Buddhabhadra (Ch. Fotuobatuoluo 佛陀跋陀羅, 359-429) during the Eastern Jin period 東晉 (317-420), around 420. Its Sanskrit source text is said to have consisted of 36,000 verses (with verse being synonymous with gāthā, Ch. ji 偈). The sutra is structured around the teachings expounded by the Tathāgata (Ch. Rulai 如來, i.e., the Buddha), the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Ch. Puxian Pusa 普賢菩薩), and others across seven locations and eight assemblies, during which the Buddha delivered his sermons. It is divided into 34 chapters (pin 品).

Second, the Eighty-fascicle version (T0279) from the Tang period 唐 (618-907), commonly known as Bashi huayan 八十華嚴, Tangyi huayan 唐譯華嚴. It was translated by Śikṣānanda 實叉難陀 (Ch. Shichanantuo, 652-710) during reign of Empress Wu Zetian 武則天 (r. 690-704). Its Sanskrit source text is said to have consisted of 45,000 verses. This version is organized into seven locations and nine assemblies and comprises 39 chapters.

Third, the Forty-fascicle version (T0293), known as Sishi huayan 四十華嚴, Xinyi huayan 新譯華嚴 or Zhenyuanjing 貞元經. Its full title is Dafang guangfo huayan jing ru bu siyi jietuo jingjie Puxian xingyuan pin 大方廣佛華嚴經入不思議解脫境界普賢行愿品 "Great Vaipulya Buddha Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Chapter on Entering the Inconceivable Realm of Liberation through Samantabhadra's Practices and Vows". It was translated by Prajñā 般若 during the Zhenyuan reign-period 貞元 (785-804). This version was produced through a substantial expansion based on the chapter "Entry into the Dharma Realm" (Ru fajie jing).

There are also many other translations of individual chapters, among which the "Ten Abodes Chapter" (Shizhu pin 十住品), the "Inconceivable Buddha Realm Chapter" (Bu siyi Fo jingjie pin 不思議佛境界品), and the "Entry into the Buddha Realm Chapter" are particularly well known and widely circulated.

It is generally believed that some individual chapters of the sutra already existed in the 2nd–3rd centuries, though the final compilation and redaction took shape in Khotan. The sutra prominently proclaims the status of the Vairocana Buddha (Ch. Piluzhena Fo 毗盧遮那佛) as the Dharmakāya (fashen 法身), emphasizes the Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī (Ch. Wenshu Pusa 文殊菩薩 or Wenshushili 文殊師利), and advocates the practice of Samantabhadra's conduct.

Philosophically, the Huayanjing teaches that one is all and all is one, and that all phenomena are created by the mind. The Huayan School reveres it as its fundamental scripture and, through extensive commentaries and doctrinal elaboration, established its sectarian theoretical system. The sutra aims to expound the doctrines that one is all and all is one, the objectively idealist worldview of "dependent origination of the Dharma Realm" (dharmadhātu-pratītyasamutpāda, Ch. fajie yuanqi 法界緣起), as well as the ideas of "perfect faith" (yuanxin 圓信), "perfect understanding" (yuanjie 圓解), "perfect practice" (yuanxing 圓行) and "perfect realization" (yuanzheng 圓證), which together articulate the teaching of sudden entry into Buddhahood.

The sutra is a comprehensive compilation formed on the basis of the "Ten Stages Sutra" (Daśabhūmika Sūtra, Ch. Shidijing 十地經) and other scattered Buddhist scriptures of a similar nature. It is traditionally regarded as the first teaching delivered by the Śākyamuni Buddha after attaining enlightenment, and is said to have been compiled by Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī and the Buddha's disciple Ānanda (Ch. Anan 阿難). The original Sanskrit scripture is said to have existed in three versions, namely upper, middle, and lower. The Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna (Ch. Longshu Pusa 龍樹菩薩) is said to have received and preserved only the lower version, and no complete version of the text now survives. The Chinese translations are derived from abridged extracts of this lower version.

The text is included in the Zhonghua Buddhist Canon (Zhonghua Dazangjing 中華大藏經) and the Taishō Tripitaka 大正新脩大藏經.

The most important commentaries are Dunshun's 杜順 (557–640) Huayan fajie guanmen 華嚴法界觀門 and Huayan wujiao zhiguan 華嚴五教止觀, Zhiyan's 智儼 (602–668) Huayanjing souxuan ji 華嚴經搜玄記, Fazang's 法藏 (643–712) Huayanjing tanxuan ji 華嚴經探玄記, Huayan wujiao zhang 華嚴五教章, Jinshizi zhang 金獅子章, and Xiu Huayan ouzhi wangjin huanyuan guan 修華嚴奧旨妄盡還源觀, Chengguan's 澄觀 (738–839) Dafang guangfo huayang jing shu 大方廣佛華嚴經疏 and Dafang guangfo huayan suishu yanyi chao 大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 and Zongmi's 宗密 (780–841) Huayanjing xingyuan pin biexing shu chao 華嚴經行願品別行疏鈔 and Yuanjuejing dashu 圓覺經大疏. The chapter Ru fajie pii was specifically commented on by Fazang, Chengguan and Zongmi.