This article examines the role of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra in shaping early Dilun Buddhism in Northern Wei, highlighting its intellectual significance.
Key Points
This study explores the formative role of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra in early Dilun Buddhism during the Northern Wei period.
Analyzed prosopographical evidence of early Dilun-associated figures
Investigated the intellectual environment surrounding Dilun Buddhism
Examined the interaction among court patronage, monastic scholarship, and lay devotion
The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra significantly influenced the development of early Dilun thought.
Nirvāṇa-related concepts were crucial for interpreting the graded bodhisattva path, emphasizing universal Buddha-nature.
There was a notable integration of Nirvāṇa learning within Northern Buddhism's hermeneutical culture.