Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment

The Complete Enlightenment Sutra, gold on oak paper
Illustration for the sutra, Korea, 14th century

The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment or Complete Enlightenment (traditional Chinese: 圓覺經; simplified Chinese: 圆觉经; pinyin: Yuánjué jīng; Japanese: 円覚経; rōmaji: Engaku-kyō; Korean: 원각경; romaja: Wongakgyeong; Vietnamese: kinh Viên Giác) is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra[a] highly esteemed by both the Huayan and Zen schools.[3] The earliest records are in Chinese, and it is believed to be of Chinese origin.[4]

Divided into twelve chapters as a series of discussions on meditation practice, this text deals with issues such as the meaning and origin of ignorance, sudden and gradual enlightenment, original Buddhahood, etc. these themes were also elucidated in the Awakening of Faith. It was intended to resolve questions regarding doctrine and meditation for the earliest practitioners of the Chan school. The most important commentary is the 9th-century Great Exegesis on the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment (圓覺經大疏鈔 Yuanjuejing Dashuchao) by Zongmi.

  1. ^ "Article". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Buddhist Ray, Inc. 1 January 1995. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  2. ^ Frederick Paul Brandauer (1973). A critical study of the Hsi-yu pu. Stanford University. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  3. ^ Sheng-yen; Marano, Christopher (1997). "Introduction". Translation and Commentary on the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment. Dharma Drum Publishing. pp. 3–5. ISBN 978-0-9609854-7-0. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  4. ^ Muller 1998, p. 64.


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