Fazang’s Meaning in Establishing the Dependent Origination of Tathāgatagarbha: Through His Interpretation of the “Section on Establishing the Meaning” in the Discourse on the Awakening of Faith

Fazang (643–712) developed a unique Huayan philosphy placing the Dependent Origination of Dharmadhātu as the central ideology. However, separately from that based on the Discourse on the Awakening of Faith Fazang developed the ideology of the Dependent Origination of Tathāgatagarbha. In order to have a comprehensive understand of Fazang’s teachings, an understanding of the connection between these two ideologies is an important subject.In this paper, through an examination of his interpretation of the “Section on Establishing the Meaning” in the Discourse on the Awakening of Faith I propose to clarify, in connection to the Dependent Origination of Dharmadhātu, the meaning of Dependent Origination of Tathāgatagarbha, and the reason for which Fazang developed it.