Death, Identity, and Awakening in Chinese Buddhist Doctrinal Traditions

In this article, the concepts of death and identity serve as a matrix for comparing the development of ancient Chinese and imported Buddhist thought and religious practice as they sparred, clashed, converged, and evolved over the course of many centuries. Beginning with the early history of the transmission of Buddhism from India to China, it traces the diverse perspectives that developed in Chinese Buddhist thinking on death and afterlife up to the present day. Unsurprisingly considering the wealth of texts and traditions that have emerged over time, Buddhist thinkers have struggled to resolve the ambiguities implicit in discussions of self, no-self, and true self, as related to both this life and the next. Taking into consideration both the Madhyamaka and Yogācāra schools of thought, along with a tendency to synthesize the concepts of storehouse consciousness (ālayavijñāna) and Buddha nature (tathāgathagarbha), the doctrinal trajectory eventually leads many adherents to rely on the infinite compassion of Amitābha Buddha who, in the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, vows to benefit the dying by assuring them of rebirth in Sukhāvatī Pure Land. Against the path of rigorous self-reliance taught during the Buddha’s time, the Pure Land belief in the saving grace of Amitābha Buddha came to be regarded as a more realistic option during degenerate times. Those who wish may pursue the suprahuman goal of full awakening, whereas large numbers of devotees regard that path as beyond the capacity of ordinary beings. For them, generating strong faith and relying on the vow of Amitābha Buddha make rebirth in Sukhvāti Pure Land a much more realistic goal and a lifeline after death. KCI Citation Count: 0