A Study on the discussions about the Two Hindrances of the Fǎxiaàng Yogācāra Buddhism: Focusing on the contents of Chéng wéishì lùn and Dasheng fayuan yilin zhang

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the discussion of the Two Hindrances in the Fǎxiàng Yogācāra Buddhist treatise Chéng wéishì lùn(成唯識論) and Kyu-ji's Dasheng fayuan yilin zhang(大乘法苑義林章). It is through Abhidharma Buddhism and then the Yogācāra Buddhism that the concept of the relationship between affliction and awakening was formulated as the Two Hindrances. The discussion of the Two Hindrances in the Yogācārabhūmi is organized in its final form through the Fódìjīng lùn(佛地經論) and the Chéng wéishì lùn. As a result, the Two Hindrances of the Chéng wéishì lùn are associated with two kinds of attachment, two kinds of emptiness, and two kinds of achievement, and play a central role in the Affliction theory and the Practice theory of Yogācāra Buddhism. This study focuses on the discussion of the Two Hindrances interspersed within the Chéng wéishì lùn, reorienting the development of the Chéng wéishì lùn around the Two Hindrances. This reveals that the Two Hindrances play a central role not only in Yogācāra Buddhism's Affliction theory, but also in its Practice theory and Becoming Buddha. In fact, the Five stage division of the Yogâcâra path of practice also centers on when and how to eliminate and end the afflictive hindrances and obstacles to understanding rather than on specific practices. Finally, Wonhyo gave a very original interpretation in reconciling Yogācāra sūtras and śāstras with the discussion of the Two Hindrances in the Doctrine of the Two Hindrances(Ijang ui, 二障義) and the Awakening of Mahāyāna Faith(大乘起信論). But in Dasheng fayuan yilin zhang, Kyu-ji considered that the interpretation of the Two Hindrances discussed in Chéng wéishì lùn was no more than an interpretation of the Two Hindrances. Unlike Wonhyo, Kyu-ji's discussion of the Two Hindrances merely summarizes Yogācāra Buddhism's discussion of the Two Hindrances and adopts Chéng wéishì lùn's discussion as it stands, and Kyu-ji's position is confirmed by Dasheng fayuan yilin zhang's discussion of the Two Hindrances.