On Chengguan's Views of Dharmata and Buddhata

Abstract

In the view of Chengguan, there is a distinction between dharmata and buddhata. Dharmata means the sunyata of all dharmas, which exists in all sentient beings as well as non-sentient beings. Buddhata, in contrast, embraces both sunyata and prajna-nature, and thus exists only in sentient beings. Based on this distinction, Chengguan criticizes views that do not admit this distinction, such as “Non-sentient beings have Buddhata” and “Non-sentient beings can become Buddhas.” Chengguan's separation of dharmata and buddhata sits in diametrical opposition to Zhanran's identity of dharmata and buddhata. The roots of this opposition stem from the following fact. Whereas Chengguan, following the standpoint of suchness or interdependent arising, contends that the dharmas (forms/xiang) of interdependent arising differ from suchness (nature/xing), Zhanran, sticking to the position of universality of interdependent arising (ti pian), maintains that there is no distinction between the physical (the non-sentient) and the sentient. It is also explored in this paper how Chengguan's view on dharmata and buddhata may have been influenced by the thoughts of nirvana sect representatives such as Huiyuan, Jizang, and Fabao.