RT Article
T1 Disputes and Doctrines of the Threefold Middle Way in the Early Sanlun School
JF Religions
VO 14
IS 10
A1 Cho, Yoon Kyung
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2023
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1860830668
AB This paper examines the development of the Sanlun School’s Threefold Middle Way doctrine, focusing on the contributions of Sengquan and Falang. Often seen as pillars of Sanlun thought preceding Jizang, their teachings remain under-explored in scholarship. This study combines a close reading of their philosophical texts with historical context to generate an in-depth understanding of how the Threefold Middle Way evolved over generations. Sengquan introduced a complex double negation to amplify the transcendental quality of his theory, contrasting with the simpler “neither A nor B” negation of Chengshi masters. Falang, building on this, solidified his interpretation of the middle way and provisional names amidst disputes with contemporary masters. He formulated Three Types of Utterance; the First is directly inherited from Sengquan, while the Second and Third represent the two axes of his two truths theory: gradual abandonment and equality. Falang’s critical response to his fellow masters, particularly his removal of provisional names, heightens the transcendental quality of his theories. A thorough understanding of Sengquan and Falang’s doctrines provides an informed basis to assess the true scope of Jizang’s contributions to Sanlun thought.
K1 Dacheng Xuanlun
K1 Zhongguanlun Shu
K1 Daeseung Saron Hyeonui Gi
K1 two truths
K1 eightfold negation
K1 Threefold Middle Way
K1 Jizang
K1 Falang
K1 Sengquan
K1 Sanlun School
DO 10.3390/rel14101221