The lecture series "Chinese Buddhist Texts" dealt with Chinese Buddhism, based on the presentation of five important collections of Buddhist texts. The lectures were given by Dr Tadas Snuviškis, a scholar of Eastern philosophical systems and religions and a PhD in philosophy. The first lecture presented perhaps the most famous and influential text of Chinese Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra. First, the origins of Buddhism, its main traditions, and its most important principles - suffering, origin, cessation and path - were presented.
The speaker then talked about the Mahayana Buddhist tradition prevailing in China, discussing the concepts of Bodhisattva, Buddha-nature, emptiness and perfections (paramitas). Basic teachings such as the teaching of intelligent means, the teaching of the One Buddha Chassis, the theory of the Buddhahood of all beings, etc. were presented. In the second part of the lecture, the speaker explained the chapters of the sutra, the parables given in them, and the characters mentioned. The main features of the Buddhist tradition were explained in detail, based on the chapters of the Lotus Sutra.
The second lecture dealt with the Pure Land Sutra. The speaker presented the most important doctrines of the Pure Land Sutras - the doctrine of the Three Bodies of the Buddha, the concept of the "Buddha Field" or the "Pure Land" and the theory of the many Buddhas and the importance of Buddha Amitābha. This is followed by the main themes of the Pure Land Sutras: the representation of Amitābha Buddha, the dharmic creation of the Pure Land, and the remembrance of Amitābha as the possibility of entering the Pure Land. The questions raised were: Is sincere faith enough to be reborn in the Pure Land? What is the role of practice? The speaker also discussed three specific Pure Land sutras: the "Great Sutra of Immeasurable Life [Buddha]", the "Little Sutra of Immeasurable Life [Buddha]" and the "Sutra of Contemplation of Immeasurable Life".
The third lecture was on one of the longest Buddhist texts, the Buddha Garland Sutra. The speaker discussed the main doctrines of the text, the importance of the Buddha Vaicorana, and the essence of root and initial awakening. The concept of the Buddha Garland was explained: it is like the Buddha's visions showing the stages of the bodhisattva path practice and the nature of the universe - the intertwining of phenomena born out of emptiness and the consciousness experiencing them. The most famous Chinese translations of this text are discussed, as well as the most important one, Śikṣānanda's 'New Translation'. The second part of the lecture dealt in detail with the most important chapters and main ideas of the sutra. The lecture explored the concepts of the bodhisattva path, the nature of the universe, phenomena and emptiness in the Buddha's Garland Sutra.
The fourth lecture dealt with Mahāyāna's treatise on the awakening of faith. After discussing the main versions of the text and the circumstances of their creation, the speaker outlines the main ideas of the text: the awakening of faith (trust), the combined ideas of emptiness, Buddha-nature and the school of consciousness. The concept of the one mind that is always awake in its own nature 一 心, the aspects of "suchness" and the appearance and disappearance of the Buddha, the different kinds of beliefs, the five perfection practices are examined. The content was further discussed, and it was pointed out that the eternally awakened nature is obscured by innate ignorance, which leads to the appearance of phenomena and the concealment of the awakened nature. The aim of this treatise is to describe the structures of cognition and reality and the bodhisattva practice leading to the awakening of faith in the innately awakened mind.
The fifth and final lecture in the series focused on the Gateless Barrier. It began with a discussion of the tradition of Chan Buddhism in China, its origins and teachings. The Gateless Barrier consists of 48 gōng'àn 公案, or teacher-student interactions, which illustrate how a student manages to break through the 'barrier' of false thinking and awaken. Finally, the speaker analyses specific stories of the Gateless Barrier and the ideas they convey.
The lecture series is thus not only an excellent introduction to Chinese Buddhism, but also introduces the most important Buddhist texts still relevant in China. The lecturer clearly presents the theoretical part of the dissemination of Buddhism in China and presents the main teachings and ideas of this tradition to the audience in a simple way, using comparisons.