On April 15, the "Theory and Practice of Buddhism and Psychotherapy" research project at the Center for Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University, held its sixth academic community activity. Presentations were delivered by sub-project hosts Prof. Chen Yi-Biao and Prof. Lin Hsin-Yi of the Department of Buddhist Studies at Fo Guang University.
Prof. Chen I-Biao began by discussing Hayao Kawai’s psychological interpretation of the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (Dasheng Qixin Lun), which adopts Toshihiko Izutsu’s reading, and compared it with the original thought of the text. The Awakening of Faith describes the "One Mind Opening into Two Gates": the "Gate of Mind as Suchness" and the "Gate of Mind as Birth and Death." Kawai interpreted the Gate of Birth and Death as taking daily phenomena as objects of consciousness, gradually falling into "non-enlightenment" and strengthening the "conscious" domain of the ego. The Gate of Suchness corresponds to emptiness and non-phenomenal consciousness, dealing with the "unconscious" domain, and represents the process toward "enlightenment." However, Kawai's understanding differs from the Buddhist view of cultivation, which moves from non-enlightenment to enlightenment. From a psychotherapeutic standpoint, Kawai believed one must freely switch between these two domains in daily life—returning from the phenomenal world to the unconscious realm to better understand oneself. He posited that the unconscious influences the phenomenal world at any moment, and the union of these two consciousnesses is the Alaya-vijnana. Prof. Chen noted that this is actually an interpretation utilizing a Jungian perspective.
Prof. Chen pointed out that, in fact, the "One Mind" in the Awakening of Faith refers to both the "Sentient Being's Mind" and the "Suchness Mind," implying that sentient beings possess the same merits as the Tathagata even before becoming one. The Gate of Suchness is like water, and the Gate of Birth and Death is like waves; water and waves are one. All water becomes waves (described as "the True permeating the false branches"), so to find water, one must seek it within the waves (described as "penetrating the false to reach the True source"). As for Alaya-vijnana being the "consciousness of the union of truth and delusion," this is stated in the context of the Gate of Birth and Death based on the principle: "because of the Tathagatagarbha, there is the mind of birth and death." Finally, Prof. Chen briefly noted that the relationship between Mind and Suchness as discussed in Yogacara philosophy is somewhat different.
Prof. Lin Hsin-Yi reported on "Meditation, Chan Illness, and Demonic Events: The 'Method of Sitting Meditation' in Zongmi's Manual of Procedures for the Cultivation and Realization of the Scripture of Perfect Enlightenment and Cases in Medieval Biographies of Monks." She first explained the definitions of "Chan illness" (meditation sickness) in ancient literature and dictionaries, as well as related contemporary research. She focused on whether the nature of Chan illness is physical or mental, and whether the illness arises from meditation or is caused by karmic retribution prior to cultivation, speculating that differences in interpretation resulted from backgrounds such as sectarian competition.
She then analyzed the chapters in Zongmi’s Manual regarding meditation methods, identifying demonic events, and treating illnesses. She noted the text’s characteristic of inheriting the thought of Tiantai’s Little Treatise on Cessation and Contemplation (Xiao Zhiguan) while acting as a synthesis of various schools. She also pointed out the discrepancy between Zongmi's explanation of Chan illness and the thought of the Scripture of Perfect Enlightenment. Finally, Prof. Lin focused on the characteristics of writing regarding Chan illness in medieval monk biographies. For instance, the Liang dynasty Biographies of Eminent Monks highlights how monks' meditative achievements could drive away demons and ghosts. The Tang dynasty Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, within the theoretical framework of the Tiantai school, focuses on the meditation experiences of Huisi and Zhiyi. After the Song dynasty, explanations tended to focus on mental illness.
During the Q&A and exchange session, addressing Prof. Chen I-Biao’s topic, Prof. Guo Chao-Shun suggested that the concept of "One Mind is Suchness" in the Awakening of Faith need not be limited to understanding "Mind is Suchness." If understood as "Mind accords with Suchness," one avoids the problem of metaphysical idealism. This implies an internal faith in purity within sentient beings, believing that as one reduces linguistic and thought activities through practice, one gradually experiences the psychological state of "Emptiness" (Suchness), at which point function and power (Buddha's merit) are exhibited. Suchness is a presupposition for the direction or result of practice to establish the possibility of healing or liberation, rather than implying Suchness is a substantial entity. For example, peeling an onion reveals "emptiness" at the end; describing the existence of "emptiness" means this type of existence is "nothing exists," not that there is an entity called "nothing exists" that actually exists. Furthermore, the process of practice involves experiences of consciousness transformation. The interpretive context of the Awakening of Faith moves from the Gate of Suchness to the Gate of Birth and Death, describing the conscious function of mistaking the phenomenal world for reality. Reflecting on and seeing through this is the liberation and returning to the Gate of Suchness.
Prof. Peng Rong-Bang observed that Hayao Kawai's citation of the Awakening of Faith was merely finding a way to explain the phenomenon of the therapist's own consciousness transformation when facing a client, rather than a systematic citation. In comparison, Jacques Lacan's theory is closer to the therapeutic setting: when a client speaks consciously, the "unconscious subject" is also speaking and feeling. The therapist experiences a similar phenomenon, listening not just with the conscious subject but with the unconscious subject. Regarding this, Prof. Lin Wei-Lun observed that the Suchness Mind and Birth-and-Death Mind in the Awakening of Faith might not be applicable to explain the psychoanalytic scene directly but could be understood as the "self-actualizing" self (Suchness) versus the real self and ideal self (Birth-and-Death).
Addressing Prof. Lin Hsin-Yi's report, Prof. Guo Chao-Shun noted that the Tiantai Great Calming and Contemplation (Mohe Zhiguan) analyzes Chan illness in detail, and its explanation of "demonic events" might contain elements of Chinese indigenous folk beliefs. The writings on Chan illness in various Biographies of Monks present two contexts: one is the system from Zhiyi to Zongmi, and the other is the result of dialogue or confrontation with traditional Chinese religious experiences. Internally, Buddhism presents two meditation contexts: the Tiantai cessation and contemplation system follows the path of Prajna-Emptiness, viewing meditative states as illusory; the other system, starting from Buddha recitation and the path of faith, tends to speak of auspicious signs and experiences of seeing the Buddha.
Regarding the phenomenon where demonic experiences in meditation were interpreted more as mental illness after the Song dynasty, Prof. Guo speculated this might be influenced by the Mind-Only thought of the Awakening of Faith prevalent after the late Tang. However, for Chinese people, "Mind" might be a composite concept rather than a mind-body dualism. Therefore, Mind does not necessarily have to be discussed in terms of internal or subjective meaning; it symbolizes a convergence point of activities in the entire field. Since this concept of Mind is not substantially existing, the Second Patriarch of Chan, Huike, stated, "I sought the mind but it was ungraspable."
The "Theory and Practice of Buddhism and Psychotherapy" academic community activity will hold a general review on May 13.
Prof. Lin Hsin-Yi (left) reporting on "Meditation, Chan Illness, and Demonic Events." On the right is Prof. Guo Chao-Shun, General Director of the research project and Professor at the Department of Buddhist Studies, FGU, moderating and leading the discussion.
Prof. Chen I-Biao discussing the similarities and differences between Hayao Kawai's psychological interpretation of the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana and the text itself.
The interdisciplinary community activity brought together professors from different departments and universities to discuss the intersection of Buddhism and Psychology. Right to Left: Prof. Tseng Chih-Mien (Dept. of Buddhist Studies, FGU), Prof. Lin Wei-Lun (Dept. of Psychology, FGU), Prof. Peng Rong-Bang (Dept. of Human Development and Psychology, Tzu Chi University).
This community activity attracted many graduate students from the Department of Buddhist Studies.