Humane King Sutra
Encyclopedia
The Humane King Sutra is one of the more influential of the East Asian Buddhist apocryphal scriptures—texts that although purported by their unknown authors to be translations of Indian works, were actually composed in China and Korea. Although its full title indicates that it is a prajñāpāramitā
(transcendent wisdom) text, it is better characterized as a blend of transcendent prajñā, yogācāra
, and tathāgatagarbha teachings. The full name is the Prajnaparamita Sutra for Humane Kings Who Protect their Country.
This sutra is unusual in the fact that its target audience, rather than being either lay practitioners or the community of monks and nuns, is the rulership (i.e. monarchs, presidents, prime ministers, etc.). Thus, for example, where the interlocutors in most scriptures are arhats or bodhisattva
s, the discussants in this text are the kings of the sixteen ancient regions of India. The foregrounded teachings, rather than being meditation and wisdom, are "humaneness" and "forbearance
" , these being the most applicable religious values for the governance of a Buddhist state. Hence today in some Chinese temples, the sutra is used during prayers on behalf of the government and the country.
Another distinctive characteristic of this scripture is that a second "translation" was carried out a few centuries after the appearance of the original version, by the monk Amoghavajra
(Pukong 不空), one of the most important figures in the Chinese Esoteric tradition, as well as a patriarch in the Shingon sect
of Japan. But this new version was actually just a rewrite, since there was no original Sanskrit version. This second version of the text (仁王護國般若波羅蜜經, T 246.8.834-845) while based mostly on the original version (仁王般若波羅蜜經, T 245.8.825-834), the translation of which was attributed to Kumārajīva, contains new sections that include teachings on mandala, mantra, and dhāraṇī.
In the same way that such other apocryphal works, such as the Brahma's Net Sutra
, came to hold a special authoritative position in the subsequent development of Buddhism in Korea and Japan, as well as China, the Humane King Sutra became the standard model text in these East Asian countries for Buddhist-based state protection and statecraft, along with the Golden Light Sutra
.
The discovery of the Old Translated Inwanggyeong (구역인왕경;舊譯仁王經) in Gugyeol
in the mid-70s contributed to Middle Korean studies.
Prajnaparamita
Prajñāpāramitā in Buddhism, means "the Perfection of Wisdom." The word Prajñāpāramitā combines the Sanskrit words prajñā with pāramitā . Prajñāpāramitā is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva Path...
(transcendent wisdom) text, it is better characterized as a blend of transcendent prajñā, yogācāra
Yogacara
Yogācāra is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing phenomenology and ontology through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices. It developed within Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism in about the 4th century CE...
, and tathāgatagarbha teachings. The full name is the Prajnaparamita Sutra for Humane Kings Who Protect their Country.
This sutra is unusual in the fact that its target audience, rather than being either lay practitioners or the community of monks and nuns, is the rulership (i.e. monarchs, presidents, prime ministers, etc.). Thus, for example, where the interlocutors in most scriptures are arhats or bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
s, the discussants in this text are the kings of the sixteen ancient regions of India. The foregrounded teachings, rather than being meditation and wisdom, are "humaneness" and "forbearance
Forbearance
In the context of a mortgage process, forbearance is a special agreement between the lender and the borrower to delay a foreclosure. The literal meaning of forbearance is “holding back.”...
" , these being the most applicable religious values for the governance of a Buddhist state. Hence today in some Chinese temples, the sutra is used during prayers on behalf of the government and the country.
Another distinctive characteristic of this scripture is that a second "translation" was carried out a few centuries after the appearance of the original version, by the monk Amoghavajra
Amoghavajra
Amoghavajra was a prolific translator who became one of the most politically powerful Buddhist monks in Chinese history, acknowledged as one of the eight patriarchs of the doctrine in Shingon lineages.-Life:Born in Samarkand of an Indian father and Sogdian mother, he went...
(Pukong 不空), one of the most important figures in the Chinese Esoteric tradition, as well as a patriarch in the Shingon sect
Shingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
of Japan. But this new version was actually just a rewrite, since there was no original Sanskrit version. This second version of the text (仁王護國般若波羅蜜經, T 246.8.834-845) while based mostly on the original version (仁王般若波羅蜜經, T 245.8.825-834), the translation of which was attributed to Kumārajīva, contains new sections that include teachings on mandala, mantra, and dhāraṇī.
In the same way that such other apocryphal works, such as the Brahma's Net Sutra
Brahmajala Sutra (Mahayana)
The Brahmajala Sutra , also called the Brahma's Net Sutra is a text of the Mahayana Buddhist canon. It is not related to the Brahmajala Sutta of the Theravada Buddhist Pali Canon...
, came to hold a special authoritative position in the subsequent development of Buddhism in Korea and Japan, as well as China, the Humane King Sutra became the standard model text in these East Asian countries for Buddhist-based state protection and statecraft, along with the Golden Light Sutra
Golden Light Sutra
The ' , is a Buddhist text of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism...
.
Translations
There are two classical Chinese translations extant:- the 仁王護國般若波羅蜜經 Renwang Huguo Bore Boluomi Jing (trans. by KumārajīvaKumarajivaKumārajīva; was a Kuchean Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. Kumārajīva settled in Chang'an, which was the imperial...
). - the 仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經 Renwang Huguo Bore Boluomiduo Jing (trans. by AmoghavajraAmoghavajraAmoghavajra was a prolific translator who became one of the most politically powerful Buddhist monks in Chinese history, acknowledged as one of the eight patriarchs of the doctrine in Shingon lineages.-Life:Born in Samarkand of an Indian father and Sogdian mother, he went...
). Amogavajra translated the mantras.
The discovery of the Old Translated Inwanggyeong (구역인왕경;舊譯仁王經) in Gugyeol
Gugyeol
Gugyeol is a system for rendering texts written in Classical Chinese into understandable Korean. It was chiefly used during the Joseon Dynasty, when readings of the Chinese classics were of paramount social importance...
in the mid-70s contributed to Middle Korean studies.
External links
- Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")