Briefing The truth-seeking spirit is essential for those who explore the true reality of the universe. The positivist spirit of Buddhism is based on the principle of correctness and truth to eventually accomplish the ultimate and pure Buddhahood-Way. The contents of these Buddhist doctrines are as follows: Buddha Sakyamuni and all Buddhas in the past have personally realized the ultimate reality of the dharma-realm through practicing the Bodhisattva Way; then, they convert to the ultimate reality, with further practices in sequence, and finally achieve Buddhahood; in response to the sentient beings’ need, the Buddhas expound the contents of Buddhist doctrines, based on which their followers can practice and personally realize Buddhism. Hence, during the truth-seeking process, positivism and practice are two indispensable elements. However, during the practice of the Buddhist doctrines, the correctness and consistency of doctrines are the important guidelines for practitioners; the wise should follow these guidelines to choose the correct Buddhist practice. Nevertheless, the propagation of correct Buddhism is no easy task. It is because most people have no actual enlightenment and often misunderstand the contents and the practice sequence of Buddhist doctrines. They convey incorrectly what is already incorrect, and as a result, erroneous teachings resembling the true dharma become popular. This kind of resembling Buddha dharma is seemingly similar to the real Buddhist teaching in many ways, yet its substantive contents and teachings violate the real Buddhist doctrines. In Buddhist sutras or treatises, it is sometimes referred to as “semblance dharma, resembling correct dharma, seemingly correct dharma, and resembling dharma.” Such resembling Buddhist dharmas spread even more widely in the dharma-ending age. Hence, any Buddhist scholar who truthfully seeks the ultimate reality of the dharma-realm should, based on wisdom, distinguish between “real Buddhism and resembling Buddhism.” Only with such wisdom will one not fall into blind faith or superstition, and therefore correct Buddhist research results can be obtained as they really are.
For this reason, the theme of this issue focuses on the core doctrine about “real Buddhism and resembling Buddhism”; based on the substantive contents and practice sequence, using Three Valid Cognitions as the argument method, and from the three perspectives—“a discussion on correct meanings vs. evil teachings of Vijnana-Only, a study on the role of dakinis in Tibetan Buddhism, and exploring the origin of plagiarism in I-Kuan Tao,” three excellent papers are presented to explain the difference between “real Buddhism and resembling Buddhism” and to benefit the truth-seekers of this and future lives. Focusing on the correct meanings of Buddhism, three articles of different study fields are accepted in this issue: 1. Are the Eighth Vijnana’s Seeds and Entity Identical or Different?—A Study Based on “Two Truths with Four Layered Statements” and A Comment on Yinshun’s View (Chang Chihcheng) 2. An Elegy about Dakinis—The Role and Destiny of Women in Tibetan Buddhism (Tsai Jyhcherng and Chang Hwoching) 3. A Study on “Plagiarism” in I-Kuan Tao—Citing the “Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha” and the “Right Dharma-Eye Store” as Examples (Chiang Chengchung and Chang Hwoching)
In Chang Chihcheng’s article “Are the Eighth Vijnana’s Seeds and Entity Identical or Different? —A Study Based on ‘Two Truths with Four Layered Statements’ and A Comment on Yinshun’s View,” the author discusses the correct meanings of Vijnana-Only based on “Positivist Buddhism” and examines the Buddhist theory of mind and whether the relationship between dharmas is “identical or different.” Chang also follows the principle of “two truths with four layered statements,” which was established by Xuanzang and Kuiji of the Tang Dynasty according to the Treatise on the Stages of Yoga Practice. As a research methodology, the principle of “two truths with four layered statements” is perfect and commonly acceptable. …… In the article “An Elegy about Dakinis—The Role and Destiny of Women in Tibetan Buddhism,” coauthored by Tsai Jyhcherng and Prof. Chang Hwoching, its theme focuses on the dakini, or female consort, who represents the important “sexual role” in Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). The authors explore the true role of the dakini in the whole Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) and discuss the necessary requirements for a “qualified dakini” and its position in the four divisions of tantras from the perspectives of its category, content, origin, and evolution. From the authors’ analysis, we can see that the role and function of the dakini involves the fundamental core doctrine of the whole Tibetan Buddhism, namely the “sexual pleasure” theory which takes the “Highest Yoga Tantra, Couple-Practice Tantra, and Dual Operations of Bliss and Emptiness” as its core doctrine. During its propagation from ancient India to Tibet, the description of the role connotation of those dakinis can be found even in the writings of lamas, gurus, or living “Buddhas” in Tibetan Buddhism nowadays. According to the exploration into the origin and evolution of dakinis, the “sexual role” of dakinis, female consorts, or “Buddha”-mothers in Tibetan Tantric practice is consistent. Furthermore, based on the “sexual role” of dakinis as a clue, two related topics are studied to examine the difference between Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) and real Buddhism. The authors show that Tibetan Buddhism, which claims that “greed is the Way and one attains Buddhahood in a lifetime,” is entirely different in essence from the real teachings of the Buddha. …… In their article “A Study on ‘Plagiarism’ in I-Kuan Tao—Citing the ‘Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha’ and the ‘Right Dharma-Eye Store’ as Examples,” Chiang Chengchung and Prof. Chang Hwoching explore the origin of I-Kuan Tao and also discuss its plagiarism from its core doctrines as well as its preaching nature. According to the transmitted history edited by I-Kuan Tao and the writings of their patriarchs, the authors examine the changing contents in every transition stage and conclude that I-Kuan Tao is always plagiaristic in nature.
Historical Right, Historical Responsibility and Historians
Abstract
Although it is extremely important, the scope of the historian is a topic that very few people explore in historiography. Using historical right as the characteristic of the historian, this article defines the scope of the historian. Among many different opinions about the content of historical right, this article thinks the right to select and interpret parts of facts to manifest their knowledge and value is the historical right of the historian.
The reason why the historian has the historical right is that the historical facts are too huge to record all of them, and a historian has to write about the essential parts selected from countless facts. The author of this article expresses a different view on the topic about “the historian, who manages official documents to assist in the governing of a country” and thinks the historical right defined by the author is completely different from the official historian’s governing power, which will hinder the execution of historical right. With this view, this article clearly defines the connotation of historical right and clarifies the real characteristic of the historian.
Historical responsibility comes with the corresponding historical right. With the historical right, a historian should bear the responsibility for the history which he manifests. The historical responsibility is not given to a historian by anyone; it is a definite phenomenon generated by the continuous operation of the “grandly unified” causality rule in the dharma-realm. The execution of historical right by a historian is in fact to write the rules in his mind; it is the historical right of a historian.
Generally there are three layers of meaning for the grandly unified historical responsibility: The first is the minor precepts of conduct; the second is the unique causality rule of grand unification; the highest layer is the ultimate origin of causality rule—the eighth vijnana Tathagatagarbha. All three layers of the historical responsibility should not be violated when a historian executes his historical right.
According to the characteristic of historical right, this article finds both journalists and media workers are historians in conformity to the characteristic of historical right. Furthermore, everyone and even all sentient beings of ten dharma-realms are historians too. It is because every sentient being of ten dharma-realms is the subject of history; everyone has the historical right to write the rules with one’s bodily, verbal and mental deeds, and has no choice but to bear the due historical responsibility; therefore the ten dharma-realms are built. Among the ten dharma-realms, the sages and saints of the four noble dharma-paths are true historians, whereas the sentient beings of the six ordinary karma-paths are false historians. This is a reduced scope of the historian.
Keywords: historian, historical right, historical responsibility, writing the rules, seven noble precepts, five supernatural powers, five insights, grand unification, distortion of the facts, Confucian ethical code, Tathagatagarbha, double standard, balance of power, journalist, media, theory of public opinion
1. Introduction
The scope of history includes all existing facts. Historians collect, read and digest huge amounts of detailed historical data; they construct and interpret the evolution of history. However, historical researches are enormous and complex; with time, more and more historians are needed to participate in research; on the other hand, it seems that historical researches also become endless as time goes by. Liang Qichao, a modern historian, states in Research Methods of Chinese History:
For two thousand years, the historical study in our country has been uniquely flourishing as compared to those of other countries. Nevertheless, its writing system was mostly created by those scholars over a thousand years ago. The historical system needed at that time is quite different from that of today. The knowledge of that time was still not divided into subdisciplines. All different fields of knowledge were recorded by history. Therefore, the scope of history was extraordinarily wide. With the passing years, the number of history books has been increasing, even to the extent that no one can read all of them throughout one’s entire lifetime. As we live in present days, reading old history books is just like “sifting gold from sand, in which valuable things are often found.” Without sand, there would be no gold. However, it is indeed an extremely laborious task to obtain a piece of gold from several decaliters of sand; moreover, not everyone can have the technique of sifting gold. If one goes the wrong way, it will be inevitable that one obtains sand instead of gold. Unfortunately, the current education of history in China is exactly like that.
Liang Qichao thinks that “all different fields of knowledge were recorded by history.” Obviously, in the extremely wide range of historical data, due to the limited space, what is recorded in history should be the knowledge that is beneficial to later generations, rather than those useless data. Liang Qichao further states: “However, it is indeed an extremely laborious task to obtain a piece of gold from several decaliters of sand; moreover, not everyone can have the technique of sifting gold.” It is obvious that the historical contents recorded by historians are not all useful mundane wisdom or knowledge. If Liang’s statement that “it is indeed an extremely laborious task to obtain a piece of gold from several decaliters of sand” is true, what were recorded by historians is in fact rich in sand instead of gold, and useful wisdom or knowledge is scarcely found. Moreover, if useful wisdom or knowledge is to be found, the readers need to have the technique of sifting gold; without the technique of sifting gold, one would be unable to obtain useful wisdom or knowledge. Worst of all, “it is inevitable that historians obtain sand instead of gold.” In that case, historians bring disaster to later generations by transmitting sand to them.……(continue)
2. Historical Right and Historians
This article attempts to explore the scope of the historian. The characteristics of the historian should be clarified first. Chinese historians always like to mention the establishment of official historian system and consider it to be one of the important factors in the well-developed Chinese historiography. However, the occupational historical officer is not a characteristic of the historian. The reason is that although there was no historical officer in ancient society, it does not impede the propagation of historical facts. Although the Western society established the official historian system later, historians still existed before the establishment of official historian system, and it does not impede the development and advancement of Western history. In describing the Chinese official historian system, Du Weiyun states:
The Western world did not establish an official historian system to record the world events immediately. … As for Greeks, who initiated historical study, they had already had a lot of political experiences up to the 7th century BC. It was strange that the Greeks at that time did not think of recording their experiences in written words. They only paid attention to the history provided in epic poems. As a result, Greeks still did not have plentiful records in written words until the 5th century BC. That was the situation at that time, and no wonder Western historians disappointedly said, “At first, the stimulation to record historical events did not come from the interest in the past, the so-called interest in history. The forerunner of historical study was full of surprises; it seemed unlikely that, in the beginning, the duty of the so-called historian has its origins in history.” In contrast, the situation in China was entirely different. Since distant ancient times, China had established an official historian system to record the world events immediately, which never happened before. The time when China established an official historian system might not be as early as that told in legends. Cangjie and Jusong, the inventors of Chinese characters, were probably not the ancestors of official historians. However, in the Shang Dynasty or the Xia Dynasty at the latest, China had indeed established an official historian system.
Du Weiyun praises that in the Shang Dynasty or the Xia Dynasty at the latest, China had established official historians in different governmental organizations, and the establishment of official historians is occupational and professional. However, from the definition of the historian, although the occupational and professional historical officers are historians, occupationization and professionalization are not the most important characteristics of the historian; it is proved from the fact that there were still historians writing about history although the Western world set up the official historian system in a later time. As stated by Western historians: it seemed unlikely that, in the beginning, the duty of the so-called historian has its origins in history. It exactly shows that occupationization is not the characteristic of the historian. Liang Qichao even states in the Research Methods of Chinese History:.……(continue)