《圓覺經》全名《大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經》,透過文殊師利等十二位菩薩與佛陀的問答,宣說如來圓覺妙理,揭櫫一切眾生具足圓覺妙心,是指引如何修行成佛的經典。《圓覺經》廣受唐代天台、華嚴、禪宗、密宗重視,北宋郭印提出佛教四書,清末吳坤修甄選釋氏十三經,它從未缺席,又早早流布高麗與鎌倉時代的朝鮮、日本。該經一卷之薄,允為東亞漢傳佛教「經中之睛」。是次新注新譯,深度利用東亞文獻以校勘、輯佚,紹述唐僧玄奘忠於原典及思想、語言原貌之傳統,從佛學乃至文學角度,予以精當闡釋,化深奧為易懂,內容至簡至要。〈導讀〉一文更明析該經結構、善本、善注、文體,乃至東亞古典時代地位諸議題。研讀佛教經典者,切莫錯過。
The Sūtra of Perfect Englightenment 圓覺經, whose full title is The Nītrtha Sūtra on the canon of the great and expansive Perfect Enlightenment (D fāngguăng yuánju xiūduōluó liǎoyì jīng) 大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經, uses a conversation between the Buddha and twelve Bodhisattvas, led by Mañjuśrī, to promulgate the wondrous doctrine of perfect enlightenment. It discloses that all sentient beings have an innate mind of perfect enlightenment, and guides them on how to train to attain Buddhahood. In the Tang dynasty, the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment was held in high esteem by the Tiantai, Huayan, Chan, and Vajrayāna (Esoteric) schools. And it was listed in the four Buddhist classics proposed by the Northern Songs Guo Yin 郭印, and the Thirteen Buddhist Sūtras selected by the late Qings Wu Kunxiu 吳坤修. It was also disseminated in the Goryeo Kingdom 高麗 in Korea (918-1392), as well as Japan during the Kamakura 鐮倉 period (1192–1333). Only one fascicle long, the Sūtra of Perfect Englightenment rightly came to be regarded as ‘the eye of the Buddhist canon in East Asian Buddhism. This new translation, with new annotations, draws heavily upon East Asian sources to collate, reconstruct and pass down the true spirit of the Sūtra. It also follows the Tang monk Xuan Zangs tenets of being faithful to the original manuscript, as well as its ideas and linguistic features. Informed by Buddhist studies and also literary studies, it provides meticulous and accurate explanations in a way that is easy to understand and as concise as possible. The author has also provided a Readers Guide to point out the Sūtras structure, the most authoritative manuscript and annotations, the literary genre, and the question as to the texts status as an East Asian classic. This is a must-read for those studying Buddhist classics.
(Translated by Dr. Corey Lee Bell)