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THE CHINESE BUDDHIST WHEEL OF EXISTENCE
AND DELIVERANCE
JAN Yun-bua
The Buddhist Wheel or the Dependent Origination pratityasamutpāda) has been regarded by scholars as one of the cardinal doctrines of Buddhism. From a soteriological angle, it illustrates the formation of deeds (karma), its consequence and its way to freedom from the circle of Life-death (samsāra). From a philosophical view-point, the doctrine explains the process of becoming, hence explains the middle path of Buddhism, distinguishes itself from eternalistic as well as the nibilistic positions. And, as a symbol, it is one of the most rich and significant examples in the history of religions. Though the Wheel has been variously understood and sometimes been different even in number, yet many scholars believe that it “have been in Buddhism since earliest times”. 1
The Chinese Buddhists have followed the Indian tradition in most cases, but they also modified certain items to serve their own religious needs. In this respect, one finds a modi. fied wheel formulated by Tsung-ini (180-341), a distinguished Buddhist thinker.2 An enquiry into his formula will not only be important for an understanding of his philosophy, but also be significant to define Chinese Budhhism, a term that is frequently used in scholarly research, but has yet to be defined systematically.
Although Tsung-mi, like many of his religious forerunners in India, did not adopt the term wheel, nevertheless, what he wrote is undoubtedly concerned with the wheel of existence and deliverance. He himself entitled his formula the "tenfold delusion and tenfold awakening". A rough translation of this formula has been published by A. Verdu.3 A new translation
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