Lengyan jing: Chinese Buddhist Apocryphon, or Late Mahāyāna Sūtra?

The article examines the Lengyan jing ( Śūraṃgama sūtra), a significant text in later Chinese Buddhism, known for its profound doctrine and insights into meditation practice. It explores whether the text should be considered a Chinese Buddhist apocryphon or a late Mahāyāna Sūtra, composed in China during the eighth century.<br/>The author suggests that labeling the text as apocryphal may limit our understanding of its importance and proposes viewing it as a late Mahāyāna sūtra to gain deeper insights. The scripture’s origins are debated, but it is believed to have been composed in literary Chinese, reflecting efforts by Chinese Buddhist thinkers to develop their own models of Buddhist soteriology. Despite questions about its authenticity, the Lengyan jing entered the Buddhist canon and has been widely treated as genuine by Chinese Buddhists for over a millennium. Unlike other apocryphal works, the Lengyan jing is ambitious in scope, resembling a Mahāyāna canon in miniature, with distinct elements of the scripture devoted to preaching, dharma analysis, ritual, spellcraft, meditative praxis, and Vinaya. The text is primarily monastic, with a focus on male monastic privilege, yet it also appeals to laypeople and literati, offering a structured program for awakening.