Fahua xuanyi

Fahua xuanyi (J. Hokke gengi; K. Pŏphwa hyŏnŭi 法華玄義). “Profound Meaning of the ‘Lotus Sūtra’”. A major commentary on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra (aka "Lotus Sutra") based on the teachings of the Chinese master Tiantai Zhiyi and put into writing by his disciple Guanding (561–632). The Fahua xuanyi is considered one of Zhiyi’s three great commentaries, along with the Mohe Zhiguan and the Fahua wenju.

The teachings that formed the basis of this text were given by Zhiyi in 593, perhaps at the monastery of Yuquansi in Jingzhou.

The Digital Dictionary of Buddhism states:

Zhiyiʼs commentary on the Lotus Sutra, traditionally considered to be the most important commentary on the sutra in the Tiantai tradition. 'Profound Meaning' 玄義 refers to the fact that this is an explication of the deeper meaning of the Lotus Sutra. Together with the Fahua wenju 法華文句 (T 1718) and the Mohe zhiguan 摩訶止觀 (T 1911) forms the set of three most influential commentaries in the Tiantai tradition 天台三大部.

While the Wenju explicates the scriptural text itself, this text is primarily a commentarial essay on the title. This is done in a five-layered exposition of the profound meaning 五重玄義, consisting of the explication of the title 釋名, articulation of the essence 辯體, explanation of the central tenets 明宗, discussion of function 論用, and classification of teachings 判教. These five layers are each treated in terms of general 通 and distinctive 別 characteristics.

Title variants

Full title:

• 妙法蓮華經玄義 Profound Meaning of the Sutra on the Lotus of the Marvelous Dharma

Also known by the abbreviated title of:

• 法華玄義 (Fahua xuanyi)

Sources

• Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University