方等

Readings

Pinyin: fāngděng

Wade-Giles: fang-teng

Hangul: 방등

Korean MC: bangdeung

Korean MR: pangdŭng

Katakana: ホウドウ

Hepburn: hōdō

phương đẳng

broadly put forth

• A well-balanced (scripture); a translation of Skt. [mahā]vaitulya[sūtra], a general term for the Mahāyāna 大乘 teachings. Cf. 大方等經, 方等經, 方等頌經. (Skt. vaipulya) [resp. Seishi Karashima; ref. Nakamura, Hirakawa, JEBD]
• Universally; cf. 方廣. 方 is interpreted as referring to the doctrine, 等 as equal, or universal, i. e. everywhere equally. An attempt is made to distinguish between the two above terms, 方廣 being now used for vaipulya, but they are interchangeable. Eitel says the vaipulya sūtras "are distinguished by an expansion of doctrine and style (Sūtras developées, Burnouf). They are apparently of later date, showing the influence of different schools; their style is diffuse and prolix, repeating the same idea over and over again in prose and in verse; they are also frequently interlarded with prophecies and dhāraṇīs; but the two terms seem to refer rather to the content than the form. The content is that of universalism. Chinese Buddhists assert that all the sutras from the Huayan 華嚴 onwards are of this class and therefore are Mahāyāna. Consequently all 方等 or 方廣 sūtras are claimed by that school. The Vaipulya period 方等時 is the third period of the five periods taught by Tiantai. Cf. 方便." (Pāli vedalla) [resp. cmuller; source(s): Soothill]

Dictionary References:

Bukkyō jiten (Ui), 949

Bulgyo sajeon, 250a

Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.), 1139a

Iwanami Bukkyō jiten , 727

Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha), 108a/119

Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura), 1224c

Fo Guang Dictionary, 1441

Ding Fubao

Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa), 0584

Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki), (v.1-6)4326b

Bukkyō daijiten (Oda), 1389-2

(Soothill's) Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, 155

Copyright © 2010 -- Charles Muller

generated: 2013-03-06