- Four Dharmadhātu
The Four Dharmadhatu (Chinese: 四法界), is a philosophical concept propagated by Master Tu-shun (Chinese: 杜順; 557-640 CE). [Samanta Buddhist Glossary (2006). "Four Dharmadhātu". Source: [http://218.189.203.50/glossary/word_eng.php?word_id=168] (accessed: January 28, 2008)] It builds upon and is a variant of the
Dharmadhatu doctrine. Tu-shun is the founder ofHua-yen (Chinese: 華嚴) school. The Four Dharmadhatu were outlined in Tu-shun's treatise which has been rendered into English as 'On the Meditation of Dharmadhātu'. The Four Dharmadhatu are:*The Dharmadhātu of 'Shih' (Chinese: 事法界; "shi fajie"). 'Shih' is a rendering of the character 事 which holds the
semantic field : "matter", "phenomenon", "event". It may be understood as the 'realm' (Sanskrit: dhātu) of all matters and phenomena.
*The Dharmadhātu of 'Li'(Chinese: 理法界; "li fajie"). 'Li' is a rendering of the character 理 which holds the semantic field: "principle", "law", "noumenon ". This 'realm' (Sanskrit: dhātu) may be understood as that of principles. It has been referred to as "the realm of the one principle". The "one principle" being qualified asśūnyatā (Sanskrit). [Samanta Buddhist Glossary (2006). "Four Dharmadhātu". Source: [http://218.189.203.50/glossary/word_eng.php?word_id=885] (accessed: January 28, 2008)]
*The Dharmadhātu of Non-obstruction of 'Li' against 'Shih' (Chinese: 理事無礙法界; "lishi wuai fajie"). This 'realm' (Sanskrit: dhātu) has been rendered into English as "the realm of non-obstruction between principle and phenomena". [Samanta Buddhist Glossary (2006). "Four Dharmadhātu". Source: [http://218.189.203.50/glossary/word_eng.php?word_id=885] (accessed: January 28, 2008)]
*The Dharmadhātu of the Non-obstruction of 'Shih' and 'Shih' (Chinese: 事事無礙法界; "shishi wuai fajie"). This 'realm' (Sanskrit: dhātu) has been rendered into English as "the realm of non-obstruction between phenomena". [Samanta Buddhist Glossary (2006). "Four Dharmadhātu". Source: [http://218.189.203.50/glossary/word_eng.php?word_id=885] (accessed: January 28, 2008)]Notes
References
* Oh, Kang-nam (2000). "The Taoist Influence on Hua-yen Buddhism: A Case of the Sinicization of Buddhism in China". Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal, No. 13, (2000). Source: [http://www.chibs.edu.tw/publication/chbj/13/chbj1338.htm] (accessed: January 28, 2008)
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