On the Structure of Guan wu-liang-shou jing

The Guan wu-liang-shou jing (abbreviated hereafter as Guan jing) is well known as one of the Triple Pure Land sutras, but various questions concerning its origins have been raised in recent years. Among these studies, the most systematic attempt has been that of Sueki Fumihiko. Based on Sueki's work, in this paper I would like to consider the characteristics (or problems) that appear when the Guan jing is seen, not as a Buddhist sutra, but as a Chinese text. On first reading, it appears that the Guan jing is an unproblematic work. However, once we forget that it is a sutra and consider it mainly from the standpoint of literary composition, we find that it is a very confused work. This probably derives from the fact that the Guan jing was created by bringing together different topics belonging to different sutras. These topics include (1) the legend of King Ajatasatru, (2) the topic which underlies the second half of the preface, the thirteen contemplations constituting the meditative good and the conclusion, and (3) the three contemplations constituting the non-meditative good. The point here which diverges from earlier interpretations is the fact that I consider the thirteen visualizations and the conclusion to constitute a unified topic. Using various "glues," these topics were cemented together into one cohesive story, the Guan jingo In this paper, I focus on the preface and the thirteen contemplations. I pointed out that, at least as far as the thirteen contemplations are concerned, the central figure was originally Ananda. In other words, when in the sutra the Buddha addresses only Vaidehr, Ananda is called upon to confirm it; moreover, the central portion of the sutra is addressed only to Ananda. This shows that the Guan jing originally intended for its message to be transmitted to Ananda. Why, then, does the Buddha address Ananda? This was because the sutra was the teaching for all future sentient beings. Although it appears that the Guan jing has as its aim the birth of Vaidehl into the Pure Land, in fact it can be said that this is a siltra in which Vaidehl was skillfully incorporated into the description of the thirteen contemplations centered on Ananda. According to this way of thinking, the essential point of the Guan jing will become apparent when Vaidehl is removed from the picture