Abstract

This dissertation entitled ‘Parāvṛitti in Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra’ has three objectives: 1) to study Parāvṛitti in Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, 2) to study the process of Zen’s enlightenment, 3) to study the difference between Paraāvṛitti and Zen’s enlightenment and 4) to study a way of explanation of Zen’s reality under the conceptual framework of Theravãda. This is a qualitative research.

In the study of first objective, it was found that Parāvṛitti in Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is in sub-consciousness or Ãlayavijnãna meaning the revolution or the uprooting of underlying tendencies in original mind. In fact, this is in line with the meaning of Ãlayasamugghãta and Samucchedpahãna in Theravãda Buddhist philosophy embracing the meaning of uprooting its root or the total abandonment. In the second objective, it showed that the process of Zen’s enlightenment is the state of realization or enlightenment resulting in changing of thought and behaviour which arises through three stages, meditation, puzzling teaching out, immediate question and answer. These techniques are meant to return to original mind, no-extinction of defilements is discussed. In the third objective, its finding was that Parāvṛitti and Zen’s enlightenment are the same; Parāvṛitti basically refers to the revolutionization and return to original mind as was done by Zen but it did not mean the destruction of defilements; it hinges on the Mahãyãna important ideal in order to help human beings to attain Nibbãna. In the fourth objective, it was found that the explanation of Zen’s enlightenment could be done under the conceptual framework of Theravãda named mindfulness or Sampajãnakãrĩ and Vipassanãnãna.

In this research, the researcher supported the concept of Parāvṛitti in Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra to be a similar revolutionary path to completely uproot latent dispositions leading Nibbãna like Ãlayasamugghãta and Samucchedpahãna in Theravãda Buddhist philosophy.

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