The Substance of Soul and the Doctrine of Transmigration

 Termination of 2000 Years of Contention

Over the Transmigration of Non-self

 

The Substance of Soul and the Doctrine

of Transmigration

 

The Substance of Soul of No-self is the Nucleus

of Transmigration

 

Non-self has been misinterpreted.

Jajae Manhyeon is right.

As a Prince of the Dharma, Jajae Manhyeon

Should set it right.

It was the principal cause of the decline of Buddhism.

 

Ideological Research Institute of Yeongsan Buddhism

 

The Words of the World-honored Buddha

 

Non-self has been misinterpreted.

Jajae Manhyeon is right.

As a Prince of the Dharma, Jajae Manhyeon

Should set it right.

It was the primal cause of the decline of Buddhism.

 

Declaration of the Doctrine of Transmigration

of the Substance of Soul!

 

 

I, Jajae Manhyeon, declare that the substance of soul of 'no-self (非我)' is the nucleus or the chief constituent of transmigration. It is about the time to straighten the false doctrine of 'non-self (無我)' that has been prevailing for about 2,000 years.

I declare that the transmigration of 'non-self' is a heresy, and it must be stamped out forever. I officially declare in the name of the orthodox doctrine of Yeongsan (Vulture Peak 靈鷲山) Buddhism that the doctrine of the transmigration of 'subsistent-self (有我)', or the transmigration of the substance of soul as the doctrine of Buddhism.

The substance of our soul is also the substance of human, and originally it subsisted in the realm of noumenon or the ultimate reality of cosmos. The 'self' of the third of the Four Virtues of Nirvana, 'the unobstructed 'true-self' of Buddha, discoursed in the Nirvana Sutra, is the immaculate purity of the substance of soul without a particle of dust.

However, during the immeasurable eons of long passage of time, there arose all kinds of discrimination and greedy mind, defiling the purity of soul by committing the numerous evil karmas of non-fundamental things such as karmic obstructions. We call such defiled substance of soul 'no-self (非我)'. Thus the doctrine of the transmigration of 'the subsistent-self' reveals its characteristic nature as 'no-self' and the transmigration of the substance of soul as its true nature.

The fundamental reason that our Buddhism has disappeared from India, its birthplace, and could not spread throughout the world was due to this misleading theory of 'non-self'. Sakyamuni Buddha also spoke about the misleading doctrine of 'non-self' which was the cause of the decline of Buddhism.

Therefore, it is my firm resolution to uphold the Buddha's illustrious teachings to redress the wrong interpretation of 'non-self' and declare 'the transmigration of the substance of soul' to open a new era of the orthodox dharma. We must rectify the misleading doctrine of 'non-self' to verify the foundation of subsistence of Buddha, transmigration, and the realm of enlightenment. In fact, the right interpretation of 'non-self' is the starting point of the orthodox Buddhism.

The misleading interpretation of 'non-self' has been acknowledged for long by not only in the Buddhist sectors but also in the fields of scholarship and religion, and we can anticipate a great reaction to the new doctrine of 'non-self'. But we must accept the right meaning of 'non-self' as a painful labor of the birth of orthodox dharma. It could be compared with the great turning point of Copernican evolution and must be carried out without delay.

Publication of this book is to help all the Buddhists in the world to understand our efforts to straighten the misleading interpretation of 'non-self' and the "illogical doctrine of the transmigration of 'non-self'". Therefore, it is my sincere wish that all the followers of the illustrious teachings of Buddha to awaken and be released from the fetters of the misleading interpretation of 'non-self' and join the right path of the orthodox dharma.

Lastly, I wish to appreciate the painful efforts of the dharma instructor Hyewun in writing this book. I also pray that Buddha's immeasurable empowerment will always be with all the followers of Buddha's teaching.

 

 

The 8th day of the fourth moon, 2554, BE (2010)

 

Jajae Manhyeon

Hyeonjisa, Yeongsan Buddhism