Hermeneutics and Tradition in the Samdhinirmocana-sutra

Hermeneutics & Tradition in the Samdhinirmocana-sutra deals with the complex interrelationship between theories of scriptural interpretation and Buddhist notions of tradition and authority with respect to the Samdhinirmocana-sutra, the maiin scriptural source of the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism. The Yogacara school is one of the two main philosophical schools of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Samdhinirmocana-sutra figures prominently in the philosophical analyses both of people associated with Yogacara and people associated with other schools and movements. The Samdhinirmocana-sutra, like many other Buddhist texts, is not simply the result of the mystical experiences of an enlightened sage, but is a conscious attempt to influence power relations in the Buddhist communities which studied and debated its teachings. The focus of this study is the hermeneutical thought of the sutra, considered in the light of the socio-political mulieu in which it was conceived. Of particular interest is the philosophical worldview of Indian Mahayana Buddhism, the assumptions of which underlie every part of this text. Without understanding where the Samdhinirmocana stands in relations to this context, many of the ideas of this text could be opaque to a modern reader. This study looks at the text from a number off perspectives, including several current methodological models, philological analyses, and historical considerations. The purpose of this approach is to provide a multi-faceted analysis of this complex work.