『華嚴經』의 善財童子 순례

The Journey of Sudhana in Buddhavatamsaka-Sutra

Sudhana’s journey toward the south which is represented in Gandavyuha of Buddhavatamsaka-Sutra is well known as expedient means of practice for ‘becoming a Buddha in one vehicle’. Sudhana’s encountering Manjushri Bodhisattva causes bodhichitta whose purpose is to attain the same enlightenment as Buddha’s. Sudhana’s journey toward enlightenment relates to the procedure that motivated by Manjushri Bodhisattva’s teachings, Sudhana takes a journey for looking for spiritual teachers to learn the path of Bodhisattva leading to enlightenment and then encounters fifty-three teachers including Bodhisattva Samantabhadra to enter the dharma realm. Because Gandavyuha describes the contents of teachings preached in Buddhavatamsaka-Sutra once again via Sudhana, it is regarded as a sequel to the Sutra. Sudhana’s journey, therefore, reveals the entire system of practice of Buddhavatamsaka Sutra. Sudhana’s taking a journey for looking for the fifty three spiritual teachers is motivated by cittopada initiated by the combination of his own good root and Manjushri’s teaching. Because cittopada is the one which inspires bodhichitta, his journey is the path which embodies the virtues of bodhichitta. It displays the teachers’ liberation realm and the equal realm of Bodhisattva path of the single vehicle. Sudhana’s journey ends with his attaining the vow of the practice of Samantabhadra in encountering Samamtabhadra. Since the Dharma realm is endless and the vow of practice of Samantabhadra cannot be eternally completed, however, his journey continues. This journey of Sudhana is the lifestyle, which makes Sudhana’s innately possessed wisdom fulfilled and himself live as Buddha of his original figure. Then it is the entry into Dharma realm itself.