Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2101757
B. T. ter Haar
ABSTRACT The author argues that the Boxers of 1900 should be understood from the mainstream religious culture of that time, rather than in terms of sectarian traditions as is still common, especially in Chinese language scholarship. This culture was expressed in narrative form in theatre, storytelling and ritual practices, and some of the best known vernacular novels of the sixteenth century. Their narrative and ritual contents formed part of the larger religious culture that shaped and motivated the Boxers. Threats to human society and imperial rule had to be addressed through demonological measures, including the performance of the maze or labyrinth which is not only a prominent part of some of these novels, but also was a common practice around the Lantern Festival in the first lunar month. The texts produced by the Boxers show clearly the importance of the demonological narrative, with a special role for Lord Guan or Guan Yu and his superior the Jade Emperor. In order to deal with the special threats of that time, including Christian missionaries and technological change from the West, these divinities ordered vast armies of Divine Soldiers to suppress these threats. The Boxers saw themselves as these Divine Soldiers.
{"title":"Divine Soldiers: the Boxers and their religious universe","authors":"B. T. ter Haar","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2022.2101757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2022.2101757","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The author argues that the Boxers of 1900 should be understood from the mainstream religious culture of that time, rather than in terms of sectarian traditions as is still common, especially in Chinese language scholarship. This culture was expressed in narrative form in theatre, storytelling and ritual practices, and some of the best known vernacular novels of the sixteenth century. Their narrative and ritual contents formed part of the larger religious culture that shaped and motivated the Boxers. Threats to human society and imperial rule had to be addressed through demonological measures, including the performance of the maze or labyrinth which is not only a prominent part of some of these novels, but also was a common practice around the Lantern Festival in the first lunar month. The texts produced by the Boxers show clearly the importance of the demonological narrative, with a special role for Lord Guan or Guan Yu and his superior the Jade Emperor. In order to deal with the special threats of that time, including Christian missionaries and technological change from the West, these divinities ordered vast armies of Divine Soldiers to suppress these threats. The Boxers saw themselves as these Divine Soldiers.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"259 - 288"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45807192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2091364
Nikolas Broy
ABSTRACT This article explores the involvement of Shaolin monks in military campaigns against the so-called ‘Japanese Pirates’ (wokou) in 1550s Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. While previous scholarship has only touched briefly on the course and scope of the campaigns, this contribution analyzes the military training, fighting tactics, and actual warfare of Shaolin (and other) monks in the course of these conflicts. Drawing on late Ming historical evidences from chronicles, pen notes, local gazetteers, and previously untouched material, I demonstrate that the monastics in question possessed both outstanding individual fighting skills and above-average military knowledge. Employing strategic formations, battle tactics, and professional modes of warfare, the ‘monk soldiers’ (sengbing) were able to immortalize themselves as brave and righteous patriots. The article thus digs deeper into the entanglements of military and religious circles in late imperial China, a topic that needs to be explored in future scholarship. Ending with a brief excursion to sixteenth-century Korea, the article concludes that comparative research yields important insights of how to better understand Buddhist involvement in military actions in premodern East Asia.
{"title":"Heroic monks and villainous pirates: an inquiry into monastic Buddhist warfare in sixteenth-century China","authors":"Nikolas Broy","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2022.2091364","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2022.2091364","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article explores the involvement of Shaolin monks in military campaigns against the so-called ‘Japanese Pirates’ (wokou) in 1550s Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. While previous scholarship has only touched briefly on the course and scope of the campaigns, this contribution analyzes the military training, fighting tactics, and actual warfare of Shaolin (and other) monks in the course of these conflicts. Drawing on late Ming historical evidences from chronicles, pen notes, local gazetteers, and previously untouched material, I demonstrate that the monastics in question possessed both outstanding individual fighting skills and above-average military knowledge. Employing strategic formations, battle tactics, and professional modes of warfare, the ‘monk soldiers’ (sengbing) were able to immortalize themselves as brave and righteous patriots. The article thus digs deeper into the entanglements of military and religious circles in late imperial China, a topic that needs to be explored in future scholarship. Ending with a brief excursion to sixteenth-century Korea, the article concludes that comparative research yields important insights of how to better understand Buddhist involvement in military actions in premodern East Asia.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"185 - 201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49329275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2058776
G. Keyworth
ABSTRACT My research here concerns roll seven of the apocryphal Shoulengyan jing 首楞嚴經 [*Śūraṃgama-sūtra, Book of the Hero’s March] (T no. 945) because it contains the Lengyan zhou 楞嚴呪 [*Śūraṃgama spell], which is used in the Lengyan Assembly today in Chinese, South Korean and Japanese Buddhist monasteries on an annual basis. The presence of the *Śūraṃgama spell confirms for some scholars the authenticity of the Shoulengyan jing, as opposed to its status as an apocryphal composition in China. In this article I investigate both premodern Chinese and Tibetan sources regarding the dhāraṇī in roll seven of the Shoulengyan jing to bolster the argument that this scripture ought to be considered an apocryphon, and that the question of who composed the Shoulengyan jing remains problematic.
{"title":"Chinese and Tibetan Sources on the Dhāraṇī in Roll Seven of the *Śūraṃgama-sūtra","authors":"G. Keyworth","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2022.2058776","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2022.2058776","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT My research here concerns roll seven of the apocryphal Shoulengyan jing 首楞嚴經 [*Śūraṃgama-sūtra, Book of the Hero’s March] (T no. 945) because it contains the Lengyan zhou 楞嚴呪 [*Śūraṃgama spell], which is used in the Lengyan Assembly today in Chinese, South Korean and Japanese Buddhist monasteries on an annual basis. The presence of the *Śūraṃgama spell confirms for some scholars the authenticity of the Shoulengyan jing, as opposed to its status as an apocryphal composition in China. In this article I investigate both premodern Chinese and Tibetan sources regarding the dhāraṇī in roll seven of the Shoulengyan jing to bolster the argument that this scripture ought to be considered an apocryphon, and that the question of who composed the Shoulengyan jing remains problematic.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"99 - 142"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47934115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2058287
S. Hsieh
ABSTRACT Mārīcī (Molizhi tian 摩利支天) originated in India and spread throughout various Indian religious traditions. She is also the subject of a cross-cultural cult which spread to Central Asia, China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia and generated different iconographies and cults. In each locale, Mārīcī underwent localization or syncretisation with indigenous traditions. The first section of this paper will explore Mārīcī’s textual transmission from India to China, including scriptures on Mārīcī in Chinese translations of Buddhist texts, and investigate the characteristics and implications of Mārīcī worship. The second section analyzes texts related to Doumu 斗母-Mārīcī, focusing on iconographies, rituals, and spells. By reading the Yuyin qianyuan dantian leifa玉音乾元丹天雷法 [Thunder Methods of the Cinnabar Heaven of the Jade-Toned Primordial Heavens] and the Xiantian Doumu zougao xuanke 先天斗母奏告玄科 [Posterior-Heaven Ritual of Doumu’s Proclamation to the Profound], this paper investigates the process through which Doumu rituals were transformed into Dipper-proclamation rites, how new Doumu rituals were formed using the framework of Dipper-proclamation rites, and how they had a significant influence on later Doumu proclamation.
{"title":"Image, ritual and mantra: a study on Esoteric rituals of Dipper Mother Mārīcī","authors":"S. Hsieh","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2022.2058287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2022.2058287","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Mārīcī (Molizhi tian 摩利支天) originated in India and spread throughout various Indian religious traditions. She is also the subject of a cross-cultural cult which spread to Central Asia, China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia and generated different iconographies and cults. In each locale, Mārīcī underwent localization or syncretisation with indigenous traditions. The first section of this paper will explore Mārīcī’s textual transmission from India to China, including scriptures on Mārīcī in Chinese translations of Buddhist texts, and investigate the characteristics and implications of Mārīcī worship. The second section analyzes texts related to Doumu 斗母-Mārīcī, focusing on iconographies, rituals, and spells. By reading the Yuyin qianyuan dantian leifa玉音乾元丹天雷法 [Thunder Methods of the Cinnabar Heaven of the Jade-Toned Primordial Heavens] and the Xiantian Doumu zougao xuanke 先天斗母奏告玄科 [Posterior-Heaven Ritual of Doumu’s Proclamation to the Profound], this paper investigates the process through which Doumu rituals were transformed into Dipper-proclamation rites, how new Doumu rituals were formed using the framework of Dipper-proclamation rites, and how they had a significant influence on later Doumu proclamation.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"67 - 98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43450745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2058783
Chong Hou
ABSTRACT Buddhist ritual procedures such as the setting up of Sky-wheel Lamps 天輪燈 and Earth-wheel Lamps 地輪燈 were previously only seen in the Dunhuang manuscript (D2074, BD15147, G015, etc.) and its related materials. It turns out that these procedures can also be found in the ordinance and ritual (keyi 科儀) manuscript used by Azhali 阿吒力 monks in Dali 大理, as well as in Song text Shuilu yi 水陸儀 [Water-land Rituals], and in the Dali manuscript Zhufo pusa Jin’gang deng qiqing 諸佛菩薩金剛等啟請. Three different types of Choutian xiedi manuscripts collected recently from Yunnan all share similar contents and contain phrases such as ‘Master Yixing sets up earth-wheel lamp’ (一行禪師設地燈), which corresponds to the Dunhuang manuscript Yixing dashi shi shijie dilun dengfa. This chain of evidence demonstrates that the Dali Buddhist tradition in Nanzhao 南詔 as well as the Azhali tradition were all components of Chinese Buddhism. On the other hand, these findings provide new examples for the important reference value of Yunnan Chinese Buddhism as for the study of post-Tang Chinese Buddhism.
设置天轮灯、地轮灯等佛教仪式程序，以前只在敦煌手抄本(D2074、BD15147、G015等)及其相关资料中见过。事实证明，这些程序也可以在大理阿扎利僧侣使用的法令和仪式(keyi)手稿中找到，也可以在宋文《水陆仪礼》中找到，也可以在大理手稿《Zhufo pusa Jin’gang deng qiqing》中找到。三种不同类型的Choutian xiedi手稿收集最近从云南相似内容,包含短语,如“主宜兴设立earth-wheel台灯”(一行禪師設地燈),这对应于敦煌手稿宜兴鱼汤施诗杰dilun dengfa。这一连串的证据表明，南诏大理佛教传统(通文:网址:詔)和阿扎里传统都是中国佛教的组成部分。另一方面，这些发现为云南汉传佛教对后唐汉传佛教研究提供了重要的参考价值。
{"title":"Dunhuang was not isolated: examples such as ‘Master Yixing sets up earth-wheel lamps’ and others from Yunnan","authors":"Chong Hou","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2022.2058783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2022.2058783","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Buddhist ritual procedures such as the setting up of Sky-wheel Lamps 天輪燈 and Earth-wheel Lamps 地輪燈 were previously only seen in the Dunhuang manuscript (D2074, BD15147, G015, etc.) and its related materials. It turns out that these procedures can also be found in the ordinance and ritual (keyi 科儀) manuscript used by Azhali 阿吒力 monks in Dali 大理, as well as in Song text Shuilu yi 水陸儀 [Water-land Rituals], and in the Dali manuscript Zhufo pusa Jin’gang deng qiqing 諸佛菩薩金剛等啟請. Three different types of Choutian xiedi manuscripts collected recently from Yunnan all share similar contents and contain phrases such as ‘Master Yixing sets up earth-wheel lamp’ (一行禪師設地燈), which corresponds to the Dunhuang manuscript Yixing dashi shi shijie dilun dengfa. This chain of evidence demonstrates that the Dali Buddhist tradition in Nanzhao 南詔 as well as the Azhali tradition were all components of Chinese Buddhism. On the other hand, these findings provide new examples for the important reference value of Yunnan Chinese Buddhism as for the study of post-Tang Chinese Buddhism.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"33 - 66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48895482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2080435
Weirong Shen
ABSTRACT This article analyzes four Tibetan Buddhist texts or groups of texts written in Chinese from the Tangut period (1038–1227), in order to demonstrate the distinctive character of Tangut Buddhism as a blend of Sino-Tibetan and exoteric–esoteric Buddhist traditions. The four (groups of) texts are: (1) The texts related to the Mahāmudrā teachings in the Dacheng yaodao miji 大乘要道密集 [The Secret Collection of Works on the Essential Path of Mahāyāna]; And three (groups of) texts from the Khara-Khoto Collection: (2) The Chisong shengfomu boreduo xinjing yaomen 持誦聖佛母般若多心經要門 [Pith Instruction of Practicing and Reciting the Heart Sūtra of the Saintly Mother of Prajñāpāramitā]: (3) The Yuhushen qiuxiu 欲護神求脩 [Invocation and Practice of the Protector of the Desire (Realm)] and Dahei qiuxiu bing zuofa 大黑求脩并作法 [Invocation and Practice of Mahākāla]: (4) The Chinese and Tangut versions of the Sizi kongxingmu jiwen 四字空行母記文 [Commentary on the (Manual of) Four-Syllable Ḍākinī]. These four (groups of) texts reflect the vigorous contributions made by Tangut Buddhist masters to integrate Chinese, Tibetan, exoteric and esoteric Buddhism. They exemplify how Tangut Buddhism possesses ecceletic characteristics of different Buddhist traditions.
{"title":"On the integration of Chinese, Tibetan, exoteric and esoteric Buddhism in the Tangut Kingdom","authors":"Weirong Shen","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2022.2080435","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2022.2080435","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article analyzes four Tibetan Buddhist texts or groups of texts written in Chinese from the Tangut period (1038–1227), in order to demonstrate the distinctive character of Tangut Buddhism as a blend of Sino-Tibetan and exoteric–esoteric Buddhist traditions. The four (groups of) texts are: (1) The texts related to the Mahāmudrā teachings in the Dacheng yaodao miji 大乘要道密集 [The Secret Collection of Works on the Essential Path of Mahāyāna]; And three (groups of) texts from the Khara-Khoto Collection: (2) The Chisong shengfomu boreduo xinjing yaomen 持誦聖佛母般若多心經要門 [Pith Instruction of Practicing and Reciting the Heart Sūtra of the Saintly Mother of Prajñāpāramitā]: (3) The Yuhushen qiuxiu 欲護神求脩 [Invocation and Practice of the Protector of the Desire (Realm)] and Dahei qiuxiu bing zuofa 大黑求脩并作法 [Invocation and Practice of Mahākāla]: (4) The Chinese and Tangut versions of the Sizi kongxingmu jiwen 四字空行母記文 [Commentary on the (Manual of) Four-Syllable Ḍākinī]. These four (groups of) texts reflect the vigorous contributions made by Tangut Buddhist masters to integrate Chinese, Tibetan, exoteric and esoteric Buddhism. They exemplify how Tangut Buddhism possesses ecceletic characteristics of different Buddhist traditions.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"143 - 184"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47574731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2021.2015139
L. Dolce
ABSTRACT The Yuqi jing [Sūtra of the Yogin] is often listed as one of the most important scriptures of Tantric Buddhism in East Asia, but its content and contribution to the esoteric system have so far been little understood. Traditionally regarded as a translation by Vajrabodhi, it was probably compiled in China in the late eighth century. The role that it played in Chinese Buddhism, however, remains unclear. In medieval Japan on the other hand, the scripture appears to have been rediscovered and enjoyed great fortunes. Medieval interpreters intervened on the text by articulating novel conceptual associations, often expressed through curious imagery. At the same time, a new type of initiatory abhiṣeka informed by the sūtra emerged, which engendered a distinctive discourse on the yogic identities pursued by a tantric practitioner. What spurred such sudden interest in the Yuqi jing in medieval Japan? What did Japanese exegetes read into the text? This article addresses these issues by exploring ‘canonical’ commentaries and unpublished initiatory documents that have recently come to light in temple archives.
摘要:《瑜伽经》[Sūtra of The Yogin]常被列为东亚密宗佛教最重要的经典之一，但其内容及其对密宗体系的贡献迄今知之甚少。传统上被认为是金刚罗波提的翻译，它可能是在八世纪后期在中国编纂的。然而，它在中国佛教中扮演的角色尚不清楚。另一方面，在中世纪的日本，经文似乎被重新发现，并获得了巨大的财富。中世纪的诠释者通过阐明新奇的概念联系来介入文本，通常通过奇怪的意象来表达。与此同时，一种新型的启蒙abhiṣeka通过sūtra出现了，它产生了一种独特的关于密宗修行者所追求的瑜伽身份的论述。是什么让中世纪的日本人突然对围棋经产生了兴趣?日本诠释者对经文的解读是什么?本文通过探索最近在寺庙档案中发现的“正典”注释和未发表的启迪文件来解决这些问题。
{"title":"A (Presumably Chinese) tantric scripture and its Japanese exegesis: the Yuqi Jing 瑜祇經 and the practices of the Yogin","authors":"L. Dolce","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2021.2015139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2021.2015139","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Yuqi jing [Sūtra of the Yogin] is often listed as one of the most important scriptures of Tantric Buddhism in East Asia, but its content and contribution to the esoteric system have so far been little understood. Traditionally regarded as a translation by Vajrabodhi, it was probably compiled in China in the late eighth century. The role that it played in Chinese Buddhism, however, remains unclear. In medieval Japan on the other hand, the scripture appears to have been rediscovered and enjoyed great fortunes. Medieval interpreters intervened on the text by articulating novel conceptual associations, often expressed through curious imagery. At the same time, a new type of initiatory abhiṣeka informed by the sūtra emerged, which engendered a distinctive discourse on the yogic identities pursued by a tantric practitioner. What spurred such sudden interest in the Yuqi jing in medieval Japan? What did Japanese exegetes read into the text? This article addresses these issues by exploring ‘canonical’ commentaries and unpublished initiatory documents that have recently come to light in temple archives.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"8 1","pages":"1 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42473081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2021.2015141
Ru Zhan
ABSTRACT The court of Emperor Tang Gaozong 唐高宗 (r. 649–683) marked a critical period for the spread of ‘Esoteric Buddhism’ (Mijiao 密教) in China. Furthermore, Ximing Monastery 西明寺, built during the Xianqing 顯慶 reign (656–661), served as an impressive and magnificent site, allowing eminent monks and erudite translators to gather and often take residence there. It was also the site where the translation of many Esoteric Buddhist scriptures occurred. This study discusses several key Tang dynasty monk-translators who took part in translating ‘Esoteric Buddhist’ scriptures at this site and the historical and religious significance of these translation projects. Finally, this study will demonstrate the pivotal role Ximing Monastery played in the historical development of Esoteric Buddhism in China.
{"title":"Ximing monastery’s esoteric Buddhist traditions","authors":"Ru Zhan","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2021.2015141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2021.2015141","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The court of Emperor Tang Gaozong 唐高宗 (r. 649–683) marked a critical period for the spread of ‘Esoteric Buddhism’ (Mijiao 密教) in China. Furthermore, Ximing Monastery 西明寺, built during the Xianqing 顯慶 reign (656–661), served as an impressive and magnificent site, allowing eminent monks and erudite translators to gather and often take residence there. It was also the site where the translation of many Esoteric Buddhist scriptures occurred. This study discusses several key Tang dynasty monk-translators who took part in translating ‘Esoteric Buddhist’ scriptures at this site and the historical and religious significance of these translation projects. Finally, this study will demonstrate the pivotal role Ximing Monastery played in the historical development of Esoteric Buddhism in China.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"7 1","pages":"417 - 434"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49174211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2021.2015147
David Quinter
ABSTRACT This article addresses the viability of constructions of a narrative self in light of the Buddhist doctrine of no-self by examining Eison (or Eizon; 1201–90), founder of the Shingon Ritsu movement; his grand-disciple Monkan (1278–1357); and their involvement in the cult of founders in medieval Japan. The article begins by briefly establishing Eison and Monkan’s significance, then looks at Steven Collins’s distinction between systematic and narrative thought in Pali Buddhism. I suggest that this distinction helps clarify the relationship between the self of narrativity and of conventional truth versus the no-self of ultimate truth in Buddhist traditions across times and regions. Then, using Eison, Monkan, and the medieval cult of founders as a case study, I argue that even among scholar-monks actively engaged in such systematic exposition as that related to notions of no-self, the exposition is embedded within a broader devotional framework in which tensions between no-self and a narrative self largely dissolve. I conclude by suggesting that notions of no-self posed little impediment to Eison and fellow monastics’ promotion of a cult of founders that glorifies particular narratively and materially constructed ‘selves.’
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Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2021.2015137
Jiyun Kim
ABSTRACT The Shi Moheyan lun 釋摩訶衍論 is the commentary on the Awakening of Mahāyāna Faith 大乘起信論. Kūkai 空海 (774–835), the Shingon founder, placed this text in a key position in Shingon Teachings. Later, Emperor Daozong 道宗 (r. 1055–1101) of Liao 遼 also valued the Shi Moheyan lun. One of the common reasons why Kūkai and Daozong paid attention to the Shi Moheyan lun is that it includes elements of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism. The Shi Moheyan lun’s various mantras are described in Fascicles 8 and 9. The distinct feature of these mantras is its characters’ unique shape, which is only found in the Shi Moheyan lun. Therefore, it is hard to understand exactly what this means and where they came from. Through this study, I examine the meaning of the unusual mantras of the Shi Moheyan lun with its commentaries of Chinese and Japanese books in the tenth and thirteenth centuries. From this, I determine not only their meaning but also their origin, and reveal the relationships and tendencies of esoteric Buddhism in China and Japan.
{"title":"Interpretation of the Unique Dhāraṇīs: Focusing on the Shi Moheyan lun 釋摩訶衍論","authors":"Jiyun Kim","doi":"10.1080/23729988.2021.2015137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2021.2015137","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Shi Moheyan lun 釋摩訶衍論 is the commentary on the Awakening of Mahāyāna Faith 大乘起信論. Kūkai 空海 (774–835), the Shingon founder, placed this text in a key position in Shingon Teachings. Later, Emperor Daozong 道宗 (r. 1055–1101) of Liao 遼 also valued the Shi Moheyan lun. One of the common reasons why Kūkai and Daozong paid attention to the Shi Moheyan lun is that it includes elements of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism. The Shi Moheyan lun’s various mantras are described in Fascicles 8 and 9. The distinct feature of these mantras is its characters’ unique shape, which is only found in the Shi Moheyan lun. Therefore, it is hard to understand exactly what this means and where they came from. Through this study, I examine the meaning of the unusual mantras of the Shi Moheyan lun with its commentaries of Chinese and Japanese books in the tenth and thirteenth centuries. From this, I determine not only their meaning but also their origin, and reveal the relationships and tendencies of esoteric Buddhism in China and Japan.","PeriodicalId":36684,"journal":{"name":"Studies in Chinese Religions","volume":"7 1","pages":"378 - 389"},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44566058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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