THE POWER OF PATRIARCHS: QISONG AND LINEAGE IN CHINESE BUDDHISM . By Elizabeth Morrison . Sinica Liedensia, v. 94 . Leiden : Brill , 2010 . Pp . ix + 305 . Cloth, $154.00 .
摘要
This book is a useful addition to the growing body of scholarship on Song dynasty Buddhism, providing the first full‐length study of the renowned Chan ideologue, Mingjiao Qisong (1007‐72). Qisong is best known for his writings on lineage in the Chan tradition, which offer an unusually explicit account of how Dharma lineage was understood by one of its most prominent architects. Morrison situates Qisong's writings in the context of evolving conceptions of master‐disciple Dharma transmission in various Buddhist traditions. In this context, Qisong comes across as a moderate among his Chan compatriots, who famously advocated mind‐to‐mind transmission beyond words and scriptures, as he maintains the necessity of scholarship and texts in revealing the True Lineage that ultimately transcends doctrinal teachings. Morrison argues that Qisong's position reflects the “actual practice of Chan monks of the period, who most certainly did not abandon their textual studies” despite their antinomian rhetoric, and Qisong's life demonstrates the important role in Song Chan of scholar‐monks who in no way fit the mold of the iconoclastic Chan master. Finally, countering modern scholarly criticisms of the integrity of Qisong's historical writings, Morrison argues that although Qisong's belief in Chan lineage sometimes trumped his belief in the need for historical proof, we should appreciate his normative religious agendas for the perspective they offer on Northern Song Chan as more ecumenical than we might otherwise have thought. Although one may wish that Morrison offered more comparative analysis between Qisong and other contemporary Buddhist authors, her focus on Qisong's works in particular advances our understanding of this important and still understudied period of Chinese Buddhism.
