清末臺灣佛教臨濟宗課誦經典探析 ──以《禪門日誦諸經》為例 = Daily Recitation Sūtras of the Chan Monasteries ─ A Case Study of Linji Monasteries in Taiwan during the Late Qing Dynasty
Since Buddhism was transmitted into Taiwan sometime around the 17th century, it has developed into an international Buddhist center. However, most research on Taiwanese Buddhism focuses on doctrinal thoughts, rituals, and Buddhist figures, yet left Buddhist data, preservation, and discovery of historical documents under-explored. In fact, it is hitherto unclear as to the texts, procedure, and contents of the daily recitations performed by the monastics before the end of the Japanese ruling period. The routine morning and evening recitation sūtras, ritual manuals, and sūtras for practice are the bases for Buddhist transmission, religious functionalities, and stability of the society. Therefore, research on the historical monastic life helps to identify characteristics of Taiwanese Buddhism in different stages and delineate its course of development. Thorough observation and interviews in Taiwanese monasteries where Linji 臨濟 tradition was practiced in the Qing Dynasty reveal the Daily Recitation Sūtras of the Chan Monasteries ( Chanmen Risong Zhujing 禪門日誦諸經 ) has been employed as the major text in late Qing Dynasty at the latest. An intertextual comparative study of the five different versions of the texts collected during the field studies will provide a better understanding of the daily routine and the significance of the differences. By tracing the earliest context of Taiwanese Buddhism, this research wishes to raise awareness of the importance of preservation and maintenance of foundational documents in the monastics and the academics, in the hope to push for a modern Taiwanese Buddhism that values historical documents, and to construct and implement an indepth Buddhist documentology.
