Learning; Chan Buddhism; Juefan Huihong; Song dynasty; China; Poetry
摘要
Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) Chinese Chan Buddhists did not abandon the written word. They were experts in language and letters. Even though the Chan/So˘n/Zen tradition of East Asian Buddhism is best known for its pithy sayings, enigmatic diagrams, and idiosyncratic gestures or shouts, the most influential monks of this lineage could compose stunning verse on a scroll, were learned in the Buddhist sūtra literature, and spent much of their time preaching to powerful lay patrons. Juefan Huihong (1071–1128) was one of these monks. Not only did he compile several influential Chan chronicles including the Chanlin sengbao zhuan (Chronicles of the Samgha Jewel within the Forests of Chan) and Linjian lu (Anecdotes from the Groves [of Chan]), and become an expert on the Śūramgamasūtra and Chinese poetics, but he accomplished these endeavors over the course a lifetime spent in and out of prison or exile because of his connections with powerful patrons.
This study examines the role of learning and language in the classical Chan school to demonstrate the significance of the cultural context within which Chan came to dominate Chinese Buddhism. The case of Juefan Huihong and his literary Chan shows that concentration on accurate language was a cornerstone of Chan practice that developed from Buddhist and indigenous Chinese positions which culminated in the synthesis between the teachings of Fenyang Shanzhao (947–1024) and Fayan masters who lived around Mount Lu in Jiangxi province during the late-Tang (618–907) through Northern Song dynasties. Gongan (kōan) literature and meditations on the cases grew from the teachings of Fenyang's disciples. Simultaneously, Chan monks also began to compose poetry in abundance as poetry and thinking about poetry became an especially important aspect of Chinese Chan Buddhism. Huihong was an exceptional Chan monk in this regard because he was an expert on poetics and composed two treatises on poetic criticism—the Lengzhai yehua (Evening Discourses from a Cold Studio) and Tianchu jinluan (Forbidden Cutlets from the Imperial Kitchen)—as well as a renowned poet. In addition to these subjects, this study also examines the legacies of Huihong and his literary Chan in late-medieval China and Japan.
