Tang Shen; Ui Hakuju; Yaoshan Weiyan; Chinese Buddhist histories; Tang epigraphy
摘要
When in 1938 the pioneering Japanese Buddhist historian Ui Hakuju 宇井白寿 extended his research to investigating the lineage of the eighth century Chan master Weiyan of Yaoshan 藥山惟儼, he rejected the evidence contained in the master’s epitaph by Tang Shen 唐伸, on the grounds that this inscription was probably a later forgery. Subsequent scholarship has generally come to the conclusion that the epitaph can only be genuine. Yet even as an indubitable historical document, it still needs to be read carefully with a view to the probable circumstances of its composition, as well as to possible problems in its transmission.
