Chart Buddhism＇s ambivalent relationship with language and literature is perhaps most starkly seen in its practice of gongan meditation. This practice was first instituted by the famous Linji master Dahui and involve...Chart Buddhism＇s ambivalent relationship with language and literature is perhaps most starkly seen in its practice of gongan meditation. This practice was first instituted by the famous Linji master Dahui and involves an intense meditational focus on the ＂punch line＂ （huatou） of what is typically a story about an ancient Chan master or an enigmatic question like ＂why did [the legendary founder of Chan] Bodhidharrna come from the West？＂ In the Ming dynasty, a new gongan became widely used in Chart meditation： the phrase ＂who is reciting the name of the Buddha？＂ This was a reference to the widespread practice of chanting homage to the Buddha Amitgbha in hope of getting reborn into his paradise. In using this new gongan, Chan seemingly embraced oral practice in an unprecedented move and appeared to combine the other-power of Amitgbha worship with the self-power of Chan meditation. Scholars have struggled to understand this development, and several have dismissed it as an example of the degeneration of Chan and its later pandering to lay people. I argue that the development of this gongan can best be seen as an attempt to reframe the practice of Buddha-recitation in a Chan meditative framework; and further explore the rationale for the practice as given by the influential Buddhist thinker Yunqi Zhuhong, who was a staunch advocate of Buddha-recitation.展开更多
This essay examines the late Ming-dynasty Chan master Yunqi Zhuhong＇s commentary on the Brahma Net Sutra （Fanwangjing）, which it takes up in order to explore his discourse concerning both Chan realism and his ensui...This essay examines the late Ming-dynasty Chan master Yunqi Zhuhong＇s commentary on the Brahma Net Sutra （Fanwangjing）, which it takes up in order to explore his discourse concerning both Chan realism and his ensuing rejection of mainstream Chan gongan rhetoric. The Brahma Net Sutra contains a list of major and minor precepts governing proper morality for monastic and lay Buddhists. Zhuhong＇s interpretation of the Twenty-First Minor Precept, which prohibits revenge, offers insight into his sense of political realism regarding the relationship between gradual teachings, provisional truths, and ultimate truth. His interpretation of the Tenth Minor Precept, which prohibits storing weapons, demonstrates his moral realism in contrast to Chan＇s traditional use of pedagogical violence. Zhuhong＇s realist discourse, influenced by the teachings of the Buddhist Vinaya as well as by engagement with Confucian ethics, presents an overlooked counter-narrative shift that contrasts with the emphasis on sudden enlightenment and antinomianism in Chan gongan discourse typical of the Tang and Song dynasties.展开更多
文摘Chart Buddhism＇s ambivalent relationship with language and literature is perhaps most starkly seen in its practice of gongan meditation. This practice was first instituted by the famous Linji master Dahui and involves an intense meditational focus on the ＂punch line＂ （huatou） of what is typically a story about an ancient Chan master or an enigmatic question like ＂why did [the legendary founder of Chan] Bodhidharrna come from the West？＂ In the Ming dynasty, a new gongan became widely used in Chart meditation： the phrase ＂who is reciting the name of the Buddha？＂ This was a reference to the widespread practice of chanting homage to the Buddha Amitgbha in hope of getting reborn into his paradise. In using this new gongan, Chan seemingly embraced oral practice in an unprecedented move and appeared to combine the other-power of Amitgbha worship with the self-power of Chan meditation. Scholars have struggled to understand this development, and several have dismissed it as an example of the degeneration of Chan and its later pandering to lay people. I argue that the development of this gongan can best be seen as an attempt to reframe the practice of Buddha-recitation in a Chan meditative framework; and further explore the rationale for the practice as given by the influential Buddhist thinker Yunqi Zhuhong, who was a staunch advocate of Buddha-recitation.
文摘This essay examines the late Ming-dynasty Chan master Yunqi Zhuhong＇s commentary on the Brahma Net Sutra （Fanwangjing）, which it takes up in order to explore his discourse concerning both Chan realism and his ensuing rejection of mainstream Chan gongan rhetoric. The Brahma Net Sutra contains a list of major and minor precepts governing proper morality for monastic and lay Buddhists. Zhuhong＇s interpretation of the Twenty-First Minor Precept, which prohibits revenge, offers insight into his sense of political realism regarding the relationship between gradual teachings, provisional truths, and ultimate truth. His interpretation of the Tenth Minor Precept, which prohibits storing weapons, demonstrates his moral realism in contrast to Chan＇s traditional use of pedagogical violence. Zhuhong＇s realist discourse, influenced by the teachings of the Buddhist Vinaya as well as by engagement with Confucian ethics, presents an overlooked counter-narrative shift that contrasts with the emphasis on sudden enlightenment and antinomianism in Chan gongan discourse typical of the Tang and Song dynasties.
