Publications of the Institute for Asian and African Studies 16 Anu Niemi Talking about food does not appease hunger food appease does not about Talking Niemi Anu “TALKING ABOUT FOOD DOES NOT APPEASE HUNGER” Phrases on hunger in Chan (Zen) Buddhist texts ISBN 978-951-51-0057-3 (printed) Anu Niemi ISBN 978-951-51-0058-0 (PDF) http://ethesis.helsinki.fi ISSN 1458-5359 Unigrafia Helsinki 2014 Helsinki 2014 _______________________________________________________________________________ Publications of the Institute for Asian and African Studies 16 _______________________________________________________________________________ “TALKING ABOUT FOOD DOES NOT APPEASE HUNGER” Phrases on hunger in Chan (Zen) Buddhist texts Anu Niemi ACADEMIC DISSERTATION To be presented with the permission of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Helsinki, for public examination in Auditorium XII , University Main Building, Unioninkatu 34, on the 20th of September, 2014, at 10 am. Publications of the Institute for Asian and African Studies 16 ISBN 978-951-51-0057-3 (printed) ISBN 978-951-51-0058-0 (PDF) http://ethesis.helsinki.fi ISSN 1458-5359 Unigrafia Helsinki 2014 ABSTRACT Chinese Buddhist texts contain expressions that deal with metaphorical hunger. These phrases appear at different times and in different contexts, beginning with Indian sutras that were translated into Chinese, and ending with Classical Chan (Jap. Zen) Buddhist texts. Each context is new, and one can understand the different expressions in different ways. Some expressions can be understood in the same way despite the context, and others have to be understood differently, depending on the context. At the outset of the study is a group of sayings the content of which is metaphorical hunger. These sayings are followed by an inquiry where a total of 132 textual extracts are examined. Most of these excerpts are translated into English for the first time here. Typical Chan Buddhist research proceeds from whole texts to smaller units, translating the whole and acknowledging the small. In the present work, however, we proceed from small components towards bigger ensembles. We analyze the sayings and expressions of hunger thematics and then place them on the map of Chinese Buddhist philosophy. Here, we concentrate on the contextual, on each and every saying, phrase, doctrinal expressions and quotation: they all refer to something greater. This is revealed when we sieve through the textual material. Three sayings in particular are examined more thoroughly. “Talking about food does not appease hunger” is a phrase that appears in different contexts and can be understood differently throughout history according to the context. One can detect a development in how the phrase is read throughout Chan Buddhist history: in the first texts it was quoted in order to express the empty nature of concepts and words; in the final texts it was quoted to express the importance of realization. “Eating food, wearing clothes”, the paper argues, appears in three different contexts, the philosophical notions of which are well known from classical Chinese texts: when practicing gongan ℔⬱; as representing “ordinary mind” (pingchang xin ⸛ⷠ⽫) and when describing non-action, wuwei 䃉䁢. “Eating food, wearing clothes” means the same thing in all of these excerpts: it is by no means a metaphorical expression. One can see the three contexts representing three different practice stages, starting from meditative practice (of gongan), continuing with the early stages of enlightenment and ending at the stage where all practice is eliminated. Finally, “eating when hungry” is a phrase that concludes the examination. This is an expression that appears unchanged throughout classical Chan texts. Compared with the “eating food, wearing clothes,” here the saying is used to describe the developed state of mind of a Chan teacher, where the practices are not only eliminated but where the senses re-emerge. 3 4 CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND TO THE THEME 1.0 Introduction 9 1.1 Theoretical considerations 12 1.2 A short history of early Chan 14 1.3. Chan literature and set phrases 20 1.4 Hunger-related Chan phrases 31 1.5 Conclusions 40 2. EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF IMMEDIACY 2.0 Introduction 41 2.1 Early Indian developments of ideas preceding “talking about food” 41 2.2 Chan reading of “saying fire” 45 2.3 Indian origins of “talking about food” 49 2.4 Apocryphal Dhammapada 50 2.5 Pure Land interpretations 52 2.6 Variations of the phrase 56 2.7 The root to a Chan reading: the apocryphal Surangamasamadhi sutra 64 2.7.1 The importance of practice 71 2.7.2 The importance of realization 79 2.8 Conclusions 88 3. CLASSICAL EXPRESSIONS OF THE ORDINARY 3.0 Introduction 89 3.1 Metaphors of food and clothes 89 3.2 Eating food, wearing clothes 100 3.2.1 Context one: representing gongan ℔⬱ 100 3.2.2 Context two: representing pingchang xin ⸛ⷠ⽫ 105 3.2.3 Context three: representing wuwei 䃉䁢 116 3.3 Eating when hungry 126 3.4 Conclusions 144 4. SUMMARY 145 THE CHINESE TEXTS 147 LIST OF TEXTS 165 DICTIONARIES 167 SECONDARY SOURCES 168 5 6 PREFACE My study of Chinese Buddhist texts started from early on, from the proseminar work writing for in which I had stumbled on Hanshan poems. After the progradu on Hanshan poetry, I wanted to learn more on Chinese Chan Buddhism in general. Again, the topic drew me in on hunger-theme phrases, gathering them as I went on reading different Chan Buddhist books. In 2001 I came across Chinese Buddhist textual canon (Taisho tripitaka) for the first time in a library in Nanjing, China, and in 2004 received the Taisho in cd-format, where one is able to input expressions and set-phrases and receive different contexts. In 2002-2003 I was in Taiwan writing the thesis and met with a librarian, who turned out to be invaluable for my work. Great big thank you to Gao Junhe of NTU library and department of philosophy, who taught me how to efficiently look for books and articles. After leaving Taipei, Junhe has been most helpful answering my many questions concerning the thesis and articles I have written. My Finnish supervisor, Professor Juha Janhunen has been most kind, encouraging me to carry on with the work and kindly offering comments and guidance throughout the writing of the thesis. For valuable comments and insights, I would like to thank Dr. Stefan Kuzay and Professor Victor H. Mair who functioned as preliminary reviewers of the work. The former amanuensis of the Institute, Dr. Harry Halén has helped and inspired my work throughout my studies at the University. Further, I’d like to thank the amanuensis Marianne Ruutala of Asian and African Studies who has offered valuable advice. In early 1990’s Professor Asko Parpola and docent Pertti Nikkilä influenced my choice of study by their inspiring lectures on Asian religions. The couple of recent years I have benefitted from fruitful conversations and a shared room with Dr. Riika Virtanen. Further on, I am grateful for the research grants provided by Koneen säätiö, Joel Toivolan säätiö, Wihurin rahasto and Naisten tiedesäätiö. In addition to this, I have been able to travel to do fieldwork and attend seminars with the help of Helsinki University travel scholarships. In summer 2001 I received a travelling grant to China by Helsinki University, Institute for Asian and African studies, and in winter 2001 I received a travelling grant from the chancellor to participate to the international conference on Li Bai in Riga, Latvia. In 2002 I was awarded with a travelling grant by the Helsinki University International services. Finally, in 2013 I received a research grant from the University of Helsinki to complete the PhD thesis. Thanks to the grants I have been able to travel to seminars. In 2002 I participated a translation workshop held by Robert M. Gimello from Harvard University at the Charles University in Prague. I am grateful for Department of Chinese studies at Charles University to provide me with a lodging. In 2002-2003 I 7 attended to international scholarly exchange in Taipei, Taiwan. There I was able to study Chinese and proceed with my thesis work. Raila Hekkanen kindly checked the English language of the entire thesis, and Juha Laulainen prepared with skillful accuracy the lay out for the printing. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Iiris and Ilppo Niemi, for supporting me and encouraging me with my work. 8 1. BACKGROUND TO THE THEME 1.0 INTRODUCTION Much of Chan's dynamism lies in its use of terse1 phrases and mottos that not only encapsulate wide themes in doctrine and philosophical history but also, if freed from context, serve as tools of insight for the inquiring reader. Chan is both highly personal and highly communal:2 communal in that it uses language that is based on centuries of reference and cross-reference, and personal in that its main aim is to evoke a realization in one's own Self, regardless of what the tradition has to say about it. In the present work I will embark on an inquiry into the basic concepts of Chan through a contextual examination of some Chan expressions dealing with hunger and food. The phrases occur frequently and quite unchanged in form in the Chan texts of different times, and in Chapter 2 I set out to determine whether the contexts in which they were used were also somehow fixed. Was the phrase always used in the same context? Often one sees in the annotations of a saying or a fixed phrase a tendency to cover just the most common usage of the phrase. This is more than understandable, since there is usually no time to discuss all the possible variants.