UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The Poetic Practices of Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157): Gong’an Commentarial Verses on Old Cases and Verses for Lay Literati Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8n07675j Author Tsui, Yu-Chen Publication Date 2018 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles The Poetic Practices of Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157): Gong’an Commentarial Verses on Old Cases and Verses for Lay Literati A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures by Yu-Chen Tsui 2018 © Copyright by Yu-Chen Tsui 2018 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The Poetic Practices of Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157): Gong’an Commentarial Verses on Old Cases and Verses for Lay Literati by Yu-Chen Tsui Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Languages and Cultures University of California, Los Angeles, 2018 Professor Natasha L. Heller, Chair This dissertation examines the textual production and doctrinal import of the gong’an commentarial verses of Hongzhi Zhengjue in the context of Chan literary traditions as well as his usage of secular literature. During the Song period (960–1279) revival of the Caodong lineage, Hongzhi was an influential figure, who promoted Silent Illumination Chan (mozhao chan). Hongzhi was talented in writing in a variety of genres, including verses, portrait poetry, and commentaries on gong’an (public cases). My study examines Hongzhi’s gong’an texts and uses them as a window to understand Chan literary traditions of the Song period. In addition to situating Hongzhi’s gong’an writings within Chan contexts, my dissertation places his gong’an commentarial verses within contemporary secular literary culture. My study considers how Hongzhi participated in mainstream literary culture by engaging in gong’an commentarial verses and poetry for literati. ii My dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 considers the context and Hongzhi’s life. Chapter 2 explores Hongzhi’s gong’an writings from the perspective of textual production. I examine fundamental forms of gong’an commentarial practice and critical statements about the function of various forms of gong’an commentaries. Next, through digital network analysis, I demonstrate the intertextual relationships between Hongzhi’s gong’an writing and other major gong’an collections to explore textual sources for Hongzhi’s gong’an writings. Lastly, by comparing Hongzhi’s gong’an verses with those in other important gong’an commentaries, I analyze their different commentarial strategies in composing their gong’an poetry. Chapter 3 explores Hongzhi’s doctrinal position in his gong’an commentarial verses. It examines how Hongzhi created a Caodong identity through metaphors referring to the doctrine of the interfusion of the principle and phenomena in his gong’an verses as well as in his sermons responding to criticism on the Caodong Chan, namely Silent Illumination Chan. Chapter 4 explores how Hongzhi participated in literati culture by engaging in two types of poetic practices: gong’an commentarial verses and poetry for literati. I show how Hongzhi elucidated crucial points of cases by using abundant allusions from secular texts in his gong’an verses. I also examine Hongzhi’s verses for literati to explore intersecting pedagogical, social, and economic functions. iii The dissertation of Yu-Chen Tsui is approved. Robert E. Buswell Richard von Glahn Natasha L. Heller, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2018 iv Dedicated to my Shifu 師父 Master Sheng Yen (1930–2009) 聖嚴法師, with inexpressible gratitude v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dissertation Abstract ii List of Tables and Figures viii Acknowledgements ix Curriculum Vitae xii Introduction 1 Review of the Field 5 Chapter Overview 14 Chapter 1: Hongzhi’s Life and Accomplishments 17 Historical Context 17 Chan Milieu 20 Hongzhi’s Life and Accomplishments 25 Conclusion 57 Chapter 2: Hongzhi’s Gong’an Writings within the Larger Chan Tradition 58 The Fundamental Forms and the Main Function of Gong’an Commentarial Practice 58 The Intertextual Relationship between Hongzhi’s Gong’an Writings and Major Gong’an Commentaries in the Larger Chan Tradition 75 Recycling Old Cases and Comparative Commentarial Strategies 92 Conclusion 121 Chapter 3: Creating a Caodong Identity through Hongzhi’s Gong’an Commentarial Verses and Sermons 124 Intellectual Milieu for the Advocacy of Caodong Central Doctrine 125 Crucial Metaphors for the Doctrine of the Principle and Phenomena 133 Defining the Essence of the Caodong Tradition 144 Portraying the Caodong Identity in Gong’an Commentarial Verses 151 Responding to Criticism of Caodong by Discussing the Cadong Perspectives in Sermons 166 Conclusion 186 Chapter 4: Participation of Hongzhi’s Gong’an Verses and Poetry for Laity in Literati Culture 191 Hongzhi’s Erudition in Secular Literature 191 Hongzhi’s Verses Addressed to Literati 212 The Pedagogical Function of Hongzhi’s Verses Written at the Request of Literati 213 vi Hongzhi’s Social Verses 227 Hongzhi’s Verses Written at Monastics’ Request for Begging Practice 238 Hongzhi’s Encomia for Fund-raising 245 Conclusion 246 Conclusion 249 Chronology of Hongzhi Zhengjue’s Life 257 Bibliography 260 vii List of Tables and Figures Tables Table 1. The Five Major Gong’an Commentaries of the Tenth to Twelfth Centuries 77 Table 2. List of Gong’an Literary Attributions and Traditions 78 Table 3. Gong’an Cases in the Hongzhi songgu that Also Appear in One or More of the Commentaries of Fenyang and Xuedou 79–81 Table 4. Gong’an Cases in the Hongzhi niangu that Also Appear in One or More of the Commentaries of Fenyang and Xuedou 85–86 Figures Figure 1. Network Graph of the Intertextual Relationship between the Hongzhi songgu and the Commentaries of Fenyang and Xuedou 82 Figure 2. Network Graph of the Textual Attributions of Gong’an Cases Common to the Hongzhi songgu and the Xuedou songgu 84 Figure 3. Network Graph of the Intertextual Relationship between the Hongzhi niangu and the Commentaries of Fenyang and Xuedou 87 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During my doctoral research, I have benefited from the advice, help, and support of numerous people. My deep thanks goes to my advisor, Natasha Heller. Throughout my coursework and during the writing of my dissertation, Professor Heller has patiently and generously trained me as a scholar and equipped me with research skills. Her knowledge has broadened my perspectives in approaching religious studies. Her sharp insights have stimulated me to deepen my own understanding. She has guided me in shaping my scattered ideas into well- founded arguments. I have benefited from her keen sensibility and intellectual rigor, as she has continually pushed me to re-think my arguments and to revise my analyses. I would also like to express my gratitude to my dissertation committee members. Professor William Bodiford’s incisive comments and attention to details are greatly appreciated. I also benefited from Professor Robert Buswell’s expert advice to look at questions from a bigger picture. In their seminars, Professor Bodiford and Professor Buswell imparted crucial skills for studying Buddhism. Professor Richard von Glahn, offered invaluable comments on my dissertation, from the perspective of history. I also would like to extend my thanks to my advisor at Columbia University, Chün-fang Yü. Professor Yü kindly guided me when I first began my study in the United States and continued to encourage me throughout the process of my master’s study. I would like to thank the organizations that have provided generous funding for my doctoral research. Without grant from Sheng Yen Education Foundation, I could not have finished my doctoral study. A dissertation fellowship from Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies (CHIBS) allowed me to conduct my research in Tokyo. ix During my research in Tokyo, I am grateful to many people for their help and support. Professor Ishii Shūdō encouraged me and offered me valuable sources. Su Huei Yuan and Yin- Ching Liu assisted me to settle down in Tokyo and explore Buddhist temples in Japan. Chun- Chun Wang not only spent time discussing Japanese articles and the hexagrams in Yijing but also provided me with information related to my study from Kyoto University. Ishikawa Mai and her family kindly hosted me at her home when I could not find a place to stay. She also helped me copy materials and translated texts. Without Venerable Zhaoxuan’s help, I would not have been able to smoothly access some important materials in the library of Komazawa University. My good friends at UCLA have supported me in many ways. My roommate Hsiao-Chun Wu has been supportive and available to discuss a range of issues related to my study. Oh Mee Lee has patiently listened to my thinking, given me feedback, and corrected my writing. Conversations with Lance Crisler have stimulated my thought on many different topics. Yunshuang Zhang has answered my many questions about Chinese literature. Lujing Ma has always been supportive—even when she was not in L.A. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Dharma Drum Mountain monastic and lay community members in Taiwan, New York, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. From them, I had received the greatest support; otherwise I wouldn’t be able to complete my PhD studies and this dissertation. I also would like to express my profound gratitude to my kalyāṇa-mitra: Venerable Chang Chao, Anny Sun, Rose Ramsay, Wendy Gaudin, Jen-ni Kuo, and Mao-Pei Tsui, who have supported me in many ways and have been the source of great encouragements through my long academic mārga. x Above all, I am most deeply grateful to my Shifu, Master Sheng Yen (1930–2009). He initiated me into the world of Chan and shaped my intellectual interest about Chan Master Hongzhi Zhenjue.