The Five-Colored Clouds of Mount Wutai: Poems from Dunhuang Sinica Leidensia Edited by Barend J. ter Haar Maghiel van Crevel In co-operation with P.K. Bol, D.R. Knechtges, E.S. Rawski, W.L. Idema, H.T. Zurndorfer VOLUME 109 The titles published in this series are listed at www.brill.com/sinl The Five-Colored Clouds of Mount Wutai: Poems from Dunhuang By Mary Anne Cartelli LEIDEN • BOSTON 2013 Cover illustration: Śākyamuni Buddha flanked by the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samanta- bhadra at the foot of the Central Terrace, Mount Wutai. Dunhuang Cave 61. Photograph: Dunhuang Research Academy. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cartelli, Mary Anne. The five-colored clouds of Mount Wutai : poems from Dunhuang / by Mary Anne Cartelli. p. cm. -- (Sinica Leidensia ; v. 109) Chinese poems in English translation about Mount Wutai, found among the Dunhuang manuscripts and dating to the Tang and Five Dynasties periods, with a comprehensive analysis of their context and significance. Includes bibliographical references and index. English and Chinese. ISBN 978-90-04-18481-7 (hardback : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-90-04-24176-3 (e-book : alk. paper) 1. Chinese poetry--Tang dynasty, 618-907--Translations into English. 2. Chinese poetry--Five dynasties and the Ten kingdoms, 907-979--Translations into English. 3. Wutai Mountains (China)--Poetry. 4. Manjuśrī (Buddhist deity)--Poetry. 5. Buddhism--Poetry. 6. Buddhism in literature. 7. Chinese poetry--Tang dynasty, 618-907--History and criticism. 8. Chinese poetry--Five dynasties and the Ten kingdoms, 907-979--History and criticism. 9. Dunhuang manuscripts. 10. Dunhuang Caves (China)- -Antiquities. I. Title. PL2658.E5C37 2013 895.1’1308035851152--dc23 2012035187 This publication has been typeset in the multilingual “Brill” typeface. With over 5,100 char- acters covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see www.brill.com/brill-typeface. ISSN 0169-9563 ISBN 978-90-04-18481-7 (hardback) ISBN 978-90-04-24176-3 (e-book) Copyright 2013 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the pub- lisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. This book is printed on acid-free paper. table of contents v Table of contents Acknowledgments. .vii Abbreviations. ix List of Illustrations. xi 1. Ascending and Wandering: Introduction. .1 Sacred Mountains in Ancient China. .3 Dunhuang and the Dunhuang Caves. .8 Dunhuang Literature. .10 Dunhuang and Mount Wutai . .12 Mountains in Early Chinese Poetry. .14 About the Book. .22 2. The Clear and the Cold: Mount Wutai. .27 Early Literature on Mount Wutai . .27 Early Legends about Mount Wutai . .29 Chinese Emperors and Mount Wutai. .31 Mañjuśrī and the Chinese Buddhist Scriptures. .37 The Mañjuśrī-parinirvāṇa sūtra. .41 Mount Wutai as a Manifestation of the Buddhist Doctrine. .46 Early Chinese Poetry on Mount Wutai. .49 The Mount Wutai Poetry of the Dunhuang Manuscripts . .53 3. The Hall of the Great Sage: The Songs of Mount Wutai. .57 The Hall of the Great Sage. .59 I Ascend the Eastern Terrace. .66 I Ascend the Northern Terrace. .71 I Ascend the Central Terrace. .74 I Ascend the Western Terrace. .78 I Ascend the Southern Terrace. .82 4. The Land of Vaiḍūrya: Eulogy on Mount Wutai. .87 Eulogy on Mount Wutai. .90 5. Inconceivable Light: Eulogy on Mount Wutai. 121 The Pure Land School. 122 vi table of contents The Pure Land Monk Fazhao. 124 Eulogy on Mount Wutai. 129 6. The Gold-Colored World: Eulogy on the Holy Regions of Mount Wutai . 147 Eulogy on the True Countenance of the Great Sage. 149 Eulogy on Samantabhadra. 153 The Eastern Terrace. 155 The Northern Terrace . 158 The Central Terrace. 159 The Western Terrace. 161 The Southern Terrace . 163 The Holy Region of the Vajra Grotto. 165 The Auspicious Stūpa of King Aśoka. 167 Eulogy on the Physical Body of Rāhula. 169 A Vision of Sūtra Recitation by the Vajra Grotto. 170 7. Word and Image: The Mount Wutai Wall Painting at Dunhuang 175 Map or Painting?. 176 Iconography and Imagery in Cave 61. 180 Mountain as Icon. 192 8. Poetry as a Buddhist Matter: Conclusion. 195 Transmission of the Vision. 199 Literati Poets and Mount Wutai. 202 For the Purpose of Salvation. 204 Bibliography. 207 Index . 219 table of contents vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All scholarly work builds upon the knowledge, effort, and counsel of oth- ers. I wish to thank my professors, editors, and colleagues, who taught, inspired, and advised me through years of research and writing: Hans Bielenstein, Irene Bloom, William Theodore de Bary, C.T. Hsia, Robert Hymes, Jon Kowallis, Paul Kroll, Victor Mair, Paul Rouzer, Murray Rubinstein, Marsha L. Wagner, Ding Xiang Warner, Pei-Yi Wu, Philip B. Yampolsky, and Pauline Yu. My special gratitude goes to James Hargett, who meticulously read this manuscript and provided invaluable advice. David Der-wei Wang was of great assistance in the initial stages of my research. Professor Bai Huawen of Beijing University supplied indispens- able research materials and practical suggestions. Sarah E. Fraser of the Mellon International Dunhuang Archive and Fan Jinshi of the Dunhuang Research Academy were helpful during a visit to Dunhuang. I deeply ap- preciate the constructive remarks from the members of the Traditional China Seminar of Columbia University and the New York Conference of the Association of Asian Studies, where some of this research was pre- sented, and the useful comments of the anonymous readers at the Journal of the American Oriental Society and T’ang Studies who published earlier versions of some material included here. I am grateful to the staff of the Hunter College Library, ArtStor, the C.V. Starr East Asian Library at Colum- bia University, the Beijing National Library, the Beijing University Library, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library, and the University of Hong Kong Library. My research at Mount Wutai and Dunhuang was conducted with grants from Fulbright IIE, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Research Foundation of the City University of New York. Several Presi- dent’s Fellowships from Columbia University supported my graduate stud- ies which led to this book. No words can express my appreciation to my adventurous parents for giving me the opportunity to have an extraordinary childhood in Asia. Finally, I am incredibly fortunate to have the steadfast love of my husband, Jon. This book is dedicated to him. Mary Anne Cartelli Year of the Water Dragon New York, New York viii table of contents table of contents ix ABBREVIATIONS Beijing Chinese MSS. from Dunhuang, Beijing National Library. DHGCZB Ren Bantang, Dunhuang geci zongbian. GuQLZ Huixiang, Gu Qingliang zhuan. T. 51.2098. GuangQLZ Yanyi, Guang Qingliang zhuan. T. 51.2099. HJAS Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society. L. Chinese MSS. from Dunhuang, Leningrad Collection. NGJG Ennin, Nittō guhō junrei gyōki. P. Chinese MSS. from Dunhuang, Pelliot Collection of the Bib- liothèque Nationale, Paris. QLSZ Zhencheng, Qingliang shan zhi. S. Chinese MSS. from Dunhuang, Stein Collection of the British Library. T. Taishō shinshu daizōkyo. XuQLZ Zhang Shangying, Xu Qingliang zhuan. T. 51.2100. x table of contents Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS VII ABBREVIATIONS IX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XI CHAPTER ONE 1 ASCENDING AND WANDERING: INTRODUCTION 1 Sacred Mountains in Ancient China 3 Dunhuang and the Dunhuang Caves 8 Dunhuang Literature 10 Dunhuang and Mount Wutai 12 Mountains in Early Chinese Poetry 14 About the Book 22 CHAPTER TWO 27 THE CLEAR AND COLD: MOUNT WUTAI 27 Early Literature on Mount Wutai 27 Early Legends about Mount Wutai 29 Chinese Emperors and Mount Wutai 31 Mañjuśrī and the Chinese Buddhist Scriptures 37 The Mañjuśrī-parinirvāṇa sūtra 41 Mount Wutai as a Manifestation of the Buddhist Doctrine 46 Early Chinese Poetry on Mount Wutai 49 The Mount Wutai Poetry of the Dunhuang Manuscripts 53 CHAPTER THREE 57 THE HALL OF THE GREAT SAGE: SONGS OF MOUNT WUTAI 57 The Hall of the Great Sage 59 I Ascend the Eastern Terrace 66 I Ascend the Northern Terrace 71 I Ascend the Central Terrace 74 I Ascend the Western Terrace 78 I Ascend the Southern Terrace 82 CHAPTER FOUR 87 THE LAND OF VAIḌŪRYA: EULOGY ON MOUNT WUTAI 87 Eulogy on Mount Wutai 90 CHAPTER FIVE 121 INCONCEIVABLE LIGHT: EULOGY ON MOUNT WUTAI 121 The Pure Land School 122 The Pure Land Monk Fazhao 124 Eulogy on Mount Wutai 129 CHAPTER SIX 147 THE GOLD-COLORED WORLD: EULOGY ON THE HOLY REGIONS OF MOUNT WUTAI 147 Eulogy on the True Countenance of the Great Sage 149 Eulogy on Samantabhadra 153 The Eastern Terrace 155 The Northern Terrace 158 The Central Terrace 159 The Western Terrace 161 The Southern Terrace 163 The Holy Region of the Vajra Grotto 165 The Auspicious Stūpa of King Aśoka 167 Eulogy on the Physical Body of Rāhula 169 A Vision of Sūtra Recitation by the Vajra Grotto 170 CHAPTER SEVEN 175 WORD AND IMAGE: The Mount Wutai WALL-PAINTING at Dunhuang 175 Map or Painting? 176 Iconography and Imagery in Cave 61 180 Mountain as Icon 192 CHAPTER EIGHT 195 POETRY AS A BUDDHIST MATTER: CONCLUSION 195 Transmission of the Vision 199 Literati Poets and Mount Wutai 202 For the Purpose of Salvation 204 BIBLIOGRAPHY 207 INDEX 219 table of contents xi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1.