Fathering Your Father: the Zen of Fabrication in Tang Buddhism, by Alan Cole

Fathering Your Father: the Zen of Fabrication in Tang Buddhism, by Alan Cole

BSRV 26.2 (2009) 249–251 Buddhist Studies Review ISSN (print) 0256-2897 doi: 10.1558/bsrv.v26i2.249 Buddhist Studies Review ISSN (online) 1747-9681 Fathering Your Father: The Zen of Fabrication in Tang Buddhism, by Alan Cole. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. 340 + xix pp. Hb. $65.00/£44.95, ISBN-13: 9780520254848; Pb. $27.50/£19.95, ISBN-13: 9780520254855. Chan (襌) ���an� ��� �a�an��� ���n����a��� ��n� ���have�� ��a��a�� ���n���� a popul�����a� �������� j��� �f ��h��a��� a���n���n. R���n� yea�� have ���n����� an �nteresting ���g��n� �ng �f �����ature �n �h� h������ �f Chan B���h��m� �h��h g�a����� ���h �a����� ������� �ncluding f��mative ��x��� �h� ���a����hm�n� �f ��h���� ���h�n �h� ��a��� ���n� �������a� ��an�m�����n an� �������� over �h� nature �f �n��gh��nm�n�.1 A�an C���’� n�� ���k� Fathering Your Father� ��n��n��� h�� ��a�����n �f �����z�ng fam��� �a� ���m� — fa�her, m��her, an� ��n — �� ������� B���h��m. Th�� ����� a����� a ‘H������ �f R���g��n�’ approa�h �n ��� a���m�� �� re-exam�n� �h� h������ �f �a��� Chan B���h��m. B� providing a close (re)rea��ng �f k�� Chan ��x�� �ha� were �����a� �� �h� f��ma���n �f Chan ������ ��������� �n Tang Ch�na� �a������a��� between 600 and 750, it argues that the early Chan writings, or more specifi� �ally, �h� seven�h an� ��gh�h ��n���� g�n�a��g��� �f B��h��ha�ma’� (菩提達磨) ����a���� �����n��n��� were n���h�� ������n f�� B���h��� ��a������ n�� relig���� ���h���x�. Ra�her, �h��� �����ng� were produced ���h�n �h� broa��� ��n��x� �f ������a�� h�������a�� an� �������a� forces ����ng �h� Tang ������. C��� �herefore provocatively ��gg���� �ha� �h� ‘Chan’ we �n�����an� ���a� �� an ‘a�����n�a� cre� a���n� n�� ���n from m�n����h�����h an� �h��� ������ h������an�� ��� �a�h�� a �avering cycle �f �����ng an� rewriting na��atives (fa�h���ng) �ha� h���� �� ��n� ��n��ng�� ��m�n���a�� �h� n�� own���h�� �f �h� f���n��� �f �h� B���h��� ��a��� ���n (fa�h��) �n Ch�na’ (x��). The first chapter begins by scrutinizing the emergence of Chan literature in Tang Ch�na. Th� Chan g�n�a��g��� ��������� �n �h�� ����� were discovered �n a ��aled ��mple �a�h� located �n D�nh�ang (敦煌) a� �h� beg�nn�ng �f �h� twentieth ��n����. C��� ���n�� ��� �ha� previous Chan ������� have fa���� �� recogn�z� �ha� these Chan writings were in fact what he calls ‘selfish’ works created to generate a discourse responsible for three agendas: first, crafting the ‘truth-of-tradition’ into a com�act an� tran�mittable form; secondly, establish�ng ‘convincing formats an� rules’ for controlling �h� private ownership �f �h� ‘truth-of-tradition’� restricting �h� discourse to a �mall group �f m�nks, �hile a� �h� �am� tim� being recogn�zed �� �h� ������ an� a��h������� �� ���a�n �������; an� �hirdly, �����ng �h� a��a� ����� �������a� cla�m� �n a ‘�h������a� f�amework’ �� mak� �h� two ag�n�a� ���m convincing an� acceptable (2). According to Cole, �h� orig�n� �f Chan g�n�alogies �herefore have to be �xam�ned critically �n four �ays: with regard to g�nre, g�nre developm�n�� ��n��n� an� ��������. C��� ��gg���� �ha� Pierre Bourdieu’� rea��ng ���a��g� — a� presen��� �n h�� 1977 ���a� �x�����ng �h� ��m���x ��nam��� �f �h� a�� world2 — �h���� �� a������ �� rea� �h� Chan g�n�a��g���. Th� �ha���� �h�n 1. See, for instance, Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright, eds., Zen Classics: Formative Texts in the His- tory of Zen Buddhism (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2006); Mario Poceski, Ordi- nary Mind as the Way: The Hongzhou School and the Growth of Chan Buddhism (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2007); Wendi L. Adamek, The Mystique of Transmission: On an Early Chan History and Its Contexts (New York: Columbia University Press, 2007); Morten Schlütter, How Zen became Zen: The Dispute over Enlightenment and the Formation of Chan Buddhism in Song- dynasty China (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2008). 2. ‘La production de la croyance: contribution à une économie des biens symboliques’. Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales, 13 (February): 3–43. English translation: 1980. ‘The Production © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2009, 1 Chelsea Manor Studios, Flood Street, London SW3 5SR. 250 Buddhist Studies Review ���� �h� ��n��x� �f �h�� ����� �� �x��a�n�ng how �m����an� ��n��������� fa������ ���h a� ��na���� ��h�a�a�� �������a� �n��ability, an� Ch�n��� a��h���’ a���m�� �� ‘���a��z�’ B���h��m� gave ���� �� ���h B���h��� �����ature. Cha���� 2 ���k� a� how two Buddhist m�nks, �hiyi (智顗)an� X�nx�ng (信行)� were elevated �� �h� ��atus of ‘quasi-buddhas’ during the Sui period. While the two religious figures are usu� a��� n�� regarded a� precursors �� �a��� Chan B���h��m� C��� �an�� �� ��� �h��� g�n�a��g��� �� ��m�n���a�� how �h� �a����� na��ative ���hn�q��� an� ���a��� gies appeared to have influenced the early Chan writers later in the Tang period. Zhiyi was innovatively transformed into a buddha-like figure, thanks to the writ� �ng� �f h�� �������� G�an��ng (灌頂). �uanding’s creative endeavor was signifi �- cant for two reasons: first, the making of quasi-buddhas in Buddhist genealogies �a� �a�g��� �npreceden��� �n �h� h������ �f Ch�n��� B���h��m; an� ����ndly, �a��� Chan ������� a���a� �� have a������ �h��� ‘f��m’� ‘��n��n�’� an� ‘��������� ��g���’ from G�an��ng’� approa�h (31). X�nx�ng� a ��ntroversia� B���h��� ��ader, �a� a���� �n�� �h� �ha���� a� an �xam��� �� �������a�� �h� mak�ng �f an ‘a���� ���� ma����’ �h� overcam� two ��a�����na� structures �ha� �ha��� �a��� Ch�n��� B���h��m� namely, �h� m�nk��a��� ������ an� �h� In��a�Ch�na ������. Cha����� 3� 4� 5� an� 6 are �����a��� �� �xam�n� f��� �a��� �f relig���� ‘fa���� �a���n’ �hrough �h� �����ng �f Chan g�n�a��g���. Cha���� 3 ������� Fa��’� (法如) ���g�a�h��a� ����� �n Sha���n M�na����� (少林寺) ����n M��n��� S�������ng. Th������ hag��g�a� phy, which is often regarded as the first Chan genealogy, chronicles the monk’s life and offers a brief historical narrative of Buddhism, starting from Śākyamuni B���ha ��gh� �� �� seven�h���n���� Ch�na. In a������n� �� mak�� B��h��ha�ma a pivotal figure, responsible for bridging the divide between two cultures and f�� ���ng�ng �h� ���f��� Chan ��a�����n �� Ch�na. Th�� ��m�na� work ���am� �h� �a��� ��m��a�� f�� �a��� Chan g�n�a��g��� �n Tang Ch�na an� ��n�������� �� �h� crea���n �f an ‘�n�h���� ����ha’ �n Sha���n. S����q��n� a��h��� a������ �h� fa����a��� h�������a� na��ative �n Fa��’� ���g�a�h� an� ���� �� �� reinven� �h��� g�n�a��g���. Cha���� 4 �xam�n�� how D� F�� (杜胐) a������ Fa��’� g�n�a��g� �� ����� Sh�nx��’� (神秀) ���g�a�hy, Record of the Transmission of the Dharma-Jewel (Chuan fabao ji 傳法寶記). C��� ��gg���� �ha� D� F��’� �a��� ag�n�a �a� ��m��a� �� G�an��ng’� an� Sha���n’�: h� �a� ����ng �� ���n �h� presen� �������a� ����a� ���n �n�� relig���� rea������ �ha� ���������� ha� ��ng h�������� �ha� wen� a�� �h� �a� �a�k �� B���ha’� ��m�. D� F��’� �����ng� allowed h�m �� ����a�� Sh�nx��’� ��ate-recogn�z�� ���n���� ����h�m����� �� �n��a�� h�m a� �h� ��a��� �f Ch�n��� B���h��m. In Cha���� 5� C��� ana��z�� ��ngj��’� (淨覺) History of the Masters and Disciples of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (Lengqie shizi ji 楞伽師資記)� a g�n�a��g� �f h�� ma���� X�anz� (玄賾). ��ngj�� ����� h�� work �n D� F��’� History an� crea��� a ��n�ag� ‘broth��’� X�anz�� f�� Sh�nx��. H� ������ cla�m�� �ha� ���h X�anz� an� Sh�nx�� received �h� �am� ��an�m�����n from H�ngren (弘忍). C���� however, finds many problems both in Jingjue’s extensive borrowing of Du Fei’s writings, an� �n h�� ���h�n��� ��� �f h�������a� sources. Cha���� 6 ��������� Sh�nh��’� (神會)�� a���m�� �� �������rewrite �h������� Chan ��n�ag��� h����������. Sh�nh���� a�g��� �ha� �h� �������� ren� Chan g�n�a��g��� were a�� ���n���f���. Therefore, h� �n������ �ha� �n�� h�� master, H��n�ng (慧能)� ha� received �h� a��h�n��� ��an�m�����n from H�ngren. T� �� ��� Sh�nh�� ��m��� ����� �h� ����� cla�man�� �� ���m�ng �h�m ‘N���h��n’� of Belief: Contribution to an Economy of Symbolic Goods’. Media, Culture and Society, vol. 2/3 (July): 261–293. © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2009 Book Reviews 251 �h��� ���ng �h� ����� ‘S���h��n’ f�� h�m���f an� h�� �nven��� master, H��n�ng. H�n��� �h�� ��g���m�z�� h�� cla�m �� �� �h� ���� �nh������ �f �h� ���f��� ��a�����n. In the final chapter, Cole concludes that the primary aim of early Chan genealo� gies was to allow the respective authors to present their ‘selfish’ ownership of relig���� ����h an� ��a�����n. Th�� were ���h�� ������n �n �a� fa��h or, �n man� �n��an���� were ‘fa��� �a���’ �ha� were ma�� �� �� ������ �h� rea���� an� serve �h��� ag�n�a�. Cole’s rereading of the early Chan literature offers a provocative and gener- ally negative assessment of Chan Buddhism: he regards it as a dishonest self- invention. Or, to put it even more bluntly: he regards Chan Buddhism (and all its Chinese buddhas) as a scam. However, there is one big question worth con- sidering: can we simply rely on these four case studies to conclude that Chan Buddhism is merely a creation of ‘selfish’ liars and plagiarizers? While this study presents a detailed analysis of the production of Chan genealogies, it does not, however, offer further information on the supply side.

View Full Text

Details

  • File Type
    pdf
  • Upload Time
    -
  • Content Languages
    English
  • Upload User
    Anonymous/Not logged-in
  • File Pages
    3 Page
  • File Size
    -

Download

Channel Download Status
Express Download Enable

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

  • Not to be reproduced or distributed without explicit permission.
  • Not used for commercial purposes outside of approved use cases.
  • Not used to infringe on the rights of the original creators.
  • If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately.

Support

For help with questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us