The Collection of Dongpo's Joy of Chan: Su Shi's Buddhist Writings and Their Resonances in the Late Ming
Creators: Wang, Xingyu
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

<p>This thesis investigates the text and context of The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan (Dongpo chanxi ji 東坡禪喜集), a collection compiled in the late Ming 明 (1368-1644) in two editions that mainly contains Buddhist writings of Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101). Su Shi was one of the most prominent poets and writers of the Northern Song 北宋 (960-1127). However, his multifaceted identities surpass his recognition as merely a poet and writer. Su Shi was also a celebrated calligrapher and painter; a statesman, a diligent Confucian scholar; and a renowned Buddhist enthusiast, which is the main focus of this thesis. This list, of course, is not all-encompassing. But the very richness of his identities and accomplishments has left a lasting influence for nearly a millennium.<br>
In Chapter 1, I begin with a brief introduction to the development of Buddhism in the Northern Song, which was characterized by a high degree of integration of various schools and traditions and by interdependence with the central government. Then I proceed to examine different aspects of Su Shi’s Buddhist engagement through a textual analysis of his own writings included in The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan, which have received little previous scholarly attention. His writings reflect his Buddhist involvement as well as the Buddhist context in the Northern Song, and demonstrate that “Chan” 禪 as used in the title of The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan is not particularly relevant to the Buddhist context of the Northern Song. In Chapter 2, by examining the Buddhist revival in the late Ming, the late Ming literati’s enthusiasm for Buddhism in general and Chan Buddhism in particular, as well as their promotion of Su Shi’s informal literary works, I argue that The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan is an outgrowth of this literary trend. In short, late Ming literati’s particular affinity with Chan Buddhism detached it from its sectarian Buddhist context. In this context, the late Ming literati compiled such a collection of Su Shi’s Buddhist writings, and used “Joy of Chan” to broadly refer to them. <br>
In Chapter 3, I examine the reception of Su Shi from the Song 宋 (960-1279) to the Ming, by exploring the origin and evolution of the removed and added fascicles in the second edition of The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan, which are the most significant differences between the two editions. In Chapter 4, I investigate the life and writings of Su Shi in The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan. I begin by examining his Buddhist involvement in different stages in his life, especially the deeper connection to Buddhism in his later years, through a brief introduction to his life, with a focus on the three exiles he suffered. I then select some of Su Shi’s writings included in The Collection of Dongpo’s Joy of Chan and classify them into three themes—dreams, karma, and Buddhism and Confucianism—and use textual analysis to explore Su Shi’s life, his Buddhist devotion, and his interpretation of Buddhist concepts.</p>