Printing Blocks of an Edo-period Sub-commentary on a Tiantai Buddhist Treatise (Shikyōgi shitchū hanjidan 四教儀集註半字談)

In the hot summer of 2002, when I first arrived in Tucson, Arizona. Ms. Harriet Barker called me with a set of printing blocks for her collection. According to her, one of her relatives was a movie star and acquired them in Japan. Her relative willed these blocks to her and she kept them as treasures. After examining the wood printing blocks in Ms. Harriet Barker’s collection, I conclude that it belongs to the original set of woodblocks of  Chikū  癡空 (1780-1862)’s work  Shikyōgi shitchū hanjidan 四教儀集註半字談 (5 fascicles), which was supposed to be stored at Tōeizan 東叡山 of Japan compiled and printed by Izumiya Shōjirō 和泉屋庄次郎 of Edo (now Kyoto) 江戶 in 1849.

 The reason why this block was brought to the US is unknown. However, one copy of the complete work can be found in Harvard-Yenching Library at Harvard University (Call number: TJ 1873.4 0436.3). Click the link here for more information. Ms. Barker loaned me the blocks for research and I brought the blocks with me to Harvard-Yenching Library and Library and Congress. I found the exact page printed from these blocks.

This book is a subcommentary of Mengrun’s 蒙潤 (1275-1342) commentary on the Korean monk Ch’egwan 諦観 (d. 971?)’s work  Tiantai Sijiao yi (Cheontae sagyo ui) 天台四教儀. Chegwan was a special envoy dispatched by the Korean king to send back the lost works by the patriarchs of the Tiantai school. But when he arrived at Mount Tiantai and met Master Luoxi Yiji 螺溪義寂 (919-987), he then decided to stay in China. He wrote this book to elaborate on the basic teaching of the Tiantai school without telling anybody. This book was discovered until his belongings were searched after his death. Monk Mengrun wrote a commentary of this book during the Yuan dynasty which was brought to Japan.

Japanese monk Chikū was a scholar-monk who specialized in Tiantai teaching. He was a prolific writer and many of his works were commentaries. He had been invited to Tōeizan Jyōmyōin 淨名律院.

Ms. Barker contacted me once again about ten years later and taught me that she survived the White Mountain Wild Fire because of the blessing of the blocks. How inconceivable. The fate of the blocks is unknown now.

References

Kiuchi Gyouou 木内 堯央

〔近代高僧素描〕慧澄癡空

日本仏教史学 17, 49-53, 1981-11-00

日本における天台宗の展開 /

Nihon niokeru tendaishū no tenkai. 

Author: 木内, 尭央(1939-) 木内, 尭大 ; Kiuchi, Gyōō.; Kiuchi, Gyōdai.

Publication: 逗子 : 宗教工芸社, 2012.10. 2012

Yanagida Seizan's 柳田聖山 chapter on Yinyuan

Yanagida Seizan 柳田聖山 （1922-2006）educated a generation of American scholars of East Asian Buddhism. He was often considered an eminent scholar of early Chinese Chan history. But rarely known is that he has written a passionate essay about Yinyuan Longqi 隱元隆琦 in a popular book on Zen and Japanese Culture.

Prof. Tu Weiming's Autographed Papers

Prof. Tu Weiming 杜维明 was my academic advisor during my years at Harvard (1996-2002). I recently recovered two papers he gave me. I am still reading his works. Greatly inspired.

Master Donggao's Music Notes (Donggao qinpu/ Tōkō kinfu 東皋琴譜) featured in the concert POETIC MELODY FROM HANGZHOU 杭州詩韵

 

POETIC MELODY FROM HANGZHOU杭州詩韵 Lead Musician:                      He-Yi 何怡, Vocal & Guqin (Chinese Zither) This event will be broadcast twice in two different times and platforms for North American and Asian audiences respectively. You are welcome to join any of the performances. For other time zones, please use a time zone converter, as Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time. To receive a link to view the concert and an electronic program book in English and Chinese, please sign up for our email list here: http://eepurl.com/gb2yaD. You should receive a Zoom link automatically. If you are already on our list, you should have received the link. This link will allow you to access all of our 2020 fall events. No need to register multiple times. American Premiere and Viewing Platform: Date/Time in Arizona:           Nov. 7, 2020, 7 pm - 8 pm (MST) Center for Buddhist Studies Youtube Channel, Facebook, Zoom Asian Premiere and Viewing Platform: Date/Time in Beijing:            2020, Nov. 7, 7 pm - 8 pm (BST) Ms. He-Yi’s bilibili channel. Program: 1. “Ding Feng Bo” 定風波 (Calming Wave and Wind), lyrics by Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101)，Hangzhou Mayor, composed by Jin Wei, 3’30 2. “An Xiang” 暗香 (Fragrance from Somewhere Unseen), lyrics and music composed by Jiang Kui  姜夔 (1155-1221), resident of Hangzhou, adapted by Liu Qing, 4’30 3. “Gu Yuan” 古怨 (Ancient Lament), lyrics and music composed by Jiang Kui, resident of Hangzhou, transcribed by Wu Wenguang, 4’00 4. “Zhu Zhi Yin”  竹枝吟 (Song of Bamboo Twigs), lyrics by Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫 (772-842), music from Master Donggao’s Musical Notation for Chinese Zither (Donggao qinpu/ Tōkō kinfu 東皋琴譜), a 17th century collection of Chinese music originating from Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou, transcribed by Wu Wenguang, 3’30 5. “Qiu Feng Ci” 秋風辭 (Autumn Wind Lyrics), lyrics by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty 漢武帝 (156 BC-87 BC) from Master Donggao’s Musical Notation for Chinese Zither (Donggao qinpu/ Tōkō kinfu), transcribed by Lin Chen, 3’30 6. “Waka” (Four Japanese Waka Songs) from Master Donggao’s Musical Notation for Chinese Zither (Donggao qinpu/ Tōkō kinfu), transcribed by Lin Chen, 5’00       “Fuji 富士,” lyrics by Yamabe no Akahito 山辺赤人 (8th century);       “Yamazato 山裏,” lyrics by Minamoto no Muneyuki Ason 源宗于朝臣 (10th century);       “Yamazakura 山櫻,” lyrics by Gyōson 行尊 (1055-1135);       “Haruno 春野,” lyrics by Emperor Kōkō 光孝天皇 (830-887) 7. “Fenghuang tai shang yi chuixiao”鳳凰臺上憶吹簫 (Nostalgia for Fluting on the Phoenix Terrace), lyrics by Li Qingzhao 李清照 (1084-1155), music from Master Donggao’s Musical Notation for Chinese Zither (Donggao qinpu/ Tōkō kinfu), transcribed by He Yi, adapted by Liu Qing, 4’00 8. “Lingyin si ge” 靈隱寺歌 (Song of Lingyin Temple), lyrics by Ven. Dingyuan/Wang Zhaoguo 定源 (王招國), former Lingyin Temple resident monk, professor at Shanghai Normal University, music composed by Qi Haodi Supported by: Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, China Lingyin Buddhist Studies Lecture Series, Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Arizona American Culture & Ideas Initiative, Fred Fox School of Music, University of Arizona Poetry Center, College of Humanities, University of Arizona Department of East Asian Studies, College of Humanities, University of Arizona

"Correct Toko Kinpu"東皋琴譜正本 on John Thompson's Website

John Thompson 唐世璋 keeps the most comprehensive English website on the various editions of Chinese Guqin (zither) music, including "Correct Toko Kinpu"東皋琴譜正本.

Article on Master Donggao's Chinese Zither Music 東皋心越之琴道及其自創琴歌研究

 

Master Donggao's 東皋 music notes have been a subject of academic studies since Robert van Gulik discovered him in the 1940s. Prof. Li Meiyan 李美燕 in Taiwan is an expert in this area. I found one of her articles online and there are many more.

李美燕，〈東皋心越之琴道及其自創琴歌研究〉。《藝術評論》，21期，2011年

李美燕，〈高羅佩與東皋琴學—以《明末義僧東皋禪師集刊》與《東皋琴譜》為考察對象〉，《琴學薈萃—第二屆古琴國際學術研討會論文集》。濟南：齊魯書社，2011年。

Hangzhou Local Placenames Handbook 杭州地名簿 (1955)

This Hangzhou placename handbook 杭州地名簿 from the 1950s is going to be very helpful for us to study Hangzhou and georeference religious sites.