Lèngyán jīng tōngyì lüèkē 楞嚴經通議略科
Abridged Sectional Outline of the Comprehensive Discussion of the Śūraṃgamasūtra by 德清 (排訂)
About the work
A short single-fascicle (1卷) abridged sectional-outline (lüèkē 略科) for 德清’s Tōngyì (KR6j0687). Together with the Xuánjìng (KR6j0685) it forms the prefatory apparatus to the main commentary, in the three-part xuánshì + kē + shū structure standard for late-Míng Lèngyán commentaries (cf. KR6j0681 / KR6j0682 / KR6j0683). Preserved as X12 no. 278 in the Xùzàngjīng.
Prefaces
The work opens with Hānshān’s editorial preface explaining the function of the lüèkē: “This sūtra’s text is broad and its meaning hidden. Old explanations only outlined its text but did not exhaust the lifting-out of its meaning. Therefore, with respect to the through-the-road one-thread-running purport, [the meaning] has not been made fluent — causing the viewer to follow the text, while the great meaning is hard to clarify. So that the modes of mind-cultivation through the three contemplations cannot find their door of entry. Although ancient and modern lecturing-and-spreading have flowed through the great earth, yet of those who use them as a basis for cultivation, all do not know its essentials, having let down the [Buddha’s] kind opening-and-revealing of the true cultivation-path. Today I, in foolishness, have presumed to make the Tōngyì, simply wishing to clarify and string-together its lineage, so that students may at one glance see its pointing-and-returning. As for the abridged outline, it is only first to lift up and reveal the essential meanings, in order to indicate the purport beyond the text. The major points are slightly different from the predecessors, but the meaning is then clearly easy to see. Viewers must on no account take it as personal opinion. And so on. Now in marking the sectional outline, I separately establish notation-marks, making it easy to follow the streams and discuss the source. This is not only …” (此經文博義幽。舊解但科其文而未盡挈其義。故於通塗一貫之旨未暢。使觀者徇文而大義難明。以致修心三觀不得其門而入。雖古今講演流通盡大地。而依之造修者皆不知其要。有負 如來開示正修行路也。今愚妄為通議。直欲發明條貫。使學者一覽便見指歸。其略科但先提揭要義以示文外之旨。大端稍異前人。而義則昭然易見。觀者萬不得以臆見。而忽之也。今以標科各立號記。使易尋流討源。非特).
Abstract
The work introduces a notational-symbol system (biāokē lìhàojì 標科立號記) for cross-referencing between the outline and the commentary — a remarkably modern editorial apparatus for a Míng exegetical text. The dating bracket is set to 1597 – 1623, corresponding to Hānshān’s Wànlì-era period of intensive Lèngyán study following the Xuánjìng and ending at his death.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located on the lüèkē itself. See KR6j0687 and KR6j0685 for the parent commentary’s place in late-Míng exegesis.