Nánshān zǔshī lǐzàn wén 南山祖師禮讚文
A Hymnody of Veneration for the Patriarch-Master of the Nánshān (Vinaya) School by 仁岳 (Rényuè, 述)
About the work
A single-fascicle Northern-Sòng lǐzàn wén 禮讚文 for the death-anniversary of Nánshān Dàoxuān 南山道宣 (596–667), composed by Jìngjué Rényuè 淨覺仁岳 (仁岳, 992–ca. 1064), the Zháchuān shāmén 霅川沙門 — i.e. monk of Zháxī 霅谿 (Wúxīng 吳興). Author signature: Zháchuān shāmén shì Rényuè shù 霅川沙門釋 仁岳 述. The work is the second of the three Sòng Nánshān lǐzàn wén preserved in the Xùzàngjīng (X1504, KR6k0207 = Zhìyuán; X1505, this work = Rényuè; X1506, KR6k0209 = Yǔnkǎn).
Prefaces
Yuánzhào’s later collected preface (preserved as the head of KR6k0207) explains Rényuè’s compositional motive: Zhìyuán’s earlier zàn “lacked metricalmusical fitness” (shìyí shàng quē yīnyùn 事儀尚闕音韻), so Rényuè wrote his own to supply the lyrical idiom needed for chanted altar use. Rényuè’s own opening prose preface (here in the body of the text) declares: Wǔchéng qǐyùn wéi shēngwén zuì xiān; sānzàng liúhuī gù píní wéi běn 五乘啟運唯聲聞最先。三藏流輝故毗尼為本 — “Of the five vehicles in unfolding, the śrāvaka is foremost; of the three baskets in radiant transmission, vinaya is foundational” — and identifies Dàoxuān explicitly as the Xīmíng lǜshī 西明律師 (i.e. master of the Xīmíngsì in Cháng’ān).
Abstract
Rényuè’s Nánshān zǔshī lǐzàn wén is structurally parallel to Zhìyuán’s: an yīxīn fèngqǐng 一心奉請 invocation, prostrations, eulogy verses keyed to Dàoxuān’s biographical episodes (the descent of relics into a precious casket at Rìyán jīngshè 日嚴精舍, the transmission of the fourpart vinaya, etc.), with closing offerings. Where Zhìyuán wrote the prototype, Rényuè’s contribution is principally liturgical: he set the eulogy in chantable verse-and-prose alternation, and supplied the metrical zàn stanzas that became standard in Sòngonward Vinayaschool anniversary services. Rényuè’s life is bracketed 992–ca. 1064 ; the zànwén must postdate his break with Sìmíng Zhīlǐ 四明知禮 (after ca. 1020) and predate his death — notBefore and notAfter are accordingly set 1020–1064. Rényuè was best known for his Shí bùèr mén wénxīn jiě 十不二門文心解 (KR6d0162, X928), the cardinal shānwài tract of the Sòng Tiāntái doctrinal controversy.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.
Links
- CBETA online: https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/X1505
- 仁岳 DILA
- Kanseki DB