Ǒuyì dàshī fóxué shí zhǒng (xuǎnlù) 蕅益大師佛學十種（選錄）
Ten-Kind Buddhist Studies of Master Ǒuyì — Selected: “Xìng xué kāi méng” and “Fàn shì ǒu tán”
A two-juan selective anthology of two of the ten Buddhist-studies works by Ǒuyì Zhìxù 蕅益智旭 (1599–1655). The Jiāxīng-Canon entry J28 B214 preserves:
- Juan 1: Xìng xué kāi méng 性學開蒙 (“Beginner’s Handbook on the Nature-Studies”) — Zhìxù’s Confucian-Buddhist integrative treatise on the relationship between the classical Confucian “nature-studies” (xìng xué 性學) tradition and Buddhist doctrine.
- Juan 2: Fàn shì ǒu tán 梵室偶談 (“Occasional Talks from the Brahmin-Chamber”) — Zhìxù’s informal doctrinal-instructional essays composed in the bǐ jì 筆記 (brush-essay) genre.
About the work
A two-juan selective anthology of Zhìxù’s doctrinal writings, J28 B214. Non-commentary; commentedTextid omitted.
Xìng xué kāi méng: opens with a sustained question-and-answer dialogue on the question whether the Confucian Zhōng yōng’s 中庸 formulation zūn dé xìng 尊德性 (“revering moral-nature”) and dào wèn xué 道問學 (“pursuing the Way through questioning-learning”) corresponds to, differs from, or is both-and-neither identical-and-different-from Buddhist teaching. Zhìxù systematically works through the Neo-Confucian dispute between Lù Xiàngshān 陸象山 (who emphasised zūn dé xìng) and Zhū Xī 朱熹 (who emphasised dào wèn xué), arguing that the two positions are complementary rather than contradictory and that both can be integrated within Buddhist doctrine.
Fàn shì ǒu tán: Zhìxù’s shorter informal essays on Buddhist-doctrinal topics, produced across his mature career.
The two works together exemplify Zhìxù’s integrative doctrinal project: a Pure-Land master with sustained Confucian learning engaging both Confucian and Buddhist audiences through accessible doctrinal prose.
Abstract
See 智旭’s person note for full biographical details. The original Ǒuyì dàshī fóxué shí zhǒng 蕅益大師佛學十種 is a ten-part collected-writings series assembled posthumously from Zhìxù’s dispersed doctrinal essays; the Jiāxīng-Canon entry J28 B214 preserves only two of the ten parts (as its title makes explicit: xuǎn lù 選錄, “selected”). The other eight parts circulated independently or in other Jiāxīng entries.
Dating: notBefore c. 1625 (Zhìxù’s mature productive period begins); notAfter 1655 (Zhìxù’s death). The specific composition-dates for the two selected works are not preserved in the received text.
Translations and research
- Shèngyán 聖嚴. 1975. 《明末佛教研究》. Standard treatment of Zhìxù’s corpus, including the Xìng xué kāi méng and related works.
- Shèngyán. 1989. 《明末中國佛教之研究》. Expanded treatment.
- No substantial Western-language monographic study located specifically on J28 B214.
Other points of interest
Zhìxù’s two selected works here complement his other Buddhist-Confucian integrative compositions — especially the KR6q0184 Zhōu yì chán jiě and the KR6q0190 Pì xié jí — forming a consistent late-Míng integrative-doctrinal position. The Jiāxīng-Canon publication of the Shí zhǒng series in selective form reflects the practical-publication logic of the massive canonical project: works were assembled and anthologised for practical circulation rather than as comprehensive corpus-preservation.
Links
- CBETA J28nB214
- Kanseki DB
- Zhìxù’s other Kanripo works: KR6q0183 Ǒuyì sān sòng, KR6q0184 Zhōu yì chán jiě, KR6q0185 Tiān yuè míng kōng jí (certified), KR6q0190 Pì xié jí (under lay name).