Qióngjué lǎorén Tiānqí zhízhù Xuědòu Xiǎn héshàng sònggǔ 焭絕老人天奇直註雪竇顯和尚頌古

Direct Commentary by Old-Man Qióngjué Tiānqí on the Sònggǔ Verses of Master Xuědòu Xiǎn — a two-juan Míng Chán commentary by Tiānqí Běnruì 天奇本瑞 (d. 1508), hào Tiānqí 天奇 (also 天琦), Qióngjué lǎorén 焭絕老人 (“Solitary-Cut-Off Old-Man”) — 26th-generation Línjì-orthodox patriarch at Jīnlíng 金陵 (Nánjīng). Commentary on the classical sònggǔ 100-case verse-commentary of Xuědòu Chóngxiǎn 雪竇重顯 (980–1052). Compiled by Běnruì’s disciples Dàolín 道霖 and Xìngfú 性福.

About the work

A two-juan Míng direct-commentary (zhízhù 直註) on the Xuědòu sònggǔ verses, X67 n1302. Non-commentary on a single parent Buddhist text (responds to Xuědòu’s sònggǔ, which exists embedded within the Bìyán lù KR6q0112 rather than as a standalone text in the Kanripo); commentedTextid omitted.

The zhízhù form (“direct commentary”) provides plain-prose explication of each of Xuědòu’s 100 classical sònggǔ verses. Where Yuánwù Kèqín’s earlier Bìyán lù had added elaborate poetic-allusive running commentary, Běnruì’s Míng-era approach is strictly expository — explaining the meaning of each verse in straightforward doctrinal terms. The contrast is distinctly Míng: where Sòng Chán commentary revelled in rhetorical density, Míng Chán commentary increasingly aimed at direct accessible instruction.

Abstract

Tiānqí Běnruì 天奇本瑞 (d. 1508/02). Hào Tiānqí 天奇 (also written 天琦), Qióngjué lǎorén 焭絕老人 (“Solitary-Cut-Off Old-Man”). 26th-generation Línjì-orthodox patriarch. Died at Jīnlíng 金陵 (Nánjīng), Míng Wǔzōng 戊辰 (Zhèngdé 3, per Zōngtǒng biānnián 宗統編年 juan 29).

Compilers Dàolín 道霖 and Xìngfú 性福: Běnruì’s disciples; joint editorial attribution “道霖性福編集”.

Dating: notBefore c. 1490 (Běnruì’s mature productive period); notAfter 1508 (his death).