Yīchū Yuán chánshī yǔlù 一初元禪師語錄
Recorded Sayings of Chán Master Yī-chū Yuán by 元 (說), 真開 (等編), 真智 (等編)
About the work
Two-juan yǔlù of Yīchū Yuán 元 一初元 (= Yīchū Wùyuán 一初悟元, previously documented at KR6q0416) — dharma-brother of Jièān Wùjìn (at KR6q0443) and co-heir of Yuānhú Miàoyòng 鴛湖妙用 (cf. KR6q0416) in the Cáodòng Wúqù Rúkōng sub-line. Catalog-form 元 元 (distinct from KR6q0421 Bǎichī Yuán 百癡元 = the Fèiyǐn Línjì-line heir, same single-character fǎhuì). Fǎhuì 法諱 Wùyuán 悟元, hào Yīchū 一初 (“First”). Held abbacy at Púxī Yǒngzhèng Chánsì 濮溪永正禪寺 from 戊子 1648, parallel to dharma-brother Wùjìn’s 1648 Jīnmíngsì entry. Compiled by dharma-heirs Zhēnkāi 真開 真開 and Zhēnzhì 真智 真智 — 真-generation heirs. Printed as Jiāxīng Canon J29 B234.
Abstract
Context. KR6q0444 is the companion-volume to KR6q0443 《介菴進禪師語錄》 — the two Miàoyòng dharma-heirs 介菴 and 一初 each produced their own yǔlù volumes, collected sequentially in Jiāxīng Canon J29 (B233 = Jièān’s 10 juan; B234 = Yīchū’s 2 juan). For the broader biographical context of the Cáodòng Wúqù / Nán-míng-line transmission, see KR6q0416 and KR6q0443. Yī-chū-specific biographical material is thinner than his dharma-brother’s.
Abbacy. Púxī Yǒngzhèng Chánsì 濮溪永正禪寺 from 戊子 = 1648 on lay-patron petition. The Púxī 濮溪 location is in the Jiāxīng area.
Compositional history. Opening preface by Shībó 施博 (hòuxué 後學; cf. KR6q0432, KR6q0433) — undated, but consistent with a c. 1676–85 cutting-date. Shībó’s preface positions the two dharma-brothers as parallel post-Miào-yòng inheritors: “wǔ chuán zhì jīn zé yǒu Jièān Yīchū liǎng shī chū yān, Jièān héshàng zhǔfǎ Jīnmíng zhūfāng yǎngzhòng; Yīchū héshàng yú wùzǐ nián wèi tányuè qǐng jū Púxī Yǒngzhèng 四傳至今則有介菴一初兩師出焉介菴和尚主法金明諸方仰重一初和尚於戊子年為檀越請居濮溪永正”. The second preface (unread in my extract) continues this theme. notBefore = 1648 (Púxī abbacy); notAfter = 1685 conservatively.
Contents. Two juan of shàngtáng + xiǎocān + jīyuán + niānsòng 上堂 + 小參 + 機緣 + 拈頌 material.
Tiyao
Not applicable — this is a Jiā-xīng-canon imprint (J29 B234), not a WYG text. The Shībó front-preface provides the principal documentation.
Translations and research
Other points of interest
- Paired with KR6q0443 as Miàoyòng’s two-heir monuments. KR6q0443 (介菴悟進, 10 juan) + KR6q0444 (一初悟元, 2 juan) preserve the matched yǔlù pair for Miàoyòng’s two principal heirs, with Jièān’s being substantially more extensive — reflecting Jièān’s longer-tenure primary abbacy at Jīnmíng versus Yīchū’s more modest Púxī tenure. Both 1648 abbacy-start dates and Jiāxīng Canon sequential placement reflect the editors’ deliberate pairing.
- 名 disambiguation 元. The catalog-form 元 in this entry refers to Yīchū Wùyuán (Cáodòng Wúqù sub-line), not to be confused with KR6q0421’s Bǎichī Yuán (Línjì Fèiyǐn sub-line). Two distinct Chán masters with the same single-character dharma-name in the same Jiāxīng Canon cluster.