Défēng chánshī Bōrě yǔlù 德風禪師般若語錄
Recorded Sayings of Chán Master Dé-fēng of Bō-rě [-sì] by 如惺 (等編)
Six-juan yǔlù of Défēng 德風 (b. 1622-10-08, death unknown), LínjìYángqí dharma-heir of Bǎichī Xíngyuán 百癡行元 (1611–1662), thus a co-disciple of Liánfēng Sù 素 (cf. KR6q0530). Native of Shàngyáng / Chuānshā 上洋川沙 (Sōngjiāng / Shànghǎi area), lay surname Gù 顧. The text bears Défēng’s name only in the title position; the catalog persons-list registers only 如惺 as compiler. The author’s name in the inner title is given as 德風禪師, with the editorial note “侍者如惺等編” — Rúxīng was Défēng’s personal attendant.
Abbacies. Principally Wǔhú Bōrěsì 鵡湖般若寺 (in Wújiāng / Sūzhōu region — Wǔhú 鵡湖 is the local name for an inlet of Tàihú), entered 順治戊戌 12/12 = 1659-01-04 (the formal rùyuàn), with the abbacy invitation accepted on 丁酉正月初三 = 1657-02-15; later Hùguó chányuàn 護國禪院. The yǔlù’s subtitle 般若語錄 reflects Bōrěsì as the principal preaching site.
The preface is by lay disciple Shīfēng jūshì Shěn Zōngjìng 獅峰居士沈宗敬 dated 康熙二十八年歲次己巳八月朔 = 1689-09-14. notBefore = 1657 (acceptance of Wǔhú abbacy); notAfter = 1689 (preface). Printed as Jiāxīng Canon J38 B411.
Contents. Juan 1: prefaces, shàngtáng records from his Bōrě and Hùguó tenures. Juan 2: sònggǔ, Lèdào gē 樂道歌. Juan 3–4: wèndá jīyuán, mountain-dwelling poems (shānjū jì), boat-dwelling poems (chuánjū), and a long sequence of shì-verses to disciples and lay friends. Juan 5–6: continuation, including the autobiographical xíngyóu 行繇 — the principal source for his life — and a closing jǐngshì poem on the brevity of worldly things, signed by lay donors who funded the printing.
Tiyao
Not applicable — Jiā-xīng-canon imprint (J38 B411).
Other points of interest
The first-person xíngyóu in juan 6 is unusual for a yǔlù — most parallel collections have a third-person xíngzhuàng by a disciple. Défēng’s account narrates his sequential testing under five separate masters before final transmission from Bǎichī, giving an unusually detailed picture of mid-17th-century mendicant cānfǎng circuits in the lower Yangtze (Lónghuá → Lùzhí → Nánxiáng → Qīzhēn → Yúnjiān).