Shìjiā shì pǔ 釋迦氏譜
Genealogy of the Śākya Clan
compiled by 道宣 (Dàoxuān, 596–667, 撰), preface dated 665
About the work
A Táng-period hagiography of Śākyamuni in one juan, compiled by the great vinaya master 道宣 (Dàoxuān, 596–667) and dated by his preface to 665 (Líndé 麟德 2). It supersedes 僧祐’s earlier and longer Shìjiā pǔ (KR6r0025) as a more compact and topically organised handbook, drawing on a wider range of canonical sources, especially those translated by 玄奘 in the years 645–664 (i.e. between 僧祐’s lifetime and 道宣’s).
Abstract
道宣 composed the Shìjiā shì pǔ alongside his much larger and complementary Shìjiā fāngzhì 釋迦方志 (KR6r0058), a geographical compendium on the Buddhist holy land. Where the Fāngzhì covers the geography, the Shì pǔ covers the genealogy, life, and chief events of the Buddha. The single-juan format was deliberately compact, intended as a handbook for monastics needing quick reference to the canonical narrative.
The structure is topical: ancestry of the Śākya clan; the descent from Tuṣita Heaven; the birth at Lumbinī; the youth and the four signs; the renunciation; the enlightenment; the first sermon; the major life events (return to Kapilavastu, the Devadatta schism, etc.); and the parinirvāṇa. Each topic synthesises material from the relevant Indian biographical sūtras (the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara, Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya, etc., supplemented by the new translations of Xuánzàng).
The 665 dating is given in 道宣’s own preface and is secure. The work was widely used in Táng monastic education and continued as a standard reference into the Sòng.
Translations and research
- Hubert Durt, “The Pregnancy of Māyā” (parts I-III, JICPBS 5–7, 2002–2004) — uses 道宣’s account as a principal Chinese source.
- No complete Western-language translation of the work itself located. The Shìjiā fāngzhì (KR6r0058) has been more frequently studied; the present Shì pǔ less so.
Links
- CBETA: T50n2041