Zàishēn Hóngzàn 在犙弘贊 (1612–1686), late-Míng / early-Qīng Cáodòng 曹洞宗 monk, best known as a major Vinaya specialist and prolific author of precept-observance, Pure Land devotion, and scholastic-commentarial works. Hào Zàishēn 在犙 (“Residing-in-Sanity”). Native of Xīnhuì 新會 (Guǎngdōng), lay surname Zhū 朱.
Initially a Confucian scholar — Hóngzàn was a student of the gōngshēng 貢生 Yú Jíshēng 余集生 and xian 縣 xué 學 shēngyuán 生員 before the Ming fall. After the 1644 Ming-Qing transition Hóngzàn retreated into monastic life, studying Chán under Dǐnghú Dàoqiū 鼎湖道邱 and receiving the Cáodòng transmission. First residency at the Bǎoxiànglín 寶象林 in Guǎngzhōu; subsequently succeeded Dàoqiū as abbot of the Dǐnghúshān Qìngyún sì 鼎湖山慶雲寺 in Zhàoqìng 肇慶, which became his principal residence for the remainder of his life.
Hóngzàn’s doctrinal orientation was strongly critical of the late-Ming / early-Qing factionalised Chán scene, which he viewed as given over to “fúkuā bùshí 浮誇不實” (“frothy boasting without substance”). He accordingly refused to teach Chán-polemical material and devoted himself to Vinaya observance and monastic-regulatory discipline. His enormous written corpus — several dozen titles — is centred on precept and ritual observance:
- Sì fēn jiè běn rú shì 四分戒本如釋 (12 juan) — detailed commentary on the Sìfēn lǜ precept text;
- Guī jiè yào jí 歸戒要集 (3 juan) — essentials of precept-taking;
- Bā guān zhāi fǎ 八關齋法 — manual on the eight-precept lay retreat;
- Lǐ fó yí shì 禮佛儀式 — Buddha-worship ritual manual;
- Qī jù zhī Fó-mǔ suǒ shuō Zhǔn tí tuóluóní jīng huì shì 七俱胝佛母所說準提陀羅尼經會釋 (3 juan) — commentary on the Cuṇḍā dhāraṇī sūtra;
- Xīn jīng lùn 心經論 — commentary on the Heart Sūtra;
- Dǐnghúshān Mùrén jū Zàishēn chánshī cà gǎo 鼎湖山木人居在犙禪師剎稿 (5 juan) — his collected miscellaneous prose;
- Wéishān jǐngcè jù shì jì 溈山警策句釋記 (KR6q0132, X63 n1240) — his commentary on Wéishān Língyòu’s Guīshān jǐngcè.
Died on Kāngxī 25.5.22 (12 July 1686), aged 75.
Works in the Kanripo corpus: KR6q0132 Wéishān jǐngcè jù shì jì only.
Per DILA A000244: birth 1612 (DILA note: some sources give 1611 based on the Dǐnghúshān zhì notation of Wànlì xīnhài = 1611, but DILA prefers 1612 by sui arithmetic from the 75-year lifespan); death Kāngxī 25.5.22 = 12 July 1686; lay surname Zhū; native of Xīnhuì in Guǎngdōng.