Protecting the Dharma through Calligraphy in Tang China: A Study of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu 集王聖教序 The Preface to the Buddhist Scriptures Engraved on ...

479 Pages·2021·40.104 MB·English

by  Pietro De Laurentis

MONUMENTA SERICA MONOGRAPH SERIES
LXXII
Editor: ZBIGNIEW WESOŁOWSKI, S.V.D.
Sankt Augustin

PIETRO DE LAURENTIS

Protecting the Dharma through Calligraphy in Tang China
A Study of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu 集王聖教序
The Preface to the Buddhist Scriptures Engraved on Stone
in Wang Xizhi’s Collated Characters
Calligraphy by the author
MONUMENTA SERICA MONOGRAPH SERIES
_________________________________LXXII________________________________

Pietro De Laurentis

Protecting the Dharma through
Calligraphy in Tang China

A Study of the
Ji Wang shengjiao xu 集王聖教序
The Preface to the Buddhist Scriptures
Engraved on Stone in Wang Xizhi’s
Collated Characters

Institut Monumenta Serica • Sankt Augustin
Sumptibus Societatis Verbi Divini (S.V.D.)

Copy editors: BARBARA HOSTER, DIRK KUHLMANN, ZBIGNIEW WESOŁOWSKI

Cover and layout: JOZEF BIŠTUŤ

Arnold-Janssen-Str. 20
53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
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ISBN: 978-1-032-13693-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-13695-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-23047-2 (ebk)
ISSN 0179-261X
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments ................................................................................. xi
Abbreviations ..................................................................................... xiii
Conventions ....................................................................................... xv
Map: Tang Dynasty Chang’an ................................................................ xvii

INTRODUCTION
1. Buddhist Faith, Imperial Patronage, and Calligraphic Beauty
Captured in One Monument ............................................................. 1
2. The Historical Significance of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ................................ 5
3. Present Location and Physical Dimensions of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ............. 8
4. The Sources on the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ............................................... 11
5. The Buddhist Context of the Early Tang ................................................. 18
6. Originals, Copies, and Forgeries in Wang Xizhi’s Calligraphies ..................... 20
7. The Ji Wang shengjiao xu as a Work of Calligraphic Art ............................ 22
8. The Present Book’s Structure .............................................................. 27

CHAPTER ONE
Buddhism and Calligraphy in Medieval China
1.1 Buddhism and Manuscript Production .................................................. 29
1.2 Buddhism and Stone Inscriptions ........................................................ 35
1.2.1 Buddhism and Ink Rubbings ...................................................... 38
1.3 Overview of Buddhism and Calligraphy in Medieval China ........................ 42
1.3.1 Buddhist Monk-Calligraphers .................................................... 43
1.3.2 Buddhism and the People in Charge of Handwriting ......................... 48
1.4 Buddhist Calligraphy: Buddhism Adapting to Chinese Culture .................... 55

CHAPTER TWO
Wang Xizhi’s Calligraphy and the Semi-cursive Script (Xingshu 行書)
2.1 The Importance of Chinese Calligraphy in East Asian Art and the Principles
of Its Appreciation ...................................................................... 59
2.2 Wang Xizhi and the Chinese Calligraphic Tradition ................................. 62
2.3 Origin and Definition of the Semi-cursive Script ..................................... 68
2.4 History of the Semi-cursive Script ...................................................... 69
2.5 Conclusion: Wang Xizhi as the Aesthetic Norm of the Semi-cursive Script ..... 77

CHAPTER THREE
The Ji Wang shengjiao xu and Its Texts
3.1 Where and When the Preface and the Note Were Composed ...................... 79
3.2 Taizong’s Agreement to Compose the Preface and His Understanding
of Buddhism .............................................................................. 82
3.3 Taizong’s Support of Xuanzang and Buddhism ....................................... 88
3.4 The Inclusion of the Preface and the Note into the Buddhist Scriptures .......... 93
3.5 The Preface and the Note Carved in Stone ........................................... 100
3.6 The Other Prefaces Composed after Taizong and the Shift of the Preface
from Buddhism to Calligraphy ....................................................... 103
3.7 The Letters Exchanged between Xuanzang and Taizong,
and Xuanzang and Gaozong .......................................................... 105
vi CONTENTS
3.8 The Xin jing (Heart Sutra) ............................................................... 106
3.9 Conclusion of Chapter Three ........................................................... 116

CHAPTER FOUR
The Context of the Erection of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
4.1 Devising the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ................................................... 117
4.2 Daoism during Gaozong’s and Empress Wu Zetian’s Reigns (649–690) ...... 123
4.3 Buddhism under the Threat of Gaozong’s and Empress Wu Zetian’s
Pro-Daoist Policies ................................................................. 128
4.4 The Consolidation of the Chinese Identity of Buddhism through the
Appropriation of Wang Xizhi’s Calligraphic Style ............................. 132
4.5 The Ji Wang shengjiao xu as a Monument Claiming Imperial Patronage
and Public Recognition ............................................................. 134
4.6 Protecting and Spreading the Dharma through Calligraphy: The Intended
Outcomes of the Erection of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ....................... 137
4.7 Conclusion of Chapter Four ............................................................ 140

CHAPTER FIVE
A History of the Location of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
5.1 The Hongfu si and Its History (632/634–845) ....................................... 145
5.2 The Hongfu si and Its Monks .......................................................... 148
5.3 The So-called Xingfu si banjie bei and Its Relation to the
Ji Wang shengjiao xu ................................................................. 151
5.4 The Location of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu after the Anti-Buddhist
Persecution of 845 and Its Removal to the Confucius Temple ................. 154
5.5 Conclusion of Chapter Five ............................................................. 159

CHAPTER SIX
The Collation of Wang Xizhi’s Characters for the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
6.1 A History of Collated Characters ...................................................... 161
6.2 The Semi-cursive Script and the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ............................ 165
6.3 Wang Xizhi’s Works in the Semi-Cursive ........................................... 168
6.4 The Textual Sources for the Characters Used in the Texts Recorded in the
Ji Wang shengjiao xu ................................................................. 171
6.5 The Authenticity of the Characters Used in the Ji Wang shengjiao xu .......... 174
6.6 How Huairen Produced the Inscription ............................................... 178
6.7 Conclusion of Chapter Six .............................................................. 182

CHAPTER SEVEN
The Carving of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
7.1 Transferring and Engraving: Le 勒 and Ke 刻 ...................................... 183
7.2 The Transfer of Characters onto Stone ............................................... 184
7.3 The Time Required for the Construction of a Stone Inscription .................. 186
7.4 Conclusion: An Inscription’s Faithfulness in the Reproduction of
Original Handwriting ................................................................. 188

CHAPTER EIGHT
The Shape and the Calligraphy of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
8.1 The Importance of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu in the History of Chinese
Calligraphy ............................................................................. 195
CONTENTS vii
8.2 General Overview of the Stone Inscription and of the Characters of the
Ji Wang shengjiao xu .................................................................. 198
8.3 The Rubbings of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu and the Early State
of the Inscription ....................................................................... 201
8.4 The Rubbings of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu and Their Figures .................... 202
8.4.1 Beilin Ji Wang 1 and Mitsui Ji Wang 1 in Comparison ..................... 206
8.4.2 Zhang Yingzhao Ji Wang and Mitsui Ji Wang 1 in Comparison .......... 211
8.5 The Characters of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu and the Reproduction
of Wang Xizhi’s Handwriting ........................................................ 212
8.6 Carving Mistakes in the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ....................................... 218
8.7 The Characters of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu and Wang Xizhi’s
Calligraphic Art ........................................................................ 219
8.8 The Graphic Adjustment of Characters in the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ............. 222
8.9 The Ji Wang shengjiao xu and Wang Xizhi’s Extant Semi-Cursive Works ..... 230
8.10 Conclusion: Huairen or Wang Xizhi as Calligrapher of the
Ji Wang shengjiao xu? ................................................................. 239

CONCLUSION

1 The Ji Wang shengjiao xu as a Work of Buddhist Art .............................. 241
2 Chinese Calligraphy to the Rescue of the Dharma .................................. 242

APPENDICES

Appendix I:
Transcription and Translation of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
1 Annotated Transcription of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ............................. 243
2 Annotated Translation of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu ................................ 248

Appendix II:
A Survey of Collated Inscriptions in Wang Xizhi’s Characters
1 Collated Inscriptions in Wang Xizhi’s Characters under the Tang .............. 267
2 Collated Inscriptions in Wang Xizhi’s Characters under the Song ............... 272

TABLES
1. Buddhist Scriptures Translated by Xuanzang Recorded in Da Tang Kaiyuan
shijiao guangpin lizhang (H 65.1385) Including the Preface and the Note
Arranged Chronologically ............................................................ 275
2. Dunhuang Manuscripts Including the Preface and the Note Arranged
Chronologically ........................................................................ 277
3. Prefaces and Postfaces to Buddhist Scriptures Composed by Tang Emperors .... 279
4. The Monks of the Hongfu si ............................................................... 283
5. The Figures of Wang Xizhi’s Extant Calligraphies (A–C) ........................... 285
A1. Semi-Cursive Script Calligraphies Arranged in Alphabetical Order
(Tracing Copies) .............................................................. 285
A2. Semi-Cursive Calligraphies in Copy-Model Books Arranged According
to the Chronological Order of Calligraphy Copy-Model Books
(Rubbings of Inscriptions) ................................................... 286
B1. Cursive Script Calligraphies (Tracing Copies) ............................... 289
viii CONTENTS
B2. Cursive Script Calligraphies Arranged According to the Chronological
Order of Calligraphy Copy-Model Books (Free-Hand Copies)
(Plus Kuaixue shiqing tie in the Semi-cursive) .......................... 290
B3. Cursive Script Calligraphies Arranged According to the Chronological
Order of Calligraphy Copy-Model Books (Rubbings of Inscriptions) 291
C1. Standard Script Calligraphies Arranged in Alphabetical Order
(Free-Hand Copies) .......................................................... 292
C2. Standard Script Calligraphies Arranged in Alphabetical Order
(Rubbings of Inscriptions of Free-Hand Copies) ......................... 292
6. List of Characters in the Ji Wang shengjiao xu Arranged by the Radicals
of the Hanyu dazidian ................................................................. 293
7. List of Characters Common to the Ji Wang shengjiao xu and to the Lanting xu . 341
8. List of Characters Common to the Ji Wang shengjiao xu and to Wang Xizhi’s
Semi-Cursive Calligraphies Other Than the Lanting xu ......................... 353
9. Chronology of Chinese Dynasties ........................................................ 361
10. Chronological List of Rulers Mentioned ............................................... 363
11. Alphabetical List of Reign Periods Mentioned with Emperors under Whose
Rulership They Were Proclaimed ................................................... 365
12. The Sexagenary Cycle ..................................................................... 369

FACSIMILE

Complete Reproduction of Mitsui Ji Wang 1 (Folios 1-36) ............................... 371

BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY, AND INDEX

Bibliography ..................................................................................... 409
Glossary of Calligraphic Terms .............................................................. 435
General Index .................................................................................... 439

ILLUSTRATIONS

Cover image taken from the author’s personal ink rubbing of the Ji Wang shengjiao xu
and Mitsui Ji Wang 1
Frontispiece: Calligraphy by the author ......................................................... ii

Introduction:
Plate 1: Ji Wang shengjiao xu, recto of the inscription (from Xi’an Beilin bowuguan) 9
Plate 2: Character shu 書 in the zhuan, clerical, standard, semi-cursive, and cursive
scripts (from Zhongguo beike quanji, vol. 1, Tang Ouyang Xun shu Jiuchenggong
liquan ming, Mitsui Ji Wang 1, and Zhongguo fashu quanji, vol. 3) ................ 23
Chapter Two:
Plate 3: Title and incipit of Shenwu fu (from Zhongguo fashu quanji, vol. 1) .......... 63
Plate 4: Columns 1–2 of Sangluan tie (from Wang Xizhi shufa leibian, vol. 4) ........ 65
Plate 5: Character zhi 之 in the standard script of Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, and
Liu Gongquan (from Tang Ouyang Xun shu Jiuchenggong liquan ming
and Zhongguo beike quanji, vol. 5 and vol. 6) .......................................... 66
Plate 6: Rubbing detail of Gu Lang bei (from the author’s personal ink rubbing) ..... 74
Plate 7: Columns 4-5 of Yimu tie (from Wang Xizhi shufa leibian, vol. 3) ............. 76
CONTENTS ix
Chapter Three:
Plate 8: Ink rubbing detail of Xinji Jingang jing (832) (from Wang Xizhi shufa
leibian, vol. 7) .............................................................................. 115
Chapter Four:
Plate 9: Ink rubbing detail of Li Ji bei (677) (from Zhu Guantian 1999a) ............. 136
Chapter Five:
Plate 10: Ink rubbing of Xingfu si banjie bei (721) (from Xi’an Beilin bowuguan) .. 151
Plate 11: Character tang 唐 from Xingfu si banjie bei (721) and Ji Wang shengjiao
xu (from the author’s personal ink rubbing of Xingfu si banjie bei and
Mitsui Ji Wang 1) ........................................................................... 154
Plate 12: Ink rubbing of Beilin Ji Wang 2 (from Jindai zhengzhi ta Ji Wang
shengjiao xu) ................................................................................ 158
Chapter Six:
Plate 13: Characters from other Wang Xizhi’s semi-cursive calligraphies similar to
Ji Wang shengjiao xu (from Mitsui Ji Wang 1 and Wang Xizhi shufa leibian,
vol. 3 and vol. 5) ........................................................................... 177
Chapter Seven:
Plate 14: Transferring and engraving of a replica of Yanshi jiamiao bei for the Forest
of Tablets of the Yamanashi 山梨 Prefecture stone inscription (from
Sumi supesharu) ............................................................................. 184
Plate 15: Comparison of the characters gou wu zhi bang 勾吳之邦 from the ink
rubbing and the draft on paper of Xuanmiao guan chongxiu sanmen ji (from
Beijing tushuguan jinshizu 1989–1991, vol. 50 and Huang Dun 2002a) .......... 190
Plate 16: Comparison of the characters wang 王, xi 羲, and zhi 之 from Yimu tie
and the ink rubbing of its inscribed copy from Zhenshangzhai tie (from
Wang Xizhi shufa leibian, vol. 3, and Zhongguo fatie quanji, vol. 13) ............ 192
Plate 17: Comparison of the character ren 人 from Chuyue tie and the ink rubbing
of its inscribed copy from Zhenshangzhai tie (from Wang Xizhi shufa leibian,
vol. 3, and Zhongguo fatie quanji, vol. 13) ............................................ 193
Chapter Eight:
Plate 18: The seven Buddhas from Ji Wang shengjiao xu (from the author’s personal
ink rubbing) .................................................................................. 199
Plate 19: Characters she 舍, li 利, and zi 子 from Ji Wang shengjiao xu
(from Mitsui Ji Wang 1) ................................................................... 207
Plate 20: Character shan 善 from Li Nu muzhi (photo by the author) .................. 208
Plate 21: Characters di 帝 and you 有 from Mitsui Ji Wang 1 and the author’s
personal rubbing ............................................................................ 210
Plate 22: Characters wen 文, jie 揭, and jing 京 from Mitsui Ji Wang 1 and Beilin
Ji Wang 1 .................................................................................... 211
Plate 23: Character kong 空 from Ji Wang shengjiao xu and character dang 當
from Sangluan tie (from Mitsui Ji Wang 1 and from Wang Xizhi shufa
leibian, vol. 4) .............................................................................. 214
Plate 24 a-b: Details of Boyuan tie and Mengdian tie (from Liu Tao 2002, and
Zhu Guantian 1999b) ....................................................................... 216