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Student Forum 學生論壇
(July 11, 2025)
Abstracts
Jiabao CUI, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
崔嘉寶, 中國社會科學院
山西高平北朝佛教遺存的區域性觀察
A Regional Observation of the Buddhist Relics of the Northern Dynasties in Gaoping, Shanxi
高平位於晉東南地區的丹河流域，北朝時期處在溝通北魏都城平城和洛陽的交通線上，有着豐富的佛 教遺存，包括石窟、佛寺、造像碑和單體造像等。本文以高平地區爲中心，以該地區北朝佛教遺存爲研究對象，結合 碑刻和文獻資料，從區域研究的視角分析高平北朝佛教遺存所受的外來影響和本地特徵。儘可能地復原出接近歷 史事實的高平北朝佛教面貌並分析其發展與轉變軌跡。
Gaoping is located in the Dan River valley in the southeast of Shanxi province. During the Northern dynasties, Gaoping was on the transport route between Pingcheng and Luoyang, the capitals of the Northern Wei dynasty, with rich Buddhist relics including cave temples, Buddhist temples, statue tablets and single statues. This article takes the Buddhist relics of the Northern dynasties in Gaoping as the research object, combines inscriptions and documentary materials, and analyzes the external influences and local characteristics of the Buddhist relics of the Northern dynasties in Gaoping from the perspective of regional research. As much as possible, the Buddhist landscape of the Northern dynasties is restored, and its development and transformation are analyzed.
Shengtao DENG, Tsinghua University
鄧盛濤, 清華大學
從識心見性到發明本心：南宗禪法與程顥、陸象山的圓頓工夫論關係探論
forthcoming
Junru DONG, Chinese University of Hong Kong
董俊茹, 香港中文大學
To eat or To be eaten: A Case Study Involving Miracles in Chan Hagiography
The accounts of miracles and supranormal powers have played a pivotal role in the Buddhist tradition, often seen as manifestations of dedicated practices of eminent monastics. These accounts not only held spiritual significance but also served as compelling tools to attract devotees. While these accounts were popular in the earlier periods of Chinese Buddhism, later sects—especially the Chan tradition—demonstrated a more reserved stance on the subject. This paper delves into the ambiguous attitude toward miracle tales in Chan through a case study of Nanyue Mingzan 南嶽明瓚 (circa 8th century), whose legacy was intricately connected to a variety of narratives present in both religious and vernacular writings. The materials for this study can be categorized into two primary groups. The first category consists of Mingzan’s dharmic lineage and gāthā verses, predominantly documented in early lamp records such as Zutang Ji 祖堂集 (952). The second category encompasses Mingzan’s interactions with the official Li Bi 李泌 (722-789), and a few miracles attributed to him on Mt. Song. These anecdotes are preserved in non-Chan sources such as the biography of Li Bi and the Song Gaoseng Zhuan 宋高僧傳 (988). Some later Chan works provided an alternative narrative, portraying Mingzan’s encounter with an anonymous emissary from the Emperor Dezong instead, with the miracle tales omitted. Previous scholarship on Mingzan has primarily focused on the earlier accounts, examining the authenticity of his lineage and literary works. In contrast, this current investigation undertakes a detailed analysis of the patterns within the second theme and review the strategic efforts across various sources, specifically highlighting the recurring motif of food and eating. Mingzan’s prophetic ability was hinted at through the mysterious food he presented to Li Bi, but ultimately, he was devoured by beasts in the miracle tales. This dynamic of eating and being eaten initially suggested an ambiguous fatalism, but in later narratives, it was reduced to a mere daily routine and further used to represent defiance against vernacular power. This paper thus underscores the subtle transformation of the symbolic interpretations associated with eating and explores how these narratives have been continually reshaped to meet the changing needs of the Chan master model in hagiographical literature.
Fanyi GUAN, University of Tokyo
管凡誼, 東京大學
Buddhism in Kuaiji（會稽）during the Six Dynasties: Insights from the Stele of the Lotus Sutra Temple（法華寺碑）
This paper examines the Stele of the Lotus Sutra Temple (法華寺碑), composed by Tang official Li Yong (李邕), to explore the history of Buddhism in Kuaiji (modern Shaoxing) from the Eastern Jin to the Liang and Chen dynasties. Focusing on the figures Sengyi (僧翼) and Huiji (慧基), it analyzes how the Lotus Sutra Temple (法華寺) evolved from a hermitage into a major center for Lotus Sutra devotion and scholastic Buddhism in Sanwu (三吳)，considered as heartland of imperial rule during the Six Dynasties.
Sengyi, having studied under Huiyuan and Kumārajīva, settled at Mount Qinwang to practice austerities and recite the Lotus Sutra, later becoming associated with miraculous visions of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. These events, recorded in the stele but absent from early texts like the Gaoseng zhuan, suggest a localized tradition of faith and memory formation.
Huiji, a prominent exegete and religious leader, expanded the temple’s scholastic function and solidified its influence across southern China. His role reflects a broader transformation in Buddhist institutions, supported by local elites and responsive to both doctrinal and communal needs.
With emphasis on the inscription of the two, it can be inferred that Li Yong’s inscription grounded in earlier sources, and reshapes the temple’s history to emphasize sacred legitimacy and regional importance as well. The stele thus serves both as a record of historical events and as an artifact of religious and administrative discourse in the Tang period.
This study aims to reveal the dynamic interaction between local devotion, textual tradition, and political structures in shaping regional Buddhist identities, and highlight the importance of Lotus Sutra practice in Six Dynasties, which has lasting impact in the evolution on East Asian Buddhism.
Benjamin PORTEOUS, Harvard University
熊本恩, 美國哈佛大學
Reincarnation as a Codex: Form and Function in Sutra Commentaries at Dunhuang
forthcoming
Xiaoyun QIU, Peking University
裘瀟雲, 北京大學
埃洛拉石窟中的耆那教曼荼羅初探
forthcoming
Ziyi SHAO, SOAS University of London
邵子懿, 倫敦大學亞非學院
“The Ethnic turn” in the study of the Tibetan Buddhist material cultural of the Qing Dynasty (From Sinicization to Manchu Sovereignty: Rethinking Qing Imperial Identity through Tibetan Buddhist Art)
It is widely acknowledged that a large number of Tibetan Buddhist artworks were produced by the Qianlong imperial workshop, many of which have been categorized under the label of the “Sino-Tibetan” style—a term that seeks to highlight the fusion of Tibetan and Han Chinese visual traditions. One of the most prominent examples of this aesthetic is Fanhualou, a major religious monument located in the Forbidden City, commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor in 1772. It epitomizes the visual and symbolic hybridity typically attributed to this so-called “Sino-Tibetan” style.
In this presentation, I will move beyond the limitations of such hyphenated terminology to explore a significant methodological gap between the art historical discourse of the “Sino-Tibetan” style and the interpretive frameworks proposed by the New Qing History. While the latter emphasizes the distinct ethnic and cultural identity of the Manchu ruling elite—who, according to this school of thought, maintained their non- Han identity rather than assimilating into Chinese norms—studies of Tibetan Buddhist art produced in the Qing imperial workshops rarely account for Manchu agency. Instead, these works are often reduced to a binary visual synthesis of Tibetan and Chinese traditions, overlooking the complex roles the Manchu court may have played in their conception and production.
This paper will use Fanhualou as a case study to interrogate whether and how Manchu imperial identity was expressed or negotiated through Tibetan Buddhist architectural projects. Furthermore, it will address a fundamental historiographical tension: how can scholars meaningfully discuss Manchu identity within material culture when the Manchu elite were simultaneously undergoing processes of sinicization? By applying insights from New Qing History to the study of religious art and architecture, this paper aims to open up new interpretive possibilities that move beyond ethnic binaries and reveal the layered complexity of imperial identity during the Qianlong era.
Qinghe SONG, Cergy-Paris University/Inalco
宋青和, 塞爾吉-巴黎大學/法國國立東方語言文明學院
地緣詩學中的佛教——宗派和人物
Buddhism in Geopoetics: Schools and Figures
forthcoming
Lili WANG (SHI Anlong), Renmin University of China
王麗麗 (釋安龍), 中國人民大學
A Study on Buddhabhadra’s Meditation Legacy: Origins, Transmission, and Theoretical Characteristics
forthcoming
Zhaoyuan WEI, Peking University
魏兆源, 北京大學
Tantric Commitment and Non-Conceptuality: Ratnākaraśānti’s interpretation on Guhyasamājatantra 9.21 and his quotations of the Avikalpapraveśadhāraṇī
How to attain the state of non-conceptuality is an important topic discussed by many Indian Mahāyāna masters. The 11th century Indian Yogācāra scholar Ratnākaraśānti (c. 970-1045) frequently quoted the Avikalparaveśadhāraṇī (henceforth APDh) to support his account about the non-conceptuality. The present article focuses on Ratnākaraśānti’s interpretation on Guhyasamājatantra 9.21 in his commentary Kusumāñjali (henceforth KA). For most commentators, the focus of their glosses on this verse is the wonderfulness of dharmas and the two truths, while Ratnākaraśānti attaches importance to the non-coneptuality. In light of the Kusumāñjali, the tantric commitment is just expressed as convention, it still has the ultimate fruition that is the non-conceptual enlightenment, which is underpinned by the quotation of the APDh. The account of non-conceptuality in the KA shows high similarity with that in Ratnākaraśānti’s non-tantirc works, especially the *Madhyamakālaṃkāropadeśa and the Prajñāpāramitopadeśa, in which the APDh is cited as the scriptural sources. Through an investigation into Ratnākaraśānti’s thoughts concerning the non-conceptualzation, it is evident that his theory of cultivation exceeds the boundary of tantric and non-tantric practices, making it a window for us to understand the doctrinal intersection between tantric mandala cultivation and theoretical foundation in late Indian Buddhism.
Yuji XU, University of Wisconsin-Madison
徐雨霽, 美國威斯康星麥迪遜大學
詩史、僧史與復興：晚明僧人的情感風景與文學書寫
中國詩歌與佛法禪意互不相礙，故自唐代起，遂有“詩僧”、“僧詩”之名來特指僧人的詩歌創作團體及其作品。從現存的學術研究來看，以“詩僧”爲主題的研究雖蔚然大觀，但多集中在對唐、宋僧人的文學書寫的關注。晚明僧人的文學涉獵與情感呈現這一課題是窺視晚期帝制時期佛學“入世性”的“針眼”，也是佐證晚明佛教中興、法界昌盛的一大文本遺產和行爲方式，但卻遺留了大片的研究空白與缺口。在梳理“詩僧”一詞運用背後的“陷阱”，本文意圖重新深入晚明佛學與詩學的互動脈絡，進而挖掘晚明僧人羣體的情感風景，並試圖闡釋，當僧侶以詩來交遊、明志、抒情之際，其身份和情思又如何以可見的、流動的文字在公共場域得以展演。
Jiejie ZHAO, Capital Normal University
趙潔潔, 首都師範大學
U5335文本性質蠡測
德藏回鶻文文書U5335出土於新疆吐魯番，册子本裝幀，共35頁，主要包含《五會讚》《念佛之時得見佛讚》《較量坐禪念佛讚》《云何梵》《六根讚》《五台山讚》等讚文，更有圖表形式呈現的文本“念佛菩薩圖”，這表明淨土五會念佛行儀也曾繼續從敦煌往西傳入高昌回鶻。回鶻文佛教文獻少有對於回鶻普通民衆佛教信仰實踐的記述，U5335真實呈現出淨土五會念佛行儀在回鶻民間的具體應用和傳播情況。除了“持頌諸讚”，U5335還有佛教徒在進行禮拜、懺悔等儀節時所念誦的多篇禮懺文，讚文和禮懺文共同組成一個記載群體修行儀軌次第的法事儀本，並以“回鶻文注漢字音”的方式，最大程度避免翻譯漢文文獻造成的局限，保證了文本頌念時的音樂性。
Qijun ZHENG, EPHE-PSL
鄭麒駿, 法國高等研究應用學院
Jigong, the Buddhist Punk : Tradition, Modernity and Religious Hybridity in Jiangnan
forthcoming
