Confucian Monks and Buddhist Junzi: Zanning’s Topical Compendium of the Buddhist Clergy (Da Song seng shi lüe 大宋僧史略) and the Politics of Buddhist Accommodation at the Song Court
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Abstract
This study explores a Buddhist response to the challenges facing Buddhism in the Song dynasty through an examination of the Buddhist literati-monk Zanning’s (919-1001) Da Song Seng shilue 大宋僧史略 (Topical Compendium of the Buddhist Clergy compiled in the Great Song dynasty, often also translated as Brief History of the Sangha). The work, written at the request of Song emperor Taizong (r. 976-997), argues for a legitimate role for Buddhism in China and active participation of Buddhist monks and institutions in the affairs of the Chinese state. The purpose of the Da Song Seng shilue was to inform the emperor and his officials of pertinent facts regarding Buddhism in China useful for the administration of the sangha, especially regarding the propagation of the Buddhist faith in China, and the institutional and social history of Buddhism and Buddhist institutions.