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Lei Wen: Jinshi Literature and The Study of chinese Taoist History

On the evening of March 9, 2022, the third lecture of the series of lectures on "Xiamen University History Graduate Thesis Writing and Academic Training of Qiangji Class" was held in Nanqiang 2403 in a combination of online and offline, and Professor Lei Wen of the School of History of Beijing Normal University was invited to give a speech on the topic of "Jinshi Literature and Research on the History of Chinese Taoism". The lecture was presided over by Professor Zhang Dazhi of the Department of History of Xiamen University, and attended by Professor Chen Boyi and more than 60 undergraduate and master's and doctoral students of Qiangji class.

Lei Wen: Jinshi Literature and The Study of chinese Taoist History

Lei Wen is a professor at the School of History, Beijing Normal University

The lecture revolves around three parts: the types of Taoist golden stones, the sources of materials, and the research cases. Professor Lei first introduced the types of Taoist golden stones, of which "gold" mainly includes bronze bells, dragon throwing janes, gold and bronze statues, copper seals and bronze mirrors. These metal materials have important religious significance, reflecting the changing role of Taoism in secular politics and society. For example, the "Sui Wen gave the Xuandu Temple with the passage view bell" contained in the "Biography of the Continuing High Monk" shows that the bronze bell, as a common practical instrument of the Buddhist Taoist temple view in the Middle Ages, is both practical and religious, so it often becomes the object of contention, which is rendered in some spiritual stories. Another example is Wu Zetian Zhongyue Toulong Jinjian, Tang Xuanzong Nanyue ToulongJian and some Taihu Toulongjian during the Wuyue Period of the Five Dynasties, all of which are physical remnants of the important medieval Taoist ritual of "throwing dragons", and their function is intended to seek immortality from Taoist gods and immortals, showing the continuous improvement of the status of Taoism in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. As for the copper seal and the bronze mirror, both are important instruments of Taoism, Professor Lei pointed out that archaeology has found a number of Eastern Han "Huang Shen Yue Zhang", "Heavenly Emperor Divine Master", "Heavenly Emperor Messenger" and other French seals, we can investigate the organizational form of early Taoism. The Tang Dynasty Taoist master Sima Chengzhen's "Shangqing Hanxiang Jian Sword Diagram" can also be corroborated with the bronze mirror that has been handed down to the world.

Another major category of "stones" mainly includes stele, epitaphs, town tombstones, statues, scriptures, and stone lampstands. Steles and epitaphs are one of the most important materials for the study of Taoist history. Taking the Han Stele as an example, the "Fat Zhi Monument" of the Eastern Han Ling Emperor is the earliest and most written Taoist carved stone in existence, which has attracted the attention of the academic community. Professor Shi Zhouren also examined this ancient belief popular in the Hanzhong region by interpreting the Eastern Han Dynasty's "Immortal Tang Gongfang Stele", and he found that Tianshi Dao was developed at the same time and region, and the Yuntai Mountain of the Tang Gongfang Monastery was one of the twenty-four rules of Tianshi Dao, and its mansion was also classified by Du Guangting into the Thirty-Six Jinglu of Taoism. Therefore, the relationship between this local immortal worship and orthodox Taoism should be rethought. Professor Lei believes that these two Han tablets and the aforementioned Fa seal reflect the organization and belief methods of the early Taoist orders before the rise of Tianshi Dao and Taiping Dao. In addition, Professor Lei also mentioned the change in the size of the statues from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, most of which were tall statues, standing in the countryside or on major roads, while many smaller statues appeared in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which were enshrined at home, which also reflected the changes in the way of channels and offerings in the Middle Ages. Professor Lei also gave a brief introduction to Taoist stone carvings such as the town tombstone, the scripture building, and the stone lampstand. These Jinshi literatures are of great help in understanding Taoism in the early or tang dynasties, and deserve more attention and in-depth study.

The second part of the lecture focused on the sources of materials for Taoist epigraphy research, namely traditional epigraphical works, newly published inscriptions and catalogues, graphic and textual reference books and reference books. Among them, Professor Lei specifically mentioned the leading role and limitations of the Daoist Jinshi Luo compiled by Chen Yuan, Chen Zhichao and Zeng Qingying, and further led to various refinements and arrangements in the academic circles in recent years based on regions, categories, and sects. In view of the fact that there are more than 700 surviving Tang Dynasty golden stone documents, Professor Lei plans to promote the collation of "Tang Dynasty Taoist Golden Stone Integration". At the same time, Professor Lei also emphasized the importance of four traditional epigraphical works of the Song Dynasty, namely "JinshiLu", "Jigulu", "Bao carved series" and "Bao carved series". For beginners, it is recommended to start with the collection of works, such as Wang Chang's "Compilation of Golden Stones" in the Qing Dynasty and Lu Zengxiang's "Eight Qiong Chamber Golden Stone Supplements". Professor Lei's grand work plan for document collation, as well as the introduction of Taoist Jinshi literature, especially the promotion of related practical reference books, are of great guiding significance for research methods and research methods.

In the third part of the lecture, the value of newly unearthed epitaphs in the study of Chinese Taoist history is demonstrated through research examples. First of all, Professor Lei pointed out that the New Insight Inscription can enrich some of the previously poorly documented Gao Dao's life and correct the erroneous records in the previous literature, one of which is the family genealogy of Maoshan Grandmaster Wang Yuanzhi. There are very few accounts of Wang Yuanzhi in the New Book of Tang, and the epitaphs of Wang Yuanzhi's descendants unearthed later enrich the information of his entire family, restore their family genealogy, and then confirm the erroneous record of the New Book of Tang Wang Yuanzhi. The second is the new "Jinglong Guan Wei Yi Tian Dai Epitaph" (2019). The Old Book of Tang has a record of Tang Xuanzong making Yang Yuhuan wear Taoist clothes in order to hide his eyes and ears, although the specific process of Yang Yuhuan becoming a Taoist priest is still unknown, and the epitaph of Tian Dai, the master of the noble concubines, provides new clues. He once gave Yang Guifei the Three Emperors' Hoops, the so-called "Gong" can be understood as the "title" of the Taoist, different levels of "Gong" can master the ghosts and gods differently, the Three Emperors' Hoops rank second in the four dharma ladders, which shows that Yang Guifei is a female Daoist who has officially received the Gong. Not only that, the Buddhist scriptures once recorded that the Three Emperors Sutra was banned and destroyed in the early Tang Dynasty because of suspected rebellion, but from the historical facts that Zhang Wanfu could also detail the contents of the Three Emperors Sutra during the Tang Dynasty, and Tian Dai was also able to teach Yang Guifei the Three Emperors, the records of the Buddhist scriptures are not exaggerated. It may be inferred from this that the Three Emperors Classics of the Tang Dynasty still have an important position, and the prohibition of destruction may not be strong, and the time is not long, and the Three Emperors Still occupy an important position in the Taoist ladder.

Lei Wen: Jinshi Literature and The Study of chinese Taoist History

Lecture site

Lei Wen: Jinshi Literature and The Study of chinese Taoist History

Secondly, Professor Lei further described the value of newly excavated epitaphs for the study of palace views. Compared with buddhist temple research, Ono Katsunian wrote several volumes of Tang Dynasty Chang'an Buddhist Temple research works, while Tang Dynasty Taoist research was slightly weak. Professor Lei briefly introduced the results of his research on important palace temples in the Tang Dynasty, such as the Liangjing Longxing Temple, the Kaiyuan Temple, the Luoyang Dahong Taoist Temple, and the Great Sacred True Temple.

In addition, Professor Lei also pointed out the important role of the newly debuted Taoist epitaph for the study of the political history of the Tang Dynasty. For example, tianbao bazai (749) of the "Tang Dynasty Shufei Yu Zhenguan female Taoist priest Yang Zunshi (Zhenyi) Epitaph", which begins with the statement that her uncle committed a major crime and the family was degraded, and later because she was promoted, the whole family was pardoned. Professor Lei pointed out that the uncle who committed the great crime mentioned here, namely Yang Jun in the Old Book of Tang, was once the head of Emperor Zhongzong's empress dowager, and was executed by Emperor Xuanzong on suspicion of poisoning Emperor Zhongzong. So, how did the niece of the sinner become a concubine of Emperor Xuanzong? Professor Lei believes that this involves the struggle between Xuanzong and Ruizong and Princess Taiping at that time. The Old Book of Tang once recorded that Princess Taiping was "particularly jealous of the Eastern Palace", so she placed eyeliner around Li Longji, so that princess Taiping in the Eastern Palace could be informed. In an edict dated August 10 of the second year of the new century (714), Li Longji said that "Princess Taiping took people into the palace, and although she obeyed the matter, she could not refuse." This shows that Princess Shufei was most likely arranged to Li Longji's side because of Princess Taiping's will. Li Longji was a generation of British lords, and once the power was secured, he would sweep away the power of the Taiping Princess. Proceeding from the information reflected in these traditional historical materials, it can be understood that the lady in the epitaph "realizes the extreme difficulty of being favored by the nobles, and fears the trouble of plundering, but is the obedience of the heart." In addition, the epitaph shows that Yang Zhenyi, who was a noble concubine, had no contact with the imperial family after entering the dao, and her brother's career was not taken care of, and she did not have any posthumous gifts or funeral officials after her death. Professor Lei believes that only by following the real background of Yang Zhenyi's entry into the palace and entering the Dao can it be possible to understand the hidden plot behind this epitaph, which was abandoned by Xuanzong in a more dignified way of "entering the Dao".

In the fourth part of the lecture, Professor Lei focused on the analysis of the Relatively Rich Historical Materials of The Tang Clan of Magu Mountain. The Tang clan was a Taoist family that spanned the Tang Dynasty to the middle and late Tang Dynasties, and the epitaphs of Deng Ziyang and Deng Yankang can enrich the important information of this family. Magu Mountain was located in nancheng County, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, and long before the rise of the Tang clan, this area had been included by Sima Chengzhen in the Thirty-Six Small Cave Heavens and the Seventy-two Blessed Lands ("Heaven and Earth Palace Map"). The ancestor of the Deng clan of Magushan is Deng Ziyang, and the deeds are found in Li Yong's "Tang Dong Fu Tang Guan Deng Tianshi Jie", the original stele has been Yi, and the original text is included in the Quan Tang Wen. Professor Lei pointed out that this jie was rebuilt in the late Tang Dynasty, or directly related to Deng Yankang, a descendant of Ziyang. According to the "Deng Tianshi Jie", in the twenty-third year of the new century (735), Emperor Xuanzong ordered the recruitment of famous alchemists, and Deng Ziyang took the opportunity to answer the call. Later, because of his meritorious mission, he was entrusted to the Eastern Capital Dafu Tang Temple. Since then, Deng Ziyang has become an official Taoist from a mountain alchemist, which is of great significance to the development of the Tang clan in Magu mountain. (1) Originally claiming to be a spiritual relic of Magu Mountain, not only the Tang clan in Jiangxi, but also such spiritual relics in Sichuan and other places. Because Deng Ziyang was officially recognized, the orthodox status of Magu Mountain in Jiangxi was established. (2) His brother Deng Siming was made a Taoist priest, indicating that this Magushan Daoist regiment centered on The Tang clan was recognized by the state. (3) The family that could ask Li Yong to write the Jiewen must have considerable financial resources and reputation, which also showed from the side that the Tang clan already had strong strength at that time. Only when Deng Ziyang walked down Magu Mountain and stepped onto the stage of Liangjing was when Magu Mountain truly entered the vision of the imperial court and the circle of knowledge. Subsequently, Deng Ziyang's mantle was inherited by Deng Decheng, the second generation of the Deng clan of Magushan, and Tan Xianyan, An Xianyan, An apprentice of Ziyang. Although the "Records of Magu Mountain" records that Deng Decheng had done a job of breaking the stone fort, his influence at that time was quite limited, and Li Jifu's "Yuanhe County Map Chronicle" written by Li Jifu in the seventh year of Yuanhe (813) did not mention anything about the Tang clan of Magushan under the article "Fuzhou", and Yan Zhenqing's "Records of the Immortal Altars of Magu" only mentioned him in a single stroke. In contrast, Deng Ziyang's apprentice Tan Xianyan was more active, and his record is found in the "Lady Wei Immortal Altar Stele". By the third generation of Deng Yankang, the development of the Deng family was at its peak. His "Epitaph" records that "the divine capital is half out of the door, and the prosperity of the Dharma religion has not been seen recently." For example, Xiang Yuanshu, Li Fengji, Duan Wenchang, etc. all accepted his ordination. Many celebrities and royalty were related to him. Newly unearthed Taoist epitaphs such as "Guo Yuande's Epitaph" and "Wang Xuming's Epitaph" all indicate that they had accepted Deng Yankang's ordination. Deng Yankang paid great attention to sorting out the memories of his family's awards and constructing the family's sacred genealogy. In the ninth year of Yuan He (814), due to the promotion of Deng Yankang, Deng Ziyang Shijie was re-established at Magu Mountain. Deng Yankang's epitaph records that he once wrote the Family Chronicle. Thanks to his efforts, the Magushan Tang clan regained its revered status in the late Tang Dynasty. It is worth noting that only when Deng Ziyang and Deng Yankang appeared on the stage of the two capitals could their fame be more prosperous. Because the inscriptions of both epitaphs particularly emphasize their Taoist temples from liangjing.

Lei Wen: Jinshi Literature and The Study of chinese Taoist History

The Golden Stone

Finally, Professor Lei deeply summarized the reflection on the so-called goldstone materials realized in the specific research: First, to re-understand the relationship between new materials and old materials, special attention needs to be paid to the collation of traditional epigraphy materials. Don't blindly chase new materials, underutilized materials are new materials, because it is entirely possible to bring you new information. Second, in addition to the new epitaphs, we cannot ignore the large monuments contained in the documents passed down from generation to generation, and sometimes the latter is more important. Whether it is the "Inscription of Wu Shanjing, the Three Cave Master of the Taiqing Palace of the Tang Dynasty" included in the "Collected Poems of Quan De", or the "Inscription of Mr. Liu Shengxuan of Tang Shengxuan" preserved in the "Tang Wenzhi", which is written by Feng Su and Liu Gongquan, it contains rich historical clues and examines the frame information sources for the lives of important Daoist monks in the middle and late Tang Dynasty. Third, to emphasize the unity of the textuality and materiality of the stele, special attention needs to be paid to the information of the stele outside the text content. For example, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once erected a stone stele at the Qingtang Temple in Fushan County, Linfen, and the inscription was inscribed with the titles of prince, prince, and important courtiers of the imperial court, which in itself was a form of power.

In the exchange session of the lecture, Professor Lei also analyzed the concept of "national sacrifice". He believed that the so-called state sacrifice was all the sacrifices held by the imperial court and the government at all levels. This concept goes beyond the previous emperor sacrifices and includes the sacrifices of local governments. However, there is no official list of such graded sacrifices, and it was not until the Song Dynasty that they were formulated and implemented by the Ministry of Rites. Through the activities of state sacrifice, the emperor not only managed the secular life of the people, but also controlled the spiritual world of the people. Subsequently, Professor Zhang Dazhi elaborated on the experience and understanding of listening to Professor Lei's lecture from three aspects: the classification of Taoist golden stone literature types, material sources, and the use and research of stone carving historical materials. The so-called "old materials" suggested by Professor Lei are a large number of golden stone records in the documents handed down from generation to generation, and their correspondence with the so-called "new materials", that is, excavated documents, and the relationship between them and in real-life research, deserve our special attention. Professor Zhang expressed the hope that the students can learn the research path and research methods from Professor Lei's lectures, and under the guidance of the previous generation of scholars, they will make new gains in the research fields they are concerned about.

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