A Study Of Chinese Buddhist Rite Centering On The Offering-food-to-monk Rite

Due to various reasons,compared to all other research fields of Chinese Buddhist Studies,the study of Chinese Buddhist rite has been requiring more serious attention. Taking the offering-food-to-monk rite(Zhaigong) as the proposed research approach, based upon fieldwork and what is learned from the fieldwork,standing upon the study of and the interpretation of Sutta-pitaka and Vinaya-pitaka,Dunhuang manuscripts, the Chinese Buddhist Writings from Karakhoto Site kept in Russia and all other possible data from the currently accessible Buddhist ritual texts,this dissertation, under the well arranged topics:the three rules instituted by Ven.Dao-an (312A.D.-385A.D.),the Changdao,the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land(Shuilufahui),the offering-food-to-monk rite of Yuxiu(Chinese Buddhist rite performed before death for advanced merits) and etc.,takes the occurrence, development and change of Chinese Buddhist rite between the earliest period of Buddhism's introduction to China and the period of Southern Song Dynasty (1127A.D.-1279 A.D.) under research,and accomplishes the research of Chinese Buddhist rite from a wholly new perspective.The valuable points of view,therefore, are initiated below.Firstly,Chinese Buddhist rites are generally put into two categories:Buddhist self-cultivation rite and offering-food-to-monk rite.The offering-food-to-monk rite,in fact,means to the offering food to monks(Zhaiseng),but each is in a visibly different form.The offering-food-to-monk rite is the consequence of the inter-influence between Buddhist monks and almsgivers in the practice of the offering food to monks. Supposed that it includes the offering food to monks,the Buddhist rite could be determined properly as the offering-food-to-monk rite.Secondly,the three rules instituted by Ven.Dao-an played substantially role when Chinese Buddhist offering-food-to-monk rite came into forth.The offering-food-to-monk rite of the three rules instituted by Ven.Dao-an,generally, ought to include the following parts:the lighting joss stick & chanting (Xingxiangchangzan),the displaying Buddha statue & arranging sitting order for Buddhist monks(Anfoshezuo),the reading text & chanting text(Songjingzhuandu), the preaching text & performing Upadesa(Jiangjinglunyi),Uposatha and etc.The parts above are studied in detail,and,based upon the study,the Zhaijiang(offering monks food and listening to the preachment) is studied and interpreted.Moreover,the essays of Upadesa and the text of Upavasatha(Receiving the Eight Fast Commandments) in Dunhuang manuscripts are studied carefully.Thirdly,the offering-food-to-monk rite requires the Changdao,which is essential to the rite.The Changdao consisted of the chanting all buddhas' names(Xuanmingzhili), the preachment by leading chanter(Shengzuoshuofa),the situational clarification of the worship purpose(Bianzhaiyi) and etc.Correspondingly,texts about the minor rites have been handed down till now.In the performance of the chanting all buddhas' names(Xuanmingzhili) and the preachment by leading chanter(Shengzuoshuofa), the chanting in an echo-and-support is played a significant role of the Changdao. Taking the offering-food-to-monk rite as background,the terms in Buddhist literature, viz.the Zhouyuan,dana(Dachen),the lighting joss stick & spelling (Xingxiangzhouyuan),the highly praising Buddha & spelling(Tanfozhouyuan),the reciting texts(Biaobai),Alamkaraka(Zhuangyan),the distributing merits(Huixiang) and prarthana(Fayuan) are synonymous to the offering purpose(Zhaiyi).Hence, although essays about offering purpose might be found in Dunhuang manuscripts under varied titles,they ought to be understood and categorized into the offering purpose essay.All complete offering purpose essays ought to exhibit the similar structure,although the structure was never a fixed one.In Tang Dynasty (618A.D.-907A.D.) and the Five Dynasties(907A.D.-979A.D.),the Sujiang(the preachment for public) was a specific Buddhist rite performed in the three special months of abstinence and care(viz.the first month,the fifth month and the ninth month) in order to persuade people for almsgiving.In terms of ritual procession and the applied texts,there is no difference between the Sujiang and the offering-food-to-monk rite.Supposed that it includes the persuading people to donate property in the three special months of abstinence and care,the Buddhist rite could be judged as the Sujiang properly.Fourthly,the offering-food-to-monk rite might be classified under varied criteria, and the classifications of the rite might not be totally parallel with the procession of the rite.it is asserted that,according to the purpose of offering,the offering-food-to-monk rites could be categorized into the following types:the highly praising for Buddha's merit(Tanfode),the glorifying of royal government (Qinghuangyou),the celebrating & praising merit(Qingzan-gongde),the releasing dead from suffering(Jianwang),the praying for realizing personal will and for avoiding suffering(Qirang),the receiving commandments(Shoujie) and the integrated.On the other hand,according to the ritual procession,the offering-food-to-monk rites might be put into four types:the offering food to monks (Shezhaigongseng),the interpreting text & preaching text(Jiangjingshuofa),the receiving commandments(Shoujie),and the integrated.Accessible data illustrate that, from the individual visual perspective,people had recorded the same offering-food-to-monk rite in their own way and their records of the ritual procession might be difference to each other.Fifthly,as the representative one of Chinese offering-food-to-monk rite, Panca-varSika-maha is the very rite,offering food to monks and giving alms.From the period of Tang Dynasty,the Panca-varSika-maha was also called the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land.In terms of its development in China, historically,the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land arose during the reign of Emperor Wu(464A.D.-549A.D.) of Liang Dynasty(502A.D.-557A.D.). And,by the later period of Tang Dynasty and in the Five Dynasties,several ritual text, the Text of Setting Altar Up and Processing the Rite(Tanfayize) included,occurred. Then,in the Song Dynasty(960A.D.-1279A.D.),the shuilu ritual text was gradually framed with the efforts of Mr.Yang E,Ven.Zong-ze,Mr.Su Shi,Ven.Zu-jue,Ven. Zhi-pan and etc.In terms of the text content,there had been a general trend in the development of the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land,viz.the change from the offering food to monks to the offering-food-to-monk rite for hungry ghost (Shi-egui).In terms of the practical program,the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land was not performed in any fixed procession,but it did have it own established equipment and function.For instance,the stone carvings in the Mountain Shizhuan of Dazu County,Chongqing Municipality are about the pictures of the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land.And,in fact,in order to co-operate the performance of the ceremony,they were carved.New data progressed the research of The Shuilu Ritual Text by Mr.Yang E and the shuilu ritual texts by others and,greatly, advanced the understanding of the rite for deliverance of creatures of water and land.Sixthly,in shaping the new structure of Chinese Buddhist offering-food-to-monk rite,which occurred after Song Dynasty,the offering-food-to-monk rite of the Yuxiu type played fundamental role.By emphasizing the merits of the offering-food-to-monk rite of the Yuxiu and publicizing the idea of the be-born and the offerings for crediting the convertible merits in particular,the Sutra of Yama-raja's Revelation Preached by Buddha and the Be-born Sutra,which arose in the later period of Tang Dynasty,closely tied the Buddhist laymen to Buddhist monks.It occupied the left space when the focus of the offering-food-to-monk rite shifted from giving monks food to the almsgiving for the hungry ghost.Meanwhile,to some extent, and promoted the development of the offering-food-to-monk rite.Moreover,it built the solid foundation for the penetration of Buddhism into Chinese folk and the closely fitting of Buddhism into all classes of Chinese society in the post-medieval time.