Zhou Zhenfu Translation Notes of the Collected Works -- Annotations to "The Record of Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang"

Author: Zhou Zhenfu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: There are over a thousand temples inside and outside the old capital of Beijing, but today they are desolate, and the bell sounds are no longer heard. It is feared that they will not be passed down to later generations, so this record was written. However, the number of temples in Luoyang is too great to be written about in detail. What is recorded here are only the major temples, while the smaller ones are chosen for their uniqueness or auspiciousness, as well as for secular or Buddhist matters, and thus are noted. Starting from the city center, it proceeds in order to the city outskirts. A table is used to list the names of the gates and to record the distances. There are five parts in total. I lack the talent for writing, and there are many omissions. Only wait for later generations of talented and virtuous people to fill in the gaps. When the Northern Wei Dynasty received the map of the heavens, it settled in the area between Mount Song and the Luo River, and the belief in the divine became even deeper, with the Buddhist teachings flourishing even more. The nobles and high officials abandoned elephants and horses as if shedding their shoes; the common people and wealthy families gave up their wealth as if leaving traces behind. Thus, the temples were densely packed like teeth, and the pagodas were arranged in pairs. They vied to depict the posture of the Buddha descending from the heavens and to imitate the image of the Buddha in the mountains.
—Yang Xuanzhi, Preface to Record of the Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang
When the Northern Wei Dynasty accepted the map of the heavens, it settled in the area between Mount Song and the Luo River, and the belief in the divine became even deeper, with the Buddhist teachings flourishing even more. The nobles and high officials abandoned elephants and horses as if shedding their shoes; the common people and wealthy families gave up their wealth as if leaving traces behind. Thus, the temples were densely packed like teeth, and the pagodas were arranged in pairs. They vied to depict the posture of the Buddha descending from the heavens and to imitate the image of the Buddha in the mountains.
—Zhou Zhenfu’s translation of Record of the Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang
Together with The New Talk of the World (Shishuo Xinyu), Annotations to the Waterways of the Nations (Shuijing Zhu), and The Family Precepts of Yan Xing (Yan Shi Jiaxun), Record of the Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang is one of the four great literary masterpieces of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It provides a detailed account of the rise and fall of Buddhist temples in Luoyang over more than four decades, covering the origins, scales, structures, and even strange tales of the major temples in the city. At the same time, it touches upon various aspects of the Northern Wei Dynasty’s politics, economy, culture, folklore, customs, and historical legends, making it highly valuable both literarily and historically. Based on the annotated edition by the renowned scholar Zhou Zumo, Mr. Zhou Zhenfu has translated the entire text of Record of the Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang into modern Chinese, accompanied by detailed annotations. This provides an invaluable reference foring and studying this monumental work.