Zen in Medieval Vietnam : A Study and Translation of the ‹i›Thiền Uyển Tập Anh

I am indebted to the following scholars and friends who provided assistance throughout the various stages in completing this book. First and foremost, Professor Robert Gimello, formerly of the University of California at Santa Barbara, now of the University of Arizona, who, many years ago when I first came to this country as a lost refugee, went out of his way to help me continue to do what I have always loved to do, to study Buddhism. It was Rob who also encouraged me to submit my manuscript to the Kuroda Institute. At Harvard, Professors Masatoshi Nagatomi and Tu Wei-ming, although they knew that my passion was for Indian Buddhism, always reminded me to "do something" about Vietnamese Buddhism. I hope this "something" will please them. Dr. Young-chan Ro of George Mason University for the last two decades has never failed to be my kalyanamitra. Young-chan has always been concerned not only for my scholarly career but also for my personal well-being. It must have been the good karma accumulated in my previous existences that in this lifetime I have been able to enjoy a profound, longstanding friendship with Dr. J. Christopher Cleary. A skillful translator of Buddhist texts with a profound knowledge of Chinese Zen literature and a genuine respect for the Buddhist tradition, Chris has helped me tremendously in writing this book. Without his assistance and support, it would have been much more difficult for me to complete this book. Finally, this book is dedicated to Mai, to whom Buddhism is not at all relevant, yet from whom I have learned so much about tolerance, patience, and compassion. IX PART I A Study of the Thien Uyen Tap Anh \* Thiên Trù is a technical term in geomancy. Thiên Trù is also another name of Mount Tiên Du (see LMT, p. 266, n. 18). Cao The and Viën The'are probably names of places still unknown to us today. Thtfdng Tuông was the first star in the Van XUdng constellation, according to ancient Chinese astrology. t Phù Câm is the name of a village. Both Minh Tri and Nguyen Hoc are said to be natives of Phù Cam Village (26b3 and 35b6). Bach Ho is either a name of a place or a geomancy term. As we know, Luc Tô was the name of the temple where Van Hanh lived and where Ly Công Uan got his education before he ascended the throne. See Dai Nam Nhdt Thong Chi, 28:72; Toàn ThU, "Ban Ky," 2:207. i This verse is to determine the site of Great Lord Hiën Khânh's grave. Yet we still are in the dark concerning the location of Vù Long, Hac Lâm, and Trân Hâi. § Thâp khâu thûy thô khû (ten vessels sink down to the water). This refers to the event about Dinh Không's changing the name of his native village to Cô Phâp. \*\* It is recorded in the Viêt Sù LUtic, 2:2bl0, that in the second year of the Thuân Thiên era (1010) Cô Phâp was changed to Thiên Dûc Prefecture. The ViêtSù TiêuÂn, p. 107, also gives us the same information.