Leiden University Student Repository

Novara, Stefano (2025)

Yaoqin Sanzang Xitian Qu Qing Jielun 姚秦三藏西天取清解論: A Study of a Sixteenth-Century Non-Action Teaching Baojuan

Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)

This project examines and translates the Late Ming dynasty (1573-1620) baojuan 寶卷 Yaoqin Sanzang Xitian qu qing jielun 姚秦三藏西天取清解論 (Treatises on the Clear Explanation [retrieved] from the Western Heaven by Tripitaka of the Yao Qin Dynasty, Kumārajīva). Despite its significance within the Non-Action Teaching (Wuwei jiao 無為教), Yaoqin has been largely overlooked in scholarly work. This study explores how the themes of Non-Action Teaching are presented in Yaoqin, investigates the implications of Kumārajīva’s (344-413; Yaoqin Sanzang 姚 秦三藏) presence in the title, and analyses the creation myth that opens the work. Close reading is employed as the primary methodological approach to situate the text in its historical and religious context. The research reveals that Yaoqin reflects the syncretic religious environment of the Late Ming period, which favoured the development and spread of Non-Action Teachings while sharing its core religious insights. Furthermore, the text demonstrates thematic...Show moreThis project examines and translates the Late Ming dynasty (1573-1620) baojuan 寶卷 Yaoqin Sanzang Xitian qu qing jielun 姚秦三藏西天取清解論 (Treatises on the Clear Explanation [retrieved] from the Western Heaven by Tripitaka of the Yao Qin Dynasty, Kumārajīva). Despite its significance within the Non-Action Teaching (Wuwei jiao 無為教), Yaoqin has been largely overlooked in scholarly work. This study explores how the themes of Non-Action Teaching are presented in Yaoqin, investigates the implications of Kumārajīva’s (344-413; Yaoqin Sanzang 姚 秦三藏) presence in the title, and analyses the creation myth that opens the work. Close reading is employed as the primary methodological approach to situate the text in its historical and religious context. The research reveals that Yaoqin reflects the syncretic religious environment of the Late Ming period, which favoured the development and spread of Non-Action Teachings while sharing its core religious insights. Furthermore, the text demonstrates thematic connections with the Diamond Sūtra and the Graded Ritual, offering a possible rationale for Kumārajīva’s name appearing in the title. Lastly, the creation myth stands out for originality, synthesising elements from Buddhism, Daoism, and other Chinese popular beliefs. This study not only sheds light on an understudied baojuan but also contributes to a broader understanding of the religious syncretism of the Late Ming period.Show less

Yaoqin Sanzang Xitian qu qing jielun 姚秦三藏西天取清解論

Luo Qing

Non- Action Teachings

無為教

baojuan

Late Ming Syncretism.

Author

Novara, Stefano

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

China

Supervisors

Silk, J.A.

ECTS Credits

30

Language

en