<Articles>The Significance of the Anonymous Cibei daochang chan fa in Ten Fascicles

This is a preliminary research into an anonymous work entitled Cibei daochang chan fa 慈悲道場懺法 “Confession Rituals Performed in the Enlightenment Hall for the Attainment of the Buddha's Compassion” in ten fascicles (Taisho no. 1909), with a special focus on terms and diction observed therein. The text is formed by two components : a large number of core parts composed at the turn of the sixth century ; and a small number of revisions. The cardinal parts are firmly connected with the religious activities of the Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty 梁武帝 (r. 502-549). Special terms in the Cibei daochang chan fa are much in common with its contemporary seven texts listed in § 2 of this article. The eight texts altogether, including the Cibei daochang chan fa, lexically reveal two features : firstly, the words shared by the eight texts are typical to the early sixth century in South China ; and secondly, some remarkable words have their origin in the Prince Xiao Ziliang's 蕭子良 (460-494) lost work entitled Jingzhu zi 淨住子 “Heritors of Pure Observance” in twenty fascicles. The original words of the Jinzhu zi in twenty fascicles are confirmed by the abridged one-fascicle version, Tonglü Jingzhu zi jingxing famen 統略淨住子淨行法門 “Entrance Gate to Pure Practice for the Heritors of Pure Observance, ” compiled by Daoxuan 道宣 (596-667) in the early Tang 唐 period