A Fourth-Century Daoist Family: The Zhen'gao or Declarations of the Perfected, Volume 1 by Stephen R. Bokenkamp

Abstract

Reviewed by: A Fourth-Century Daoist Family: The Zhen'gao or Declarations of the Perfected, Volume 1 by Stephen R. Bokenkamp Michel Mohr (bio) Stephen R. Bokenkamp. A Fourth-Century Daoist Family: The Zhen'gao or Declarations of the Perfected, Volume 1. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2021. 216 pp. Hardcover $85.00, isbn 978-0520976030. This new publication by Stephen Bokenkamp renders accessible in plain English the first part of one of the Daoist Canon's most cryptic sources, the Declarations of the Perfected (Zhēn'gào 真誥). Consisting of a huge succession of purported "revelations," the modern edition of this text included in the Zhōnghuá Dàozàng 中華道藏 volume 2 stretches over no less than twenty fascicles (pp. 112-244). Compiled by Táo Hóngjǐng 陶弘景 (456-536), this collection presents utterances attributed to deities channeled by the medium Yáng Xī 楊羲 (330-ca. 386). It provides a rare insight into these early interactions with the deities, often explaining the context in which they were channeled, and the individuals involved. In short, these scriptures built the foundations of what became the Upper Clarity (Shàngqîng 上清) order of Daoism. In addition, editorial choices made by Tao Hongjing in selecting these sources are rigorously documented, showing how he attempted to verify the authenticity of the handwritten fragments he had access to and the historicity of their protagonists, thereby providing a wealth of historical information, which Bokenkamp carefully analyzes while abstaining from taking everything at face value. Before delving into this much anticipated translation and the trove of data it provides, a short disclaimer appears appropriate. Although my area of expertise does not formally extend to Daoism, I spent the last several years dealing with a Buddhist text compiled at the beginning of the fifth century that emerged in a context similar to that of the Declarations of the Perfected. Thus, [End Page 110] my curiosity for this translation was partially prompted by the desire to expand my knowledge about religious practices, thought, and vocabulary prevailing during the Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420 c.e.). Furthermore, Christine Mollier's excellent monograph Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China reinforced my awareness of a deep intertwinement between the traditions labeled "Buddhism" and "Daoism" (Mollier 2008). Although Mollier's study mostly relies on later works, especially Dunhuang manuscripts, the question of how far back such symbiosis can be traced spurred further interest. The least I can say is that Bokenkamp's book exceeded these two expectations. Let me explain why. First, in relation to the overlap between Buddhist and Daoist narratives focused on the fourth century c.e., although the medium Yang Xi often refers to relatives of the Xǔ 許 family—who were his patrons—it occasionally mentions contemporary political figures such as Xiè Ān 謝安 (320-385). On the Buddhist side, Xie An is usually depicted as a lay supporter of the clergy, who contributed to the early monastic community by donating several former residences to be used as temples. At least this constitutes the lore surrounding the Tianning Chan Temple Bestowed on Imperial Order (Chìcì Tiānníng Chánsì 勅賜天寧禅寺) in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. The postface to the first translation of the Flower Ornament Scripture (Huāyánjīng 華嚴經, Sk. Avataṃsaka Sūtra) completed in 420 also mentions that it was completed, "at Dàochǎngsì, [a temple] built on [the former residence of] Yangzhou's Minister of Work Xiè Shí 謝石" 道場寺於揚州司空謝石所立道場寺.1 This dispels misunderstandings about the location, because the temple called Daochangsi was in Jiankang, South of the Huai River, as shown on the map titled Distribution of Jiankang's temples in the Sun Wu and Eastern Jin dynasties.2 During the Six Dynasties, present-day Yangzhou was called Guǎnglíng 廣陵, and "Yangzhou" referred to Jiankang. I have argued elsewhere3 that one of the chief factors for either this misinterpretation or this conscious distortion of geography likely derives from the Yángzhōu huàfǎng lù 揚州畫舫錄/扬州画舫录 (The Pleasure Boats of Yangzhou), a sort of inventory of the city's wonders composed in 1795 by Lǐ Dǒu 李斗 (d.u.). During the reign of Emperor Qianlong...