2019

Yi Ding

  • Assistant Professor
  • DePaul University
Picture of Yi Ding

Program

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies , The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Translation Grants in Buddhist Studies

Project

An Annotated Translation of Twenty-Five “Northern Chan” Texts: Pseudo-Dialogues, Epitaphs, and Miscellaneous Writings

Department

Religious Studies

Abstract

This project aims to translate and annotate 25 “Northern Chan” texts, an underrepresented body of Buddhist literature historically sidelined in the development of Chan Buddhism. These texts, many of which were rediscovered in Dunhuang, provide crucial insights into the earliest stage of the Chan/Zen movement. This project will translate texts across diverse genres, including pseudo-dialogues, epitaphs, hymns, treatises, and liturgies. In addition to the English translation, this project will also include a prolegomenon, extensive annotations, and individual text introductions. These additions will offer comprehensive historical context, terminological clarification, and doctrinal analysis, aiming to make these complex texts accessible to scholars and practitioners.