A Study Of Narrative Structure In The "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin(法苑珠林)"

The book "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin ( 法 苑 珠 林 ) " collects up to over 400 copiesBuddhism-related works, including not only sutras of Buddhism, but ancient codes andrecords outside Buddhism and vulgar books as well. It generalizes Buddhism stories,historical data, thoughts, terms, and etc. in different sorts. And sets up "Gan-Ying-Yuan(感应缘)"in each end of the sections. In such "Gan-Ying-Yuan(感应缘)", various kinds of storiesand legends are enumerated. These are significant information for us to understand folkcustom, natural conditions and social customs of China, and at the same time these offer a lotof materials for Chinese narration literature. Since ancient times, this book, one of China'smost famous and most popular Buddhism encyclopedias, has offered all index materials togeneral Buddhists for checking. The forming and development of Chinese "sort book", has really played a remarkablerole to the coming-on-stage of Buddhism "sort book". In order to finding a convenient way incomposing and consulting, Buddhists imitated the compiling form of common sort book, thenformed the Buddhism sort book. "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin(法苑珠林)"is such a work influencedby the sorted way of Chinese sort book, basing on Indian Buddhism, and organically mergingSino-India culture characteristics together. "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin(法苑珠林)" absorbsclassification types of both "Jing-Lǜ-Yi-Xiang(经律异相)"and "Zhu-Jing-Yao-Ji(诸经要集)", follows the typical establishment of Chinese sort book, as "heaven, earth, human,matter, creature", and expands the system that Buddhism sutra itself at the same time . Buddhism is a result of the ancient Indian civilization. Its theories, such as cosmism,philosophy, and etc., must be different to some extent with Chinese traditional conception. Inthis case, when explaining opinions of Buddhism, if both sutras of Buddhism and ancientcodes and records outside Buddhism should be cited, conflicts unavoidably occur between thetwo. For this reason, "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin(法苑珠林)" not only widely cites sutras ofBuddhism, but extensively collect ancient codes and records outside Buddhism as well. Insuch way, it successfully proves that Buddha's edification is totally true. Among such ancientcodes and records outside Buddhism, on one hand, the opinions of Chinese ancient oracles areused to sustain the points of Buddhism; on the other hand, Chinese stories about weird,uncanny or supernatural things, considered as historical facts here, are plentifully collected.By the way of citing abundant Chinese traditional stories, the author eventually has madescholars and common people at that time believe the content of Buddhism, thus weaken thelack of mutual understanding between Indian culture and Chinese traditional culture. IIIn the complete 100 pieces of "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin(法苑珠林)", 73 pieces have"Gan-Ying-Yuan(感应缘)"in the end. This large amount of citation is for validation. Amongthe total 680 stories of "Gan-Ying-Yuan(感应缘)", the three pieces "Jing-Fo(敬佛)","Jing-Fa(敬法)", and "Jing-Ta(敬塔)"take quite a lot proportion. This indicate that thewriter, Dao-Shi(道世), who set up "Gan-Ying-Yuan (感应缘)"and widely cited stories aboutweird, uncanny or supernatural things, is aiming at emphasize: "respecting Buddhism"and"protecting temple towers". A great parts of "Fa-Yuan-Zhu-Lin(法苑珠林)"originate from Indian folktale. India ispraised as the treasure-house of the folktale of the world. Not only its quantity is numerous,but also its category is various. The Buddhism thoughts, such as "samsara", "karma", and etc.,are looks vulgar and immature, but actually vivid and image. By such perceptual form, thesethoughts have spread among the people, and are brought into folk literature and art. Thenpopulace's Buddhism faith and Buddhism conceptions are becoming easier and easier to beintegrated with novels. And a lot of Buddhism stories and li...