- During the medieval period the Shaolin estate itself was sometimes re-
ferred to as Cypress Valley Fort (rather than Cypress Valley Estate). See for example
Li Shimin’s letter to the Shaolin monks (text 2 below). - The Jiu Tang shu (54.2234) refers to Huanyuan as a county (xian); Pei Cui,
like the Shaolin government document of 632 (text 4 below), refers to it as a prefec-
ture (zhou). Li Shimin’s general Wang Junkuo passed through Huanyuan (i.e.,
through the Cypress Valley Estate) as early as October 620. However, he did not sta-
tion troops there (compare Jiu Tang shu, 54.2234, and Zizhi tongjian, 188.5889).
This enabled Wang Shichong to recapture the strategic mountain estate, which he
consequently lost to the Shaolin monks, on May 23, 621. - See Wen Yucheng, Shaolin fanggu, pp. 357–360. On Fan Zhongxiu, see
Min’guo renwu da cidian, p. 1392. - The date of the monks’ victory is provided by the magistrate verdict of 632
(text 4 below). - Careful scholars such as Gu Yanwu (Jinshi wenzi ji, 2.30a), Niida Noboru
(p. 833), and Tonami Mamoru (p. 3) have concluded that the autograph is Li Shi-
min’s own. - The Buddhist eightfold path consists of right views, right intentions, right
speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right
concentration. - There is a typographical error in the inscription. Li Anyuan, who partici-
pated in several of Li Shimin’s campaigns, was ennobled as commandery duke of
Guangde (in today’s Anhui), not Deguang. He also served as commander-in-chief
at Luzhou (in today’s Shanxi) and Prefect of Huaizhou (in today’s Henan). See Xin
Tang shu, 88.3746–3747. - My translation is based on an original rubbing, which I obtained when I
visited the monastery in 2000. Compare also the transcriptions in Wang Chang’s
Jinshi cuibian, 41.1a–2a; Tonami, The Shaolin Monastery Stele on Mount Song, p. 11;
Shaolin si zhi (1748), “chenhan” (“imperial writings”), 1b–2.2b; and Quan Tang wen,
10.44.
Li Shimin’s letter, which shared the “Shaolin Monastery Stele” of 728 with six
other texts, had also been inscribed on another Shaolin stele. A recently discov-
ered Shaolin stele dating from ca. 689 carries the same letter, written in a different
calligraphic style. The imperial signature is identical. See Cui Geng, “Ta n g ‘ Q i n
wang gao Shaolin si jiao bei’ kao,” pp. 88–90, and Tonami, The Shaolin Monastery Stele
on Mount Song, pp. 12–14. - Li Shimin’s extant prose is included in Quan Tang wen, 4.13–10.51, and his
poetry in Quan Tang shi, 1.1–20. On his writing and calligraphy, see Zhao Keyao
and Xu Daoxun, Ta n g Ta i z o n g z hu a n , pp. 392–403. - See Zizhi tongjian, 189.5918.
- See Daoxuan, Xu Gaoseng zhuan, T, no. 2060, 50:633c. See also Demiéville,
“Le Bouddhisme et la guerre,” p. 361. - See text 4 below.
- The prohibition on monks receiving homage from their parents was re-
210 Notes to Pages 26 –30