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JINGSHI 573

W Akizuki Kan'ei 1978, 16-17 and 141 - 55; BoltzJ. M. 1987a, 75-77, 197-99, and
285; Chen Yuan 1988,967-68; Qing Xitai 1994,2: II9-21
* Jingming dao

jingshi

"quiet chamber"; meditation chamber; oratory

Literally " quiet chamber," the term jingshi, or jingshe m* , is often rendered
in English as "oratory." Variant terms conveying a sense of purification and
concentration as well as serenity include jingshi(she) ltfi 'fe: (1!?t), jingshi(she) ?J
'fe: (*), jingshi(she) :ffl 'fe: (*), qingshi(she) m'fe: (*), and jing(jing, jing)lu l1J'
(~, ltfi)JJJ..
Setting aside a private retreat for study and reflection has long been the
custom of Chinese literati and Taoist and Buddhist devotees alike. Historical
biographies often speak of jingshe :ffl * or jinglu :ffl it as the secluded residence
where late Han scholars met with students seeking instruction. A tradition
of establishingjingshe :ffl * for Buddhist clergy within the imperial grounds
is traced to the reign of Xiaowu di (r. 372-96) of the EasternJin. Structures of
these types are regarded as the precursors of academies and abbeys, respec-
tively. Advocates of various schools of Taoist teachings generally embrace
both exoteric and esoteric definitions of jingshi.
Early accounts of the Celestial Master patriarchy (*Tianshi dao) suggest
that oratories were adjuncts to the parishes (*zhi) that were set up in the Shu
:;] (Sichuan) area. Parishioners suffering afflictions were reportedly seques-
tered in oratories to gain relief through penance and talismanic applications.
The so-called Huangshu Jt. (Yellow Writ) legacy of texts also speaks of the
oratory as the site where male and female devotees engaged in contempla-
tive ritual couplings under the guidance of a Celestial Master (see *Shangqing
huangshu guodu yi).
Writings concerning Celestial Master practice ascribed to *Lu Xiujing
(406-77) include directions for setting up an oratory. According to the specifica-
tions given in the *Daomen keliie (Abridged Codes for the Taoist Community),
the jingshi ~'fe: should be completely separate from any other structure.
Cleanliness and simplicity were regarded as absolutely essential to creating a
site in which deities would be at home. It was no place for icons and pennants,
or any other decorative furnishings popular in many households. Only four
items were allowed within the oratory: incense burner, incense lantern, peti-