Page 617 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

JINGZUO 575

A manual by the Taoist Master Liu Yuandao ru 5(; J1I (fl. IlO0-1I25) is among
the earliest texts on *Lingbao ritual to contain floor plans for an oratory (fig.
50). Depicted inside are two items, a scripture stand located near the east wall
and a mat facing it. Incorporated in the diagram are guidelines for pursuing
devotions centering on recitation of the *Durenjing (Scripture on Salvation).
The accompanying text supplies a step by step account of the private ritual,
beginning with the devotee's entrance from the south. Homage to the scripture
invites the vision of embarking on a journey to and from the celestial realm
while seated within the oratory.
Diverse teachings on contemplative practice apply the word jingshi or
cognate terms to the *dantian (Cinnabar Fields) within the body. Depending
upon the context, the compound rujing A~ (lit., "entering quiet"), moreover,
may mean to enter either an oratory or a state of tranquillity. SpeCialists in
contemporary liturgy also speak of the jingshi as the internal retreat to which
a Taoist Master takes refuge during ritual performances. The jingshi, both in
its concrete and metaphoric usage, is thus viewed as a complement to the tan
jfl , or sacred space where liturgy is staged.

Judith M. BOLTZ
m Ishii Masako 1987; Schipper 1993, 91-99; Stein R. A. 1963, 70-72; Strickmann
1981, 149-52 and 171-72; Yoshikawa Tadao 1987
* huandu

jingzuo

"quiet sitting"

Jingzuo is a technical term in Confucianism used to indicate a form of medita-
tion that consists of quiet reflection while in a formal kneeling posture or, more
recently, while sitting cross-legged or on a chair. The same term also com-
monly appears inJapanese, where it is pronounced seiza and means "to kneel
formally." Here the posture is ubiquitous-as it was in ancient and medieval
China-in all sorts of formal occasions. More technically, seiza also indicates a
form of Shint6 meditation in which, probably under Taoist influence, attention
is focused on the lower Cinnabar Field (*dantian) in the abdomen.
In Taoism, the term jingzuo is secondary to other expressions denoting dif-
ferent forms of meditation, and was probably taken over from Confucianism
(Chan Wing-tsit 1989, 255-70; Gernet 1981). In fact, it only appears prominently