论方外传记中的类传

On Class Biography of Recluse Biography

方外传记中的类传,是专门记载性质相同、行为相近的僧侣、道士或世俗教徒事迹的一种传记形式,它产生于魏晋时期,以后代代相承,颇有发展。其中《高僧传》是中国佛教史上第一部系统的僧人类传,《大唐西域求法高僧传》则记载了中国僧人和朝鲜、越南僧人以及中亚细亚僧人总计56人西行求法的事迹,是一部具有国际意义的僧人类传。明清以来,民间佛教与居士佛教开始发展起来,因此,描写世俗教徒的类传也得到发展,清代彭际清所编的《居士传》,可谓居士类传的集成之作。僧人类传在形式上受到史传中的类传的影响,但是在记载内容、思想观念和叙事风格上都有明显的差异。

Class biography of recluse biography is a kind of biography typically recording the deeds of monks, priests, or secular followers which are in the same nature and with similar behavior; it originates in Wei and Jin dynasties, and it is developing from generation to generation. Eminent Monk Biography is the first systematic monk biography in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Tales of the Hierarchs Searching Buddhist Scripture in Western Regions of Tang Dynasty has recorded the westbound joumey of 56 monks, who are from China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Central Asia, which is of international importance. Ever since Ming and Qing dynasties, folk Buddhism and kulapati Buddhism have come in vogue, therefore, class biography describing the secular followers gets developing. Kulapati Biography by Peng Jiqing in Qing dynasty is a masterwork. Although the form of monks＇ class biography is affected by the class biography of historical biography, there are significant differences in their contents, ideas, and narrative styles.