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Zhi Bai
- Qin Shi Bu #111		 知白 1
琴史補 #111 2

Zhi Bai (Realize Clarity), famous as a qin player, was the style name of a monk called Zunshi. The son of a Mr. Ye from Tiantai, he spent most of his life living in Tianzhu Temple near Hangzhou. He also had the nickname Ciyunchanzhu. He died during the period 1023－1032. While in Shaoxing he was granted the name Chanzhu Chanhui Da Fashi. He wrote a collection called Tianzhu Lingyun Ji (see footnote).

His qin teacher was Yi Zhong.3 There is further information about Zhi Bai is in Xu Jian, Qinshi Chubian Chapter 6a1 (p.85).

Ouyang Xiu praised Zhi Bai in his poem Seeing off the Qin-Playing Monk Zhi Bai, as follows,

吾聞夷中琴已久，常恐老死無其傳。
夷中未識不得見，豈謂今逢知白彈。
遺音髣佛尚可愛，何況之子傳其全。
孤禽曉警秋野露，空澗夜落春岩泉。
二年遷謫寓三峽，江流無底山侵天。
登臨探賞久不厭，每欲圖畫存於前。
豈知山高水深意，久以寫此朱絲弦。
酒酣耳熱神氣王，聽之為子心肅然。
嵩陽山高雪三尺，有客擁鼻吟苦寒。
負琴北走乞其贈，持我此句為之先。

In Qinshu Daquan Folio 20A, #43 (QQJC V/448) this is followed by a poem of the same title Mei Yaochen ([5+5] x 6). It begins:

上人南方來，手把伏羲器。
頃然造我門.... Another poem about him by Ouyang Xiu, Listening to the Monk Zhi Bai Play Pingrong Cao, is in Qinshu Daquan Folio 19B, #89 (V/433), as follows:

西戎負固稽天誅，勇夫戰死智士謨。
上人知白何為者，年少力壯逃浮屠。
自言平戎有古操，抱琴欲進為我娛。
我材不足置廊廟，力弱又不堪戈殳。
遭時有事獨無用，偷安飽食與汝俱。
爾知平戎競何事，自古無不由吾儒。
周宣六月伐獫狁，漢武五道徵匈奴。
方叔召虎乃真將，衛青去病誠區區。
建功立業當盛日，後世稱詠於詩書。
平生又欲慕賈誼，長纓直請系單于。
當衢理檢四面啓，有策不獻空踟躕。
慚君為我奏此曲，聽之空使壯士吁。
推琴置酒恍若失，誰謂子琴能起予。

The entry in Qin Shi Bu begins:

Zhi Bai was a qin monk. Ouyang Xiu praised him in a poem that said "吾聞夷中琴已久...." (the rest of this entry consists entirely of this poem - see above.)

Sources given: 夢溪筆談 Mengxi Bitan by 沈括 Shen Gua [1030 - 1093, see Giles] and 西清詩話 Xiqing Shihua [nfi 35587.441xxx].)

3

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 知白 Zhi Bai
24483.48: 宋，遵式之字 style name of Zun Shi; 39985.9/2 遵式：宋高僧，天台葉氏之子。字知白。居下天竺寺。號慈雲懺主。天聖中，歿。紹興中，賜號懺主禪慧大法師。著有天竺靈苑集。見新續高僧傳。
(Return)

2. 8 lines, almost all of it is the poem above (Return)

3. 夷中 Yi Zhong
5977.xxx
See Xu Jian, Chapter 6a1.
(Return)

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