A Discursive Construction of Trúc Lâm Buddhist History: The Case of the Engraved and Printed Text of Thánh Đăng Lục

Abstract

 Thánh đăng lục (聖燈錄) is a distinctive textual work in the history of Vietnamese Buddhism, compiled in the form of a lục (錄, “record”) combined with a tổ phả (祖譜, “genealogical register of patriarchs”), with the aim of establishing a particular order of transmission within the Trúc Lâm Buddhist tradition. By documenting the biographies, dharma discourses, and Chan dialogues of the first five kings of the Trần dynasty, this work articulates a discursive strategy to affirm both the orthodoxy and the indigenous character of the Vietnamese Zen lineage. Moreover, the repeated woodblock printings of the text, along with the alterations in its title and structure over time, serve as evidence of the ongoing discursive construction of the history of this Buddhist school. On this basis, the present article undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the textual structure and genre, the history of transmission, and the discursive strategies embedded in the titles of Thánh đăng lục, with the aim of clarifying the role of this text in shaping sectarian identity and affirming the place of Trúc Lâm Buddhism within the broader history of Vietnamese Buddhism.