From the Imagination to the Reality: Historical Aspects of Rewriting Six Dynasties Buddhist Avadāna Stories

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is a thorough and extensive paper. It is well written and has a lot of sources. I don't have any significant suggestions or criticisms. Just a few points:

"sugar (shimi 石蜜, phāṇita)" = I don't think this is sugar strictly. The Shiliao bencao 食療本草 by Meng Shen 孟詵 (621–713) reads: "此皆是煎甘蔗汁及牛乳汁, 煎則細臼耳." This is actually a kind of "toffee" mixed with sugar and milk.

Make sure all instances of pinyin are italicized.

Use 繁體字 in all instances, like 鹅笼书生. Do not mix 簡體字 and 繁體字 in same paper. Also 汉武帝. Use 漢武帝. Check all 漢字.

"middle Asia," = Central Asia or Inner Asia.

raksasas = rākṣasas (check all diacritical marks on Sanskrit terms)

Author Response

For the first question, in part two, 2.1 I wrote a lengthy note on the term shimi 石蜜with Meng Shen’s reference to emphasize the significance of the term.

For the second to the fifth question, I corrected the minor formatting errors, including all the pinyin, traditional Chinese characters, and Sanskrit. I changed the wording of some sentences to make them easier to read.

At the same time, for the Introduction, I add around more words to outline the development of Avadāna literature and its translation in China, and to identify the six most important Avadāna sutras as the context for this article’s discussion. I briefly summarize the study done on this topic at the end of the Introduction to emphasize the significance of my work.

I explained the concept of yuyan in Zhuangzi’s term and shortly introduce the fables in pre-Qin time. I expanded on the issue of the motivation behind foolish behaviors in Buddhist perspectives in general in 2.2.1 (the second story). 2.2.2 . I compared certain sentence from the fiction with Buddhist sutra to demonstrate how the idea of space in Buddhism was adapted in Chinese story. And I add detailed examination of the different images of parrot in Buddhist sutra and come to conclude that Liu Yiqing might get his story from  Avadāna related to bodhisattva instead of the Buddha. Then I further this conclusion in explaining the image of parrot in Liu Yiqing’s time. I added two paragraphs to elaborate the final conclusion.

In order to make the logic of the arguments more obvious, I have included three-level headers. I updated the references.

Reviewer 2 Report

The article is well-researched and provides a comprehensive analysis of the integration of Buddhist Avadāna literature into Early Medieval Chinese fiction during the Six Dynasties period. The author examines the historical context, adaptation of Buddhist motifs and plots, the role of Buddhism in Chinese fiction, and the literary techniques and aesthetic interests of the period. The article begins by discussing the Six Dynasties period, a turbulent time in Chinese history marked by political instability, warfare, and social upheaval.

The author proceeds to analyze how Buddhist Avadāna literature, which consists of didactic tales and fables, played a crucial role in shaping Chinese fiction during the Six Dynasties period. They emphasize the importance of examining these texts as a parallel cultural resource to understand the development of Chinese literature. The article highlights that the Buddhist tales were adapted and transformed by Chinese writers, who added historical and cultural details and employed various writing techniques to make the stories more appealing to the local audience.

One of the primary themes discussed is the role of Buddhism in Chinese fiction during the Six Dynasties period. The author identifies several stories that illustrate the influence of Buddhism on the narratives, including the tale of Yugong Yishan and the story of the parrot putting out the fire. In these stories, Buddhist motifs, such as the Buddha or the belief in Buddhism, are portrayed as agents of salvation and protection for people facing adversity.

The article also explores the changes made by Chinese writers to the original Buddhist stories, such as Liu Yiqing's adaptation of the tale "Chanting of the Buddha to Combat the Ghosts." By comparing the original and adapted versions of the story, the author demonstrates how Chinese writers shifted the emphasis from self-sacrifice to belief in Buddhism, reflecting the societal and cultural concerns of the time. These changes also reveal the increasing role of Buddhism as a source of protection and guidance for people living in a chaotic and dangerous era.

Furthermore, the author discusses the use of literary techniques and aesthetic interests in Early Medieval Chinese fiction. They note that the Chinese writers of the period did not limit themselves to the religious significance of metaphorical tales but instead incorporated historical details and cultural metaphors into their narratives. As a result, the Buddhist fables were transformed into realistic texts with a sense of historical authenticity, contributing to the development of Chinese fiction.

Here are some areas where improvements could be made to strengthen the overall quality of the paper.

Firstly, it would be helpful to provide a more comprehensive introduction to the topic, which should include a clear statement of the research question and objectives. This would allow readers to understand the purpose and scope of the article more effectively.

Secondly, the organization and structure of the article could be improved to enhance the clarity and coherence of the arguments presented. It is recommended that the author consider arranging the content in a more logical and systematic manner, with appropriate headings and subheadings to guide the reader through the discussion.

In addition, some sections of the article contain dense and complex language that may be challenging for readers to follow. It is suggested that the author revise these sections to improve readability, using simpler language and shorter sentences where possible. This would make the article more accessible to a wider audience.

Moreover, the author should provide more detailed analyses of the primary texts and examples cited in the article. This would strengthen the argument by demonstrating a deeper engagement with the source material and allowing readers to better understand the significance of the adaptations and transformations discussed.

Finally, it is recommended that the author include a more comprehensive conclusion that summarizes the main findings of the article and highlights their implications for the study of Early Medieval Chinese fiction and Buddhist Avadāna literature. This would allow readers to appreciate the overall contribution of the research and its relevance to the broader field of Chinese literary studies.

Author Response

Thank you so much for the feedback and here is the revised version.

For the first question, I add around more words to outline the development of Avadāna literature and its translation in China, and to identify the six most important Avadāna sutras as the context for this article’s discussion. I briefly summarize the study done on this topic at the end of the Introduction to emphasize the significance of my work.

For the second question, In order to make the logic of the arguments more obvious, I have included three-level headers. I updated the references.

For the third question, I breakdown some sentences to make it more readable. I changed the wording of some sentences to make them easier to read.

For the fourth question, I explained the concept of yuyan in Zhuangzi’s term and shortly introduce the fables in pre-Qin time. I expanded on the issue of the motivation behind foolish behaviors in Buddhist perspectives in general in 2.2.1 (the second story). 2.2.2  I compared certain sentence from the fiction with Buddhist sutra to demonstrate how the idea of space in Buddhism was adapted in Chinese story. And I add detailed examination of the different images of parrot in Buddhist sutra and come to conclude that Liu Yiqing might get his story from Avadāna related to bodhisattva instead of the Buddha. Then I further this conclusion in explaining the image of parrot in Liu Yiqing’s time.

For the last question, I added two paragraphs to elaborate on the final conclusion.