Some Questions Connected with Dunhuang Bianwen
Some Questions Connected with Dunhuang Bianwen

Author(s): Věnceslava Hrdličková
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Sociology of the arts, business, education
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: Chinese Buddhist literature; Dunhuang texts; bianwen; narrative; prosimetrical form;
Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the challenges in defining Dunhuang bianwen as a literary genre. First, it reviews the history of the existing bianwen collections, highlighting their contributions to the field. The disputable content of these collections opens a discussion about which Dunhuang texts are supposed to be designated bianwen. Unfortunately, only a limited number of rolls have maintained the original designation. Considering this, the paper identifies content as an additional classification criterion. Moreover, it points out the significance of the prosimetrical form. Consequently, it emphasizes that some other literary forms must be considered while investigating bianwen. In light of this, the article provides a list of texts that can be categorized as either bianwen or other Dunhuang texts that are closely related to them. The second part of the article introduces the plurality of approaches used by different scholars while defining the literary genre of bianwen and provides a new insight into the issue.

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