Reading Annotations: An Alternative Approach to the Reception of Qu You’s New Tales for the Trimmed Lampwick in Tokugawa Japan

Abstract

Qu You’s (1347-1433)New tales for the trimmed lampwick(Jiandeng xinhua) was one of the most popular Chinese texts in early modern Japan. By scrutinizing how this collection of ghost tales was referenced within Zen Buddhist commentary, this article sheds light on the significant role of annotations in popularizingNew talesin Tokugawa society. Japanese Zen scholar-monks cited Qu You’s collection for the Zen dialogue called ‘The Disembodied Soul of Qiannü’ from a Song-dynastykōancollection entitledThe gateless barrier(Wumen guan) because they consideredNew talesas the origin for the story of Qiannü and thus the renowned Qiannü kōan. The incorrect but intriguing tie that developed betweenNew talesand this famous kōan illustrates the way in which Japanese Buddhist monks incorporated a Korean annotated edition ofNew talesand how the reading practice of annotations came to give religious authority to Qu You’s ghost tales.