A Defining Paradigm: Innovative Uses of the Term mo 默 in Hongzhi Zhengjue’s Portrait Encomia

This paper argues that the prominent Chan monk Hongzhi Zhengjue 宏智正覺 (1091–1157) expanded the significance of the term mo 默 (silence) from its more narrow use as a method of meditation practice to signify the very goal of meditation (an enlightened state), and even ultimate reality in his new vision of a Caodong-School path to cultivation. The many meanings Zhengjue ascribed to mo (silence) are clearly articulated in his portrait encomia (zhenzan真贊). This paper first places Zhengjue’s portrait encomia within the contemporary monastic practice of fundraising and literati relations to demonstrate the effect Zhengjue’s literary achievements had on contemporary literati. Subsequently, through close readings of the encomia, the article analyzes how Zhengjue employed the character mo 默 in 94 of his 434 portrait encomia as both a reflection of the path to self-cultivation and a symbol of its ultimate goal.