Mapping Buddhism with Geographic Information System (GIS): A Searchable Relational Database of Buddhist Monasteries in China

Transcription

1 Mapping Buddhism with Geographic Information System (GIS): A Searchable Relational Database of Buddhist Monasteries in China Presented by Jiang Wu 吳 疆, Assistant Professor, The University of Arizona

2 Project Overview Purpose Sources Plan Software Funding

3 1. Source materials Chan lamp histories and Biographies of Eminent Monks 燈 史 / 高 僧 傳 Monks Chronological Biographies 年 譜 Monks Biographies 行 實 Monks Recorded Sayings and Literary Collections 語 錄 文 集 Mountain Gazetteers 山 志

4 Hierarchy of Chan Patriarchs One master has multiple disciples: one to many relationship One disciple has one master: one to one relationship Exceptions: one disciple might claim to have multiple masters: many to many relationship Result: such a person might have positions in two different hierarchy

5 Buddhist Writings Titles Number of fascicles Authors or editors (To be connected with Monks and person info) Preface and preface authors (To be connected with Monks and person info) Years of publication or printing Locations in major catalogs Textual reference

6 Summary: Elements of Relationship People (including both monks and lay believers): dharma name, literary name, birth date, death date, birth place, secular name, sectarian affiliation, dharma masters, education, degree, monasteries resided, texts rewritten or about, lay followers associated, disciples. Monasteries: name, location (province, prefecture, county). Texts: title, author, date of completion or printing, authors of the preface

7 Analysis of Relationships Person- Monk (religious identity): one-many Monk-monk: Ordination/tonsure: one-many relationship Dharma transmission: one to many or manymany Monk-literati: many-many relationship. Monk-monastery: many-many. Monk-text: one-many or many-many relationship.

8 Rationalizing ID numbers: Is Hierarchy number necessary? No need for hierarchy number ID : random number Any ID number dependent on a particular source might cause many problems later links: part of relationship Not all monks or persons have part of relations generation calculator: figure out the generation number Calculate the position of a given monk in the entire hierarchy From the first patriarch to that monk From a given monk before or after to that monk The generation gap between any two given monks

9 Tough Issues Multiple affiliation: Ideally, Buddhist masters sectarian affiliations are fixed. In reality, a monk not only changed his affiliation but also acquired several identities by receiving dharma transmissions from different masters. Unknown lineage: eminent monks without sectarian identities must be incorporated in the database. Determine the exact location of a monastery

10 Design Model Query Database A Monasteries in Tang Database B Monasteries in Song Database C Monasteries in Ming Database D Monastery in Modern China Personal Info Monk Info Literati Info Monastery Info Text Info Images and Pictures Gazetteer Info

11 Design Principles Web Application: this database is web based and the server environment is as follows: mysql, ArcIMS. Expandability: this database must be able to support future data input from different sources such as Christianity, Daoism, Confucianism, etc. Input Friendly: all logical relationships and control numbers such as key ID must be generated internally if all necessary data and relationships are input. Search Friendly: This database must allow both basic search and advance search.

12 Search Functions Basic search: allows search for single record with crossreferencing. Monk search: if the user knows the name of a given monk, regardless dharma name, literary name, or other names, a record about this monk will be generated. In addition, this record provides links for monasteries and texts if applicable. Monastery: if the user knows the name of a given monastery, a record about this monastery, including latitude and longitude will be generated. A map will be provided showing the location of the monastery. Links to the record of its abbots are available. Text search: if the user knows the name of a text or its author, the search will generate the record this text plus a link to its author s record.

13 Advance Search: allows specialized purpose This function allows a variety of combination of query criteria. Search limited or all generations of disciples of a given master and show their monasteries on a map. For example, search Miyun Yuanwu s dharma heirs within ten generations and show the monasteries they presided on map. Search limited or all generations of disciples of a given master in one or two provinces or localities and show them on a map. For example, search Miyun Yuanwu s dharma heir within three generations who had resided in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. Search the name and number of abbots resided in a given monastery in a given time period. For example, list all abbots who had resided in Tiantong monastery from

14 Test Basic Search, go to

15 Home Page Introduction Background Project Description Design Model Test Page (Login for data input and modification. No login for query.)

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18 Function : Personal Info Search by last name (both Pinyin and Chinese character) First name Birth place: province, prefecture, county General query by ID

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21 Function: Monk Info Search by dharma name, courtesy name, honorific title Search by religion: Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Islam Search by Sect: Tiantai, Huayan, Chan Linji, Caodong, Guiyang, Fayan, Yunmen General Query by ID number Links for Person Info, Temple Info, Master Info, Disciple Info, Text Info, Generation Info, Detail Info (short biography) Links to pictures, portrait, etc.

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24 Function 3: Master Info Follow the link to Master Info Name of the master Go back to monk info with all the links

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27 Function: Disciple Info Follow the Disciple link Multiple disciples Go to monk info again with all links

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30 Function: Person Info Link Follow person info link Go to person info page with all links

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32 Function: Disciple Info Link Follow disciple info link Show multiple disciples Go back to monk info page with all links

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35 Function: Link to Temple Info Follow links to Temple info Show all temples presided over by the monk Follow geographical information to CHGIS maps at Harvard University

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39 Function: Abbot Info Follow the link to monk info Show all monks who presided over this monastery

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42 Function : Text Info. Follow the link to text info. Show all texts written or authored by this monk

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45 Function 9: Author Info. If you know the title of the text, you can search information about its author

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48 Function: Generation Info. Follow the link to Generation Info. Info processed through a Built-in generation calculator Show its relative positions (generations) in an hierarchy. Important reference points: Shakyamuni, Bodhidharma, Huineng, Nanyue Huairang, Qingyuan Xingsi, Linji, Caoshan or Dongshan

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52 Function: Search for Temple Info. Search by Temple names (both pinyin and Chinese) Search by monks ID (names in the future) Search by Country, Province, Prefecture, County Search by Temple ID Show maps by connecting CHGIS Project at Harvard University:

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59 Function: Generation Calculator Built in and stand alone Calculate relative position between any two monks Show all monks names in between Show the number of generations between them Show a given master s all disciples in a given generation Show a given disciple s patriarch in a given generation

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66 Function : Text Search Search by Author s name Search by Publishing years Search Text ID

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