The Assembly of All Noble Beings (諸上善人詠)

About 諸上善人詠

Ming · by 道衍撰

21,054 · about 70 min

"Ode to the Noble Virtuous Ones" is a Buddhist scripture composed by the eminent monk Daoyan of the Ming Dynasty. Daoyan, whose secular name was Yao Guangxiao, was a renowned statesman and Buddhist scholar in the early Ming period. He assisted Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di in ascending the throne and devoted his later years to deepening his practice of the Dharma. This work praises the virtues and accomplishments of eminent monks and Pure Land practitioners throughout history in poetic form, propagating the teachings of the Pure Land school and emphasizing the practice of Buddha-recitation for rebirth in the Pure Land. As a significant literary work of Ming Dynasty Buddhism, it blends literary artistry with religious devotion, reflecting the prevailing trends of Pure Land faith at the time. It holds considerable value for the study of Ming Buddhist history and the development of the Pure Land school. The content of the book is concise and easy to recite, widely circulated among Buddhist devotees, making it an important text for understanding Chinese Buddhist Pure Land thought and practice.