Avatamsaka Buddhism in East Asia

Avatamsaka Buddhism in East Asia PDF Author: Robert M. Gimello
Publisher: Harrassowitz
ISBN: 9783447066785
Category : Buddhist philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The volume about Avatamsaka Buddhism in East Asia is the result of a symposium organized in France in 2008. 15 contributions reflect the ways of manifestation and of expression of Huayan doctrines in several geographical regions and at different periods. Compared with previous valuable studies, the present volume intends to open broader perspectives, to give the opportunity to develp opened problematics, based on primary sources, textual and iconological. The Avatamsaka doctrines have developed particular ways of expression and paradigms on the Chinese soil, as a sinized Buddhism, they may be said to have achieved a philosophical revolution in the history of Mahayana: the Absolute is not the goal of the philosophical and soteriological inquiry, but its point of departure. The world is not only an illusion to be transcended but a manifestation of this very Absolute. The Avatamsaka can be seen as the backbone of influencial currents, the Chan or Zen, the Tiantai or Tendai, the Ritualistic Buddhism, the Pure Land teachings, as well as the Song studies. The renewal of problematics on history of religion in the Far East region, as the so-called combined scheme simultaneously philosophical (exoteric) and ritualist (esoteric), gives a meaning to the approach of Avatamsaka current as common denominator linked from China till the Qitan region to Korea and Japan.

Avatamsaka Buddhism in East Asia

Avatamsaka Buddhism in East Asia PDF Author: Robert M. Gimello
Publisher: Harrassowitz
ISBN: 9783447066785
Category : Buddhist philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
The volume about Avatamsaka Buddhism in East Asia is the result of a symposium organized in France in 2008. 15 contributions reflect the ways of manifestation and of expression of Huayan doctrines in several geographical regions and at different periods. Compared with previous valuable studies, the present volume intends to open broader perspectives, to give the opportunity to develp opened problematics, based on primary sources, textual and iconological. The Avatamsaka doctrines have developed particular ways of expression and paradigms on the Chinese soil, as a sinized Buddhism, they may be said to have achieved a philosophical revolution in the history of Mahayana: the Absolute is not the goal of the philosophical and soteriological inquiry, but its point of departure. The world is not only an illusion to be transcended but a manifestation of this very Absolute. The Avatamsaka can be seen as the backbone of influencial currents, the Chan or Zen, the Tiantai or Tendai, the Ritualistic Buddhism, the Pure Land teachings, as well as the Song studies. The renewal of problematics on history of religion in the Far East region, as the so-called combined scheme simultaneously philosophical (exoteric) and ritualist (esoteric), gives a meaning to the approach of Avatamsaka current as common denominator linked from China till the Qitan region to Korea and Japan.

The Flower Ornament Scripture

The Flower Ornament Scripture PDF Author: Thomas Cleary
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834824094
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 2759

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Book Description
A masterful translation of one of the most influential Buddhist sutras—the Avatamsaka Sutra—by one of the greatest translators of Buddhist texts of our time Known in Chinese as Hua-yen and in Japanese as Kegon-kyo, the Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scripture, is held in the highest regard and studied by Buddhists of all traditions. Through its structure and symbolism, as well as through its concisely stated principles, it conveys a vast range of Buddhist teachings. This one-volume edition contains Thomas Cleary’s definitive translation of all thirty-nine books of the sutra, along with an introduction, a glossary, and Cleary’s translation of Li Tongxuan’s seventh-century guide to the final book, the Gandavyuha, “Entry into the Realm of Reality.”

The Huayan University Network

The Huayan University Network PDF Author: Erik J. Hammerstrom
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231550758
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
In the early twentieth century, Chinese Buddhists sought to strengthen their tradition through publications, institution building, and initiatives aimed at raising the educational level of the monastic community. In The Huayan University Network, Erik J. Hammerstrom examines how Huayan Buddhism was imagined, taught, and practiced during this time of profound political and social change and, in so doing, recasts the history of twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism. Hammerstrom traces the influence of Huayan University, the first Buddhist monastic school founded after the fall of the imperial system in China. Although the university lasted only a few years, its graduates went on to establish a number of Huayan-centered educational programs throughout China. While they did not create a new sectarian Huayan movement, they did form a network unified by a common educational heritage that persists to the present day. Drawing on an extensive range of Buddhist texts and periodicals, Hammerstrom shows that Huayan had a significant impact on Chinese Buddhist thought and practice and that the history of Huayan complicates narratives of twentieth-century Buddhist modernization and revival. Offering a wide range of insights into the teaching and practice of Huayan in Republican China, this book sheds new light on an essential but often overlooked element of the East Asian Buddhist tradition.

Buddhist Pilgrim-Monks as Agents of Cultural and Artistic Transmission

Buddhist Pilgrim-Monks as Agents of Cultural and Artistic Transmission PDF Author: Dorothy C. Wong
Publisher: NUS Press
ISBN: 9814722596
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 377

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Book Description
The period ca. 645-770 marked an extraordinary era in the development of East Asian Buddhism and Buddhist art. Increased contacts between China and regions to both its west and east facilitated exchanges and the circulation of ideas, practices and art forms, giving rise to a synthetic art style uniform in both iconography and formal characteristics. The formulation of this new Buddhist art style occurred in China in the latter part of the seventh century, and from there it became widely disseminated and copied throughout East Asia, and to some extent in Central Asia, in the eighth century. This book argues that notions of Buddhist kingship and theory of the Buddhist state formed the underpinnings of Buddhist states experimented in China and Japan from the late seventh to the mid-eighth century, providing the religio-political ideals that were given visual expression in this International Buddhist Art Style. The volume also argues that Buddhist pilgrim-monks were among the key agents in the transmission of these ideals, the visual language of state Buddhism was spread, circulated, adopted and transformed in faraway lands, it transcended cultural and geographical boundaries and became cosmopolitan.

The Wiley Blackwell companion to East and inner Asian Buddhism

The Wiley Blackwell companion to East and inner Asian Buddhism PDF Author: Mario Poceski
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781118610381
Category : Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 535

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Book Description
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to East and Inner Asian Buddhism combines outstanding contributions covering Buddhism as it developed and is practiced in this region. These newly-commissioned essays provide fresh scholarly perspectives on a wide range of concepts, texts, and practices. Offers a comprehensive and balanced survey of Buddhism within East and Central Asia, from the time of the Buddha through to the present day Provides fresh perspectives on a wide range of concepts, texts, traditions, doctrines, practices, and institutions - on topics spanning gender roles, tantric rituals, and the spread of Zen into Europe Brings together cutting-edge research by an interdisciplinary and international contributor team, including historians, literature scholars, and historians, as well as those from religious studies Presents a panoramic view of the extraordinary richness and variety of local Buddhist expressions and practices within Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Tibetan, cultures.

Religious and Philosophical Traditions of Korea

Religious and Philosophical Traditions of Korea PDF Author: Kevin Cawley
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131727380X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
Religious and Philosophical Traditions of Korea addresses a wide range of traditions, serving as a guide to those interested in Buddhism, Confucianism, Shamanism, Christianity and many others. It brings readers along a journey from the past to the present, moving beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula. In this book Kevin N. Cawley examines the different ideas which have shaped a vibrant and exciting intellectual history and engages with some of the key texts and figures from Korea’s intellectual traditions. This comprehensive and riveting text emphasises how some of these ideas have real relevance in the world today and how they have practical value for our lives in the twenty-first century. Students, researchers and academics in the growing area of Korean Studies will find this book indispensable. It will also be of interest to undergraduates and graduate students interested in the comparative study of Asian religions, philosophies and cultures.

Esoteric Theravada

Esoteric Theravada PDF Author: Kate Crosby
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1611807948
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
A groundbreaking exploration of a practice tradition that was nearly lost to history. Theravada Buddhism, often understood as the school that most carefully preserved the practices taught by the Buddha, has undergone tremendous change over time. Prior to Western colonialism in Asia—which brought Western and modernist intellectual concerns, such as the separation of science and religion, to bear on Buddhism—there existed a tradition of embodied, esoteric, and culturally regional Theravada meditation practices. This once-dominant traditional meditation system, known as borān kammatthāna, is related to—yet remarkably distinct from—Vipassana and other Buddhist and secular mindfulness practices that would become the hallmark of Theravada Buddhism in the twentieth century. Drawing on a quarter century of research, scholar Kate Crosby offers the first holistic discussion of borān kammatthāna, illuminating the historical events and cultural processes by which the practice has been marginalized in the modern era.

Esoteric Buddhism and Texts

Esoteric Buddhism and Texts PDF Author: Jinhua Chen
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1003853579
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
This book explores trans-cultural and cross-border transformation of Esoteric Buddhism in East Asia, focusing on the significance of Esoteric Buddhism in relation to some forms of material culture, including rituals, arts, and the construction of sacred space and narratives. In East Asia, Esoteric Buddhism’s influences can be seen across all levels of society: not only in that it achieved a recognizable sectarian identity, but also because elements of esoteric teachings were absorbed by other religious schools, influencing their philosophical tenets and everyday practices. The influence was not confined to the religious sphere: scholars have been paying more and more attention to the significance of Tang Esoteric Buddhism in relation to material culture and the dissemination of Esoteric Buddhist technologies in South, Central, and East Asia. No matter how one looks at a maṇḍala—an integral feature of esoteric practice—or the uncannily expressive statues of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Yidam that come in all shapes and sizes, or the murals that depict the variegated, mysterious themes of the esoteric tradition, one can always recognise the profound connection between art and Esoteric Buddhism. Esoteric Influences also abound in East Asian literature across different genres, displaying its unique characters both in poetry and prose. Likewise, in architecture, one can readily make out the enigmatic, colorful and distinctive elements characteristic of the esoteric tradition. Monks initiated into the esoteric lineages not only brought Buddhist classics and practices to China, but also advanced knowledge in astronomy, calendarial calculations and mathematical theories. The chapters in this volume investigate the profound and far-reaching impacts wrought by Esoteric Buddhism on rituals, arts, and the construction of sacred space and narratives in East Asia. This book will be beneficial to advanced students and researchers interested in Religious Studies, History and Buddhist studies. It was originally published as a special issue of Studies in Chinese Religions.

Korean Buddhism in East Asian Perspectives

Korean Buddhism in East Asian Perspectives PDF Author:
Publisher: 지문당
ISBN:
Category : Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description


Esoteric Buddhism in China

Esoteric Buddhism in China PDF Author: Wei Wu
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231553749
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
During the Republican period (1912–1949) and after, many Chinese Buddhists sought inspiration from non-Chinese Buddhist traditions, showing a particular interest in esoteric teachings. What made these Buddhists dissatisfied with Chinese Buddhism, and what did they think other Buddhist traditions could offer? Which elements did they choose to follow, and which ones did they disregard? And how do their experiences recast the wider story of twentieth-century pan-Asian Buddhist reform movements? Based on a wide range of previously unexplored Chinese sources, this book explores how esoteric Buddhist traditions have shaped the Chinese religious landscape. Wei Wu examines cross-cultural religious transmission of ideas from Japanese and Tibetan traditions, considering the various esoteric currents within Chinese Buddhist communities and how Chinese individuals and groups engaged with newly translated ideas and practices. She argues that Chinese Buddhists’ assimilation of doctrinal, ritual, and institutional elements of Tibetan and Japanese esoteric Buddhism was not a simple replication but an active process of creating new meanings. Their visions of Buddhism in the modern world, as well as early twentieth-century discourses of nation building and religious reform, shaped the reception of esoteric traditions. By analyzing the Chinese interpretation and strategic adaptations of esoteric Buddhism, this book sheds new light on the intellectual development, ritual performances, and institutional formations of Chinese Buddhism in the twentieth century.