E-Books →Out of the Cloister Literati Perspectives on Buddhism in Sung China, 960-1279

Mark Halperin, "Out of the Cloister: Literati Perspectives on Buddhism in Sung China, 960-1279"
English | 2006 | ISBN: 0674022653 | PDF | pages: 380 | 8.1 mb
The intense piety of late T'ang essays on Buddhism by literati has helped earn the T'ang its title of the "golden age of Chinese Buddhism." In contrast, the Sung is often seen as an age in which the literati distanced themselves from Buddhism. This study of Sung devotional texts shows, however, that many literati participated in intra-Buddhist debates. Others were drawn to Buddhism because of its power, which found expression and reinforcement in its ties with the state. For some, monasteries were extravagant houses of worship that reflected the corruption of the age; for others, the sacrifice and industry demanded by such projects were exemplars worthy of emulation. Finally, Buddhist temples could evoke highly personal feelings of filial piety and nostalgia.