Patrons and Patriarchs breaks new ground in the study of clergy-court relations during the tumultuous period that spanned the collapse of the Tang dynasty (618–907) and the consolidation of the Northern Song (960–1127). This era; known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms; has typically been characterized as a time of debilitating violence and instability; but it also brought increased economic prosperity; regional development; and political autonomy to southern territories. The book describes how the formation of new states in southeastern China elevated local Buddhist traditions and moved Chan (Zen) monks from the margins to the center of Chinese society. Drawing on biographies; inscriptions; private histories; and government records; it argues that the shift in imperial patronage from a diverse array of Buddhist clerics to members of specific Chan lineages was driven by political; social; and geographical reorientations set in motion by the collapse of the Tang dynasty and the consolidation of regional powers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. As monastic communities representing diverse arrays of thought; practice; and pedagogy allied with rival political factions; the outcome of power struggles determined which clerical networks assumed positions of power and which doctrines were enshrined as orthodoxy. Rather than view the ascent of Chan monks and their traditions as instances of intellectual hegemony; this book focuses on the larger sociopolitical processes that lifted members of Chan lineages onto the imperial stage. Against the historical backdrop of the tenth century; Patrons and Patriarchs explores the nature and function of Chan lineage systems; the relationships between monastic and lay families; and the place of patronage in establishing identity and authority in monastic movements.
#1663173 in Books Univ of Hawaii Pr 2008-08-20 2008-08-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x 1.50 x 6.20l; 1.60 #File Name: 0824832043368 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. He loved the bookBy RoseEveMy son wrote a college paper on this and got a 100%! He loved the book. It's well laid out and easy to understand.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. "Ashes to Ashes"By Crazy FoxPerhaps because it's a religious tradition that emphasizes impermanence; Buddhism often gets saddled with handling funerals. In Japan this holds especially true; and generally for the average person there Buddhism is primarily if not exclusively associated with funerary rites (to the point that a wide-eyed 20-something's interest in the religion can strike them as mildly morbid). These rites clearly make for Buddhism's most prominent role in society and are thus the economic backbone maintaining its institutional presence; about which a multitude of key doctrinal and ritual phenomena cluster as well. And yet scholarly studies of Japanese Buddhism tend to avoid this subject like the plague.Well; except for this fine collection of articles with a deceptively dull title. "Death and the Afterlife in Japanese Buddhism" rushes in where other studies fear to tread; exploring this key aspect of Buddhism as it has developed in Japan with exemplary depth and breadth. The assorted articles range in time from the early Heian to the contemporary present and cover a good variety of schools and disparate Buddhist traditions. Some articles are extremely specific; focusing for example on one apocryphal sutra and the beliefs and practices surrounding it; while others step back and consider the larger issues and ramifications of; say; the disconnect between certain Buddhist teachings and certain Buddhist funerary practices. Each article is of high scholarly caliber and yet eminently readable; and each is interesting; informative; or thought-provoking in its own manner. If I had to pick one; though; Mariko Walter's article unearthing the underlying pan-sectarian structure of Buddhist funerals is in particular a priceless resource repaying repeated reference. But the collection as a whole is a dead-on indispensable addition to the library of anyone seriously interested in Japanese Buddhism.Articles included in this book:1. "Mukaeko: Practice for the Deathbed" by Sarah Johanna Horton2. "With the Help of 'Good Friends': Deathbed Ritual Practices in Early Medieval Japan" by Jacqueline I. Stone3. "Beyond Death and the Afterlife: Considering Relic Veneration in Medieval Japan" by Brian O. Ruppert4. "Collective Suicide at the Funeral of Jitsunyo: Mimesis or Solidarity?" by Mark L. Blum5. "At the Crossroads of Birth and Death: The Blood Pool Hell and Postmortem Fetal Extraction" by Hank Glassman6. "Funerary Zen: Soto Zen Death Management in Tokugawa Japan" by Duncan Ryuken Williams7. "The Structure of Japanese Buddhist Funerals" by Mariko Namba Walter8. "The Price of Naming the Dead: Posthumous Precept Names and Critiques of Contemporary Japanese Buddhism" by Stephen G. Covell9. "The Orthodox Heresy of Buddhist Funerals" by George J. Tanabe; Jr.
