Ouyi Zhixu (1599–1655) was an eminent Chinese Buddhist monk who; contrary to his contemporaries; believed karma could be changed. Through vows; divination; repentance rituals; and ascetic acts such as burning and blood writing; he sought to alter what others understood as inevitable and inescapable. Drawing attention to Ouyi's unique reshaping of religious practice; Living Karma reasserts the significance of an overlooked individual in the modern development of Chinese Buddhism.While Buddhist studies scholarship tends to privilege textual analysis; Living Karma promotes a balanced study of ritual practice and writing; treating Ouyi's texts as ritual objects and his reading and writing as religious acts. Each chapter addresses a specific religious practice―writing; divination; repentance; vows; and bodily rituals―offering first a diachronic overview of each practice within the history of Chinese Buddhism and then a synchronic analysis of each phenomenon through close readings of Ouyi's work. This book sheds much-needed light on a little-known figure and his representation of karma; which proved to be a seminal innovation in the religious thought of late imperial China.
#880461 in Books Justin Thomas McDaniel 2014-01-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .90 x 6.00l; 1.00 #File Name: 0231153775384 pagesThe Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Will flip everything you though you knew about Thai BuddhismBy Sama'el Sith'ariExhaustively well researched and documented. This book penetrates through the austere views of western Buddhist scholars and treats the 'problem' of amulets and amulet makers as something rightly to be respected and honored (as well as no new thing in Thai history). Thai amulets and their rent is no evil corruption of the West; but a valid a beautiful merging of roads Buddhism; Animism; Necromancy; and other traditions and currents. I can't recommend this book enough!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very dense with informationBy DanielI bought this book for a course. While there is a tremendous amount of information; I found myself using Google search frequently; just to fully understand and absorb the information. McDaniel drops many names of monks; locals; locations; and other anthropologists; but doesn't always take the time to give you additional information (which is where Google comes in).1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The book worth a read. If the Dhamma content ...By KOH ENG SIANGThe book worth a read.If the Dhamma content of Somdej amulet in both WRK and Keschaiyo designs (phims) are included; the book would have been rated 5.
