
The Power of Patriarchs
Qisong and Lineage in Chinese Buddhism
Elizabeth Morrison(Author)
Brill (Publisher)
Published on 25. March 2010
Book
Hardback
316 pages
978-90-04-18301-8 (ISBN)
Description
The Chan monk Qisong (1007-1072), an important figure in Northern Song religious and intellectual history, has garnered relatively little scholarly attention. This book provides a detailed biography with a focus on the influential historical writings he composed to defend Chan claims of a "mind-to-mind transmission" tracing back to the historical Buddha. It places his defense of lineage in the context not only of attacks by the rival Tiantai school but also of the larger backdrop of the development of lineage and patriarchs as sources of authority in Chinese Buddhism. It advances new arguments about these Chinese Buddhist innovations, challenges common assumptions about Chan masters, and offers insights into the interactions of Buddhists, Confucians, and the imperial court during the Song.
Reviews / Votes
"This book is a useful addition to the growing body of scholarship on Song dynasty Buddhism, providing the first full-length study of the renowned Chan ideologue, Mingjiao Qisong (1007-72). (...) her focus on Qisong's works in particular advances our understanding of this important and still understudied period of Chinese Buddhism." - Stuart H. Young, Bucknell University, in: Religious Studies Reviews Volume 37 (2011)More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 248 mm
Width: 169 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
590 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-18301-8 (9789004183018)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Elizabeth Morrison, Ph.D. (2004) in Religious Studies, Stanford University, is Assistant Professor of Religion at Middlebury College.