Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

Buddhist Thought 8Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

Buddhist Thought 8: Anxiety and Joyousness in the Pure Land of China" - A recommended reference book that also provides information on the thought and life of Cloudyran, Dogen, and Zenko, as well as the historical background of their lives!

In this book, you can learn not only about the thought of Shinran, Dogen, and Zhenguang, but also their lives and historical backgrounds. It is clear that Buddhism was a result of the political situation in China at that time. It was very interesting to see how Chinese Pure Land Buddhism developed in the midst of repeated warfare and suppression of Buddhism, and how, during Zendo's time, Zendo's Pure Land Buddhism gained support in the prosperous downtown area of the international city of Chang'an. It is interesting to see the connection between great historical figures and their historical backgrounds. As a Jodo Shinshu monk, I tend to spend a lot of time with Shinran and Honen, but I feel that tracing back to their origins is also very significant. It is only by tracing back to the source that we can see Shinran's characteristics and uniqueness.

In this sense, this book is a very valuable work for studying Shinran.
Wu emperor of Liang (China)Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

MIKUSABURO MORI, "The Wu Emperor of Liang: Tragedy of a Buddhist Dynasty" - Recommended to learn about the good government of a Chinese king who was a devout believer in Buddhism and his tragedy! And the connection with Cloudy Lan.

This book will take a closer look at the political and religious affairs of Emperor Liang Wu. The Wu Emperor had a good government that was unthinkable at the time. The Wu emperor's Buddhist line of peaceful culture clearly enriched people's lives. But what a sad irony that the good government itself was the cause of the country's collapse.

In this book, we will take a closer look at the good government of such a warrior emperor and the collapse of his nation. As you can see in the quote above, the destruction of the country is very sad. Although the Wu emperor himself was not without his own shortcomings and blunders, it is still tempting to imagine what history might have been like.

In addition, the main character of this work, Liang's Wuji, is actually a very deep connection for Jodo Shinshu. In this sense, this book is highly recommended.
hato-mara-shiChinese Buddhism, Thought and History

Yokochao Huiyi and Yoshijun Suwa, "Personages: Buddhism in China, Rashi" - Recommended to learn about the tumultuous life of the translator monk Hatomarai Rashi!

... Hatimarashi's life of hardship is well known, and each of these hardships will be looked at in detail in this book.

In this book, you will realize how much hard work went into the translation of the sutras left behind by Hatumarashi and other translators, which we in later generations take for granted.

I highly recommend this book together with "How Were Buddhist Scriptures Translated into Chinese: When Sutras Become Scriptures" by Toru Funayama, which was previously introduced on this blog.
How was the Buddhist scripture translated into Chinese?Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

Toru Funayama, "How the Buddhist Scriptures were translated into Chinese: When the Sutra Becomes a Sutra" - A stimulating reference book that is also recommended for considering what a sutra is!

How were sutras composed in ancient Indian languages converted into Chinese?

It is not easy to think about the "process of Chinese translation," but when you look at the actual situation, it is very interesting! It is amazing to see how the sutras were created! That's how sutras were created? This is exciting.

This book is also a work that offers great insights into Chinese and Japanese Buddhism.
History of Buddhism in New Asia 07Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

New Asian Buddhist History 07: China II, Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty: The Rise and Development of Buddhism" - A recommended work to learn interesting facts about Dōmo and Zendo.

Religion is not only religion. Religions change and are generated by the historical background, political economy, and all other factors of the time.

China has a particularly strong relationship with the state. What about Japan, on the other hand?

This book is a very good thought experiment on these matters.

And the most interesting part of this book was the part where the flow of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism was explained. I was particularly inspired by the stories about Dōng and Zendo, two high priests who are also revered as the Seven High Priests in Jōdo Shinshu.

It is not often that I have the opportunity to learn about the life and personality of this Doumo and Zendo, so the story told in this book was just amazing!
New Asian Buddhist History 06Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

New Asian Buddhist History 06: China I: Northern and Southern Dynasties: Eastern transmission and reception of Buddhism" - Recommended for a broad study of the introduction of Buddhism to China!

Buddhism that entered China is completely foreign to the Chinese. How to accept such an alien existence is a very big problem.

The introduction of Buddhism in China is of great significance in understanding Japanese Buddhism. As we have seen, the "New Asian Buddhist History" series offers a broad overview of Buddhist history. This work is also a very good introduction to Chinese Buddhism, as it looks at the introduction of Buddhism in China. It also contains a wealth of references, which will be very useful for future study. I highly recommend this book.
New Asian Buddhist History 05Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

History of Buddhism in New Asia 05: Central Asia: Crossroads of Civilizations and Cultures" - What was the role of Buddhism in the Silk Road region that played a major role in the introduction of Buddhism to China?

As an elementary school student at the time, when I saw the news about the destruction of the Giant Buddha in Afghanistan, I naively wondered why there was such a huge Buddha in a Muslim country, but in fact, Afghanistan and other parts of Central Asia were also regions where Buddhism was very popular.

And this cultural influence from Central Asia played a major role in the spread of Buddhism to China.

Buddhism was not packed up in India and shipped off to China."

When I read these words, I couldn't help but to be struck on my knees and say, "Oh! I couldn't help but to hit my knees and say, "Oh! What a power word!

When we think of the introduction of Buddhism from India to China, we inevitably have this "packaging-like" image, but if we think about it carefully, this is exactly what it is. It may seem obvious, but if you think about it carefully, it is extremely profound.
the way of the coming of BuddhismChinese Buddhism, Thought and History

Shigeo Kamata, "The Way Buddhism Came" - Recommended reference book to learn the history of the spread of Buddhism in China. Learn about the grueling journey of the Sanzang Dharma Masters.

In this book, you can learn about the activities of the famous Genjo Sanzo and other Sanzo priests and their historical background.

Buddhism spread from India to China. This fact itself is widely known, but it is surprisingly difficult to know when, where, and how Buddhism was actually transmitted. I myself was only vaguely aware of it. Reading this book, I was surprised at how dangerous and life-threatening it was to travel from China to India in search of Buddhist scriptures.
Lao Zhuang and BuddhismChinese Buddhism, Thought and History

MIKUSABURO MORI, "Laozhuang and Buddhism" - A stimulating book that provides insight into the relationship between Laozhuang and the reception of Buddhism in China!

This book is a tremendously interesting classic! It's one of those books that is so stimulating it sparks your brain!"

Well, I am here for this book. This book is definitely one of the best books on China that I have ever read on this blog. I would say that this book ranks at the top not only in China but also in all books related to Buddhism. It is such an interesting book.

The main theme of this book is how Buddhism, which came from India, was accepted and transformed in China, and this is extremely exciting.
The book also includes an overview of Lao Zhuang philosophy, the relationship between Chinese Buddhism and politics, the development of Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism, and other interesting details that just keep coming up in this book. Oh no, it's interesting! It sparked my brain.
Lao-tzuChinese Buddhism, Thought and History

Tomohisa Ikeda, "'Laozi': Read All About His Thought" - Recommended reference book that examines Laozi's thought from various perspectives.

In the first half of the book, the author looks at the historical background of Lao Tzu's life and the process of the book's formation. From there, the author will look at the thought of "Laozi" in four major themes: "Ethical Thought," "Political Thought," "Curing Thought," and "Natural Thought.

It is a tremendous volume. The book discusses Lao Tzu in considerable detail. There are also extensive notes.

I honestly think it is a tough introductory book, but if you are interested in learning more about Lao Tzu, I highly recommend this work. I also recommend Kunio Hachiya's "Lao Tzu Explorations: The Idea of Continuing Life" as a set with this book. This is a work to learn more about Lao Tzu, politics, the state, and the historical background.