The power of patriarchs : : Qisong and lineage in Chinese Buddhism / / by Elizabeth Morrison.

• Superior document: Sinica Leidensia, v. 94
• Author: Morrison, Elizabeth
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Sinica Leidensia ; v. 94.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (315 p.)
• Notes: Revision of the author's dissertation (Ph. D.--Stanford University, 2004).
• Other title: Qisong and lineage in Chinese Buddhism; Preliminary Material /; Introduction: Chinese Buddhism, Lineage, And Qisong /; Chapter One. Buddhist Notions Of Succession And Transmission In India And Pre-Chan China /; Chapter Two. The Emergence Of Chan Lineage /; Chapter Three. The Life Of Qisong /; Chapter Four. “The Great Succession Is Not Clear”: Qisong’s Composition Of The True Lineage Texts And The Campaign For Their Acceptance At Court /; Chapter Five. Qisong As Historian: A Reading Of The First Fascicle Of The Critical Essay On The True Lineage Of The Transmission Of The Dharma /; Chapter Six. Qisong On Lineage: The Critical Essay Revised And Defended /; Concluding Remarks /; Appendix: Annotated Translation Of The Critical Essay By The Song Śramana Shi Qisong Of Dongshan [Si] In Tengzhou T.51.2080.773c–783c /; Bibliography /; Index /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• ISBN: 1282786830; 9786612786839; 9004190228
• ISSN: 0169-9563
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Elizabeth Morrison.

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.