A late sixteenth-century Chinese Buddhist fellowship : : spiritual ambitions, intellectual debates, and epistolary connections / / by Jennifer Eichman.

• Superior document: Sinica Leidensia, Volume 127
• VerfasserIn: Eichman, Jennifer Lynn, 1960-
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, Netherlands ;, Boston, Massachusetts : : Brill,, 2016.; ©2016
• Year of Publication: 2016
• Language: English
• Series: Sinica Leidensia ; Volume 127.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (438 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Through a detailed analysis of epistolary writing, A Late Sixteenth-Century Chinese Buddhist Fellowship: Spiritual Ambitions, Intellectual Debates, and Epistolary Connections brings to life the Buddhist discourse of a network of lay disciples who debated the value of Chan versus Pure Land, sudden versus gradual enlightenment, adherence to Buddhist precepts, and animal welfare. By highlighting the differences between their mentor, the monk Zhuhong 袾宏 (1535-1615), and his nemesis, the Yangming Confucian Zhou Rudeng 周汝登 (1547-1629), this work confronts long-held scholarly views of Confucian dominance to conclude that many classically educated, elite men found Buddhist practices a far more attractive option. Their intellectual debates, self-cultivation practices, and interpersonal relations helped shape the contours of late sixteenth-century Buddhist culture.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- 1 The Fellowship and Its Relations, Epistolary Sources, and Religious Identity -- 2 Mind Cultivation: Theoretical and Practical Considerations -- 3 Ethical Dilemmas: Can Good Buddhists Eat Meat? -- 4 Releasing-Life Societies: Communal Practices and Shared ­Concerns -- 5 Family Practice: Pure Land Recitation -- 6 The Struggle for Attainment: How to Cultivate the Mind Using Pure Land and Chan Techniques -- 7 Evaluating Attainment: Hearsay, Judgment, Consensus -- Concluding Remarks -- Appendix A: Members of the Fellowship -- Bibliography -- Index.