The Buddha and His Dhamma by
The Buddha and his Dhamma offers a perspective on the Buddha's life and teachings. The author emphasized that the Buddha's teachings advocated rationality, equality, and compassion. This text is treated as scripture for those who follow Navayāna Buddhism, the modern reinterpretation of Buddhism as one concerned with caste abolition, social equality, class struggle, and the right to education.
Challenging Paradigms by
Buddhism is often portrayed as a universalizing religion that transcends the local and directs attention toward a transcendent dharma. Yet, wherever Buddhism spreads, it also sparks local identity discourses that, directly or indirectly, root the dharma in native soil and history, and, in doing so, frame 'the local' in Buddhist discourse. In Challenging Paradigms: Buddhism and Nativism Teeuwen and Blezer offer a comparative study of localizing responses to Buddhism in different Buddhist environments in Japan, Korea, Tibet, India and Bali.
Figures of Buddhist Modernity in Asia by
This book introduces contemporary Buddhists from across Asia and from various walks of life. the editors have collected sixty-six profiles of individuals, such as monks and nuns, artists, psychologists, social workers, part-time priests, healers, and librarians as well as charlatans, hucksters, profiteers, and rabble-rousers--all whose lives reflect changes in modern Buddhism even as they themselves shape the course of these changes. All of these individuals are fundamentally concerned with how individual Buddhists make meaning and display this understanding to others. Arranging the profiles according to these themes--looking backward, forward, inward, and outward--reveals the value of studying individual Buddhists and their idiosyncratic religious backgrounds and attitudes, thus highlighting the diversity of approaches to the practice and study of Buddhism in Asia today.
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to East and Inner Asian Buddhism by
This text covers Buddhism as it developed and is practiced in this region. It offers a comprehensive and balanced survey of Buddhism within East and Central Asia, from the time of the Buddha through to the present day. The essays provide scholarly perspectives on a wide range of concepts, texts, traditions, doctrines, practices, and institutions - on topics spanning gender roles, tantric rituals, and the spread of Zen into Europe.
Buddhist Encounters and Identities Across East Asia by
Encounters, networks, identities and diversity are at the core of the history of Buddhism. While long-distance networks allowed Buddhist ideas to travel to all parts of East Asia, it was through local and trans-local networks and encounters, and a diversity of people and societies, that identities were made and negotiated. This book undertakes a detailed examination of discrete Buddhist identities rooted in unique cultural practices, beliefs and indigenous socio-political conditions.
Confucianism in Context: Classic Philosophy and Contemporary Issues, East Asia and Beyond by
A wide-ranging consideration of Confucianism for Western readers.
Confucianisms for a Changing World Cultural Order by
This work critically explores how the pan-Asian phenomenon of Confucianism offers alternative values and depths of ethical commitment that cross national and cultural boundaries to provide a new response to these challenges. Confucian culture celebrates the relational values of deference and interdependence--that is, relationally constituted persons are understood as embedded in and nurtured by unique, transactional patterns of relations. This is a concept of person that contrasts starkly with the discrete, self-determining individual that has become closely associated with liberal democracy. Examining the meaning and value of Confucianism in the twenty-first century, the contributors--leading scholars from universities around the world--wrestle with several key questions: What are Confucian values within the context of the disparate cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam? What is their current significance? What are the limits and historical failings of Confucianism and how are these to be critically addressed? How must Confucian culture be reformed if it is to become relevant as an international resource for positive change?
The East Asian Region: Confucian Heritage and Its Modern Adaptation by
The contributors to this volume cover over 2,000 years of history as they show how Confucian values spread throughout the region in premodern times and how these values were transformed in an age of modernization.
Zen and Japanese Culture by
This work is a classic that has influenced generations of readers and played a major role in shaping conceptions of Zen's influence on Japanese traditional arts. In simple and poetic language, Daisetz Suzuki describes Zen and its historical evolution. Suzuki uses anecdotes, poetry, and illustrations of silk screens, calligraphy, and architecture. Zen and Japanese Culture is a valuable source for those wishing to understand Zen in the context of Japanese life and art, and remains one of the leading works on the subject.
Religious Transformation in Modern Asia by
This volume explores the religious transformation of each nation in modern Asia. When the Asian people, experienced a socio-political change under the wave of Western colonialism, the religious climate was also altered from a transnational perspective. Part One explores the nationals of China (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan. Part Two approaches South Asia through the topics of astrology, the works of a Gujarātī saint, and Himalayan Buddhism. The third part is focused on the conflicts between 'indigenous religions and colonialism, ' 'Buddhism and Christianity, ' 'Islam and imperialism, ' and 'Hinduism and Christianity' in Southeast Asia.
China's Green Religion by
In China's Green Religion, James Miller shows how Daoism orients individuals toward a holistic understanding of religion and nature. Explicitly connecting human flourishing to the thriving of nature, Daoism fosters a "green" subjectivity and agency that transforms what it means to live a flourishing life on earth.
The Paradox of Being: Truth, Identity, and Images in Daoism by
This title addresses the concept of truth in Chinese Daoist philosophy and ritual. Through wide-ranging research into Daoist ritual, both in history and as it survives in the present day, the author shows that the concept of true reality that informs this tradition posits being as a paradox anchored in the inexistent Way (Dao). The preferred way of life suggested by this insight consists in seeking to be an exception to ordinary norms and rules of behavior which nonetheless engages what is common to us all.
Taoism, Teaching, and Learning by
This work identifies key aspects of Taoist thought and highlights how these principles can promote a holistic approach to teaching and learning. In particular, this book offers educators guidelines and pedagogical examples for how to instill a perspective of interconnectedness into their classrooms. It sheds light on how philosophical Taoism articulates a vision of the universe and life that mirrors the actual realities of nature. Providing frameworks and methods for teaching and learning based on the interconnectedness of life, this work develops an inspiring vision for education and helps us to see our world in a deeply holistic and meaningful way.
Sustainability Risk and Crisis Management: A Taoism’s Perspective (in Cultural Roots of Sustainable Management: Practical Wisdom and Corporate Social Responsibility, pp. 65-88) by
This book chapter examines and analyses the social and sustainable risk and crisis in today’s business world and provide an overview of different approaches to risk management from the Taoism’s perspective. Combining academic rigor and management science in the West with the Eastern thought—the wisdom and philosophy of Taoism—offers an important resource and approach for organization and business leaders concerned with sustainability and risk management. Taoism has been one of the most significant components of classical and contemporary Chinese cultural values and philosophy.
Religious Discourse in Modern Japan by
Religious Discourse in Modern Japan explores the transportation of the Western concept of “religion" into the modern era; the emergence of discourse on Shinto, philosophy, and Buddhism; and the evolution of the academic discipline of religious studies in Japan.
Shinto by
Distinguished scholar of Japanese religion and culture Helen Hardacre offers the first comprehensive history of Shinto, the ancient and still vibrant tradition whose colorful rituals are practiced by some 80% of the Japanese people. Under the ideal of Shinto, a divinely descended emperor governs through rituals offered to deities called Kami. These rituals are practiced in innumerable shrines across the realm, so that local rites mirror the monarch's ceremonies. Through this theatre of state, it is thought, the human, natural, and supernatural worlds will align in harmony and prosper. Often called "the indigenous religion of Japan," Shinto's institutions, rituals, and symbols are omnipresent throughout the island nation. But, perhaps surprisingly, both its religiosity and its Japanese origins have been questioned. Hardacre investigates the claims about Shinto as the embodiment of indigenous tradition, and about its rightful place in the public realm. Shinto has often been represented in the West as the engine that drove Japanese military aggression. To this day, it is considered provocative for members of the government to visit the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors the Japanese war dead, and this features as a source of strain in Japan's relations with China and Korea. This is a debated issue in Japanese national politics and reliably attracts intensive media coverage. Hardacre contends, controversially, that it was the Allied Occupation that created this stereotype of Shinto as the religion of war, when in fact virtually all branches of Japanese religions were cheerleaders for the war and imperialism.The history and nature of Shinto are subjects of vital importance for understanding contemporary Japan, its politics, its international relations, and its society. Hardacre's magisterial work will stand as the definitive reference for years to come.
Asian Religions by
This all-embracing introduction to Asian religious practices and beliefs takes a unique approach; not only does it provide a complete overview of the basic tenets of the major Asian religions, but it also demonstrates how Asian spiritualities are lived and practiced, exploring the meaning and significance they hold for believers. In a series of engaging and lively chapters, the book explores the beliefs and practices of Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Japanese religions, including Shinto. Using a comparative approach, it highlights the contrasts between Asian and Western modes of thinking and living, and debates the influence of religion on real-world issues including work, economic growth, the environment, human rights, and gender relations. this refreshing book leads readers to an enhanced understanding of the ideas and practice of Asian religions, and of their continuing relevance today.
Asia in the Making of Christianity by
This work studies conversion in the lives of Christians throughout Asia, past and present. Fifteen contributors treat perennial questions about conversion: continuity and discontinuity, conversion and communal conflict, and the politics of conversion. The accounts collected here underscore the complexity of conversion, balancing individual agency with broader social trends and combining micro- with macro contextual approaches.
Confucianism and Catholicism: Reinvigorating the Dialogue by
Confucianism and Catholicism, among the most influential religious traditions, share an intricate relationship. The nature of this relationship has generated great debate. These ten essays synthesize in a single volume this historic conversation. Written by specialists in both traditions, the essays are organized into two groups. Those in the first group focus primarily on the historical and cultural contexts in which Confucianism and Catholicism encountered one another in the four major Confucian cultures of East Asia: China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. The essays in the second part offer comparative and constructive studies of specific figures, texts, and issues in the Confucian and Catholic traditions from both theological and philosophical perspectives.
Encountering Modernity by
The story of Catholicism and Protestantism in China, Japan, and Korea has been told in great detail. The existing literature is especially rich in documenting church and missionary activities as well as how varied regions and cultures have translated Christian ideas and practices. Less evident, however, are studies that contextualize Christianity within the larger economic, political, social, and cultural developments in each of the three countries and its diasporas. The contributors to Encountering Modernity address such concerns and collectively provide insights into Christianity's role in the development of East Asia and as it took shape among East Asians in the United States. The work brings together studies of Christianity in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan and its diasporas to expand the field through new angles of vision and interpretation. Its mode of analysis not only results in a deeper understanding of Christianity, but also produces more informed and nuanced histories of East Asian countries that take seriously the structures and sensibilities of religion--broadly understood and within a national and transnational context. It critically investigates how Protestant Christianity was negotiated and interpreted by individuals in Korea, China (with a brief look at Taiwan), and Japan starting in the nineteenth century as all three countries became incorporated into the global economy and the international nation-state system anchored by the West. People in East Asia from various walks of life studied and, in some cases, embraced principles of Christianity as a way to frame and make meaningful the economic, political, and social changes they experienced because of modernity.