![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yesterday I read Buddhism in Chinese History by Arthur F. Wright. It was recommended to my by Professor Ebrey and is also on the list of books for SOAS. I think it's definitely considered a classic in the field, it was written in 1959. But despite that there were only a couple of things that seemed out of date. I've read one other book by Wright, The Sui Dynasty. It looked at the Sui, the short lived dynasty before the Tang. And showed how great an influence they actually had on the Tang, despite the short time they were around.
Buddhism in Chinese History looked at the historical perspective of Buddhism in China. It started looking at the situation that made China receptive to Buddhism in the first place, the downfall of the Han, and then how it changed over time, up until the Song. My only complaint about this book was that it simply stopped at the Song and then transfered to the modern period. He basically said that neo-Confucianism stopped all but popular beliefs in Buddhism after this time and it was therefore not interesting to talk about. Given that's about 700 years more history I think there was probably something interesting happening. But perhaps they didn't know it yet.
The fact that it was written in 1959 showed itself in a couple of interesting ways. Firstly in response to the Northern Dynasties in the period of dissolution, he referred to them simply as "barbarians" and seemed to mainly support the traditional Chinese belief that they were a bad influence and did nothing positive for the people. Whereas further research has been much more sympathetic to the tribes of the North, trying to identify their cultural traditions and the way they impacted China both positively and negatively.
The other interesting point was his view on the future of Buddhism in China. Basically he thought that the communists would erase all traces of the religion,
Fortunately I don't think it was quite as bleak as that.
But I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese Buddhism. It looks more on the history and it's influence rather than it's specific beliefs, which is only covered a little. But it's a good clear introduction to the subject even even over 40 years later.
Buddhism in Chinese History looked at the historical perspective of Buddhism in China. It started looking at the situation that made China receptive to Buddhism in the first place, the downfall of the Han, and then how it changed over time, up until the Song. My only complaint about this book was that it simply stopped at the Song and then transfered to the modern period. He basically said that neo-Confucianism stopped all but popular beliefs in Buddhism after this time and it was therefore not interesting to talk about. Given that's about 700 years more history I think there was probably something interesting happening. But perhaps they didn't know it yet.
The fact that it was written in 1959 showed itself in a couple of interesting ways. Firstly in response to the Northern Dynasties in the period of dissolution, he referred to them simply as "barbarians" and seemed to mainly support the traditional Chinese belief that they were a bad influence and did nothing positive for the people. Whereas further research has been much more sympathetic to the tribes of the North, trying to identify their cultural traditions and the way they impacted China both positively and negatively.
The other interesting point was his view on the future of Buddhism in China. Basically he thought that the communists would erase all traces of the religion,
...The last twilight of Chinese Buddhism as an organized religion. The dispersed fragments of its cults and beliefs are being systematically extirpated throughout the whole society. The Communist war on "superstition" in the villages is unremitting, and one wonders how long the peasantry will cling to its Buddho-Taoist folk religion"
Fortunately I don't think it was quite as bleak as that.
But I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese Buddhism. It looks more on the history and it's influence rather than it's specific beliefs, which is only covered a little. But it's a good clear introduction to the subject even even over 40 years later.