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I really enjoyed reading a book about Chinese religion again. This book is an excellent introduction to the history of Buddhism in China. It reminded me a great deal of a lot of notes that I took in class, and even went into certain areas in more depth, in particular the travels of Chinese Buddhist monks, such as Fa xian and Hsuan Tsang and the lives of the famous translators, such as Kumarajiva. Hsuan Tsang is the famous monk who travelled to India in search of scriptures during the Tang who later became characterised in 西游记. Ikeda while praising him for his tremendous undertaking is critical of his devotion to translating the scriptures that he took such pains to collect. "…his activities upon his return to China seem disappointingly small in scale. Instead of working to disseminate the teachings to as wide an audience as possible, as a true man of religion would have done, he was content to spend his remaining years in the task of translation…the works he chose to translate were of a highly philosophical and abtruse nature, suitable perhaps for the study of scholars and members of the aristocracy, but lacking in the true Mahayana spirit, with its concern for the salvation of all humankind." (136).
Ikeda is a modern Japanese Buddhist who follows the Tian tai school. He therefore focuses the book on the Lotus Sutra, and the development of that school in China. However, despite this he is able to develop a good historical approach to his studies and isn't too critical of those who disagree (the above criticism of Hsuan Tsang being the most extreme example). Like many introductory works he focuses on Buddhism in China only up to the end of the Song, where traditionally Buddhism is seen to have gone into decline. (This idea has been challenged by more recent scholarship). He introduces a lot of other Japanese scholarship on the history of Buddhism in China. Such as the discussion on "matching the meaning" used (incorrectly) in early translation of Buddhist texts as well as Japanese periodization of Buddhism in China.
This book was an enjoyable read and a good reference book to have. While much of the information in it I knew already it was good to read another perspective on the topic.
Ikeda is a modern Japanese Buddhist who follows the Tian tai school. He therefore focuses the book on the Lotus Sutra, and the development of that school in China. However, despite this he is able to develop a good historical approach to his studies and isn't too critical of those who disagree (the above criticism of Hsuan Tsang being the most extreme example). Like many introductory works he focuses on Buddhism in China only up to the end of the Song, where traditionally Buddhism is seen to have gone into decline. (This idea has been challenged by more recent scholarship). He introduces a lot of other Japanese scholarship on the history of Buddhism in China. Such as the discussion on "matching the meaning" used (incorrectly) in early translation of Buddhist texts as well as Japanese periodization of Buddhism in China.
This book was an enjoyable read and a good reference book to have. While much of the information in it I knew already it was good to read another perspective on the topic.