DOCSLIB.ORG

In Addition to Introducing the Genre of Biography, the Editors Intend the Chapters to Provide a Good Sense of the Broader Flow O

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In Addition to Introducing the Genre of Biography, the Editors Intend the Chapters to Provide a Good Sense of the Broader Flow O 300 Frontiers of History in China 2013, 8(2) In addition to introducing the genre of biography, the editors intend the chapters to provide a good sense of the broader flow of Chinese history, particularly in terms of turning points in normative expectations for women. In their introduction, Judge and Hu state that biography can show how transformations in, or the expectations for, women’s lives were most marked in times of war and social disruption and when there were rising levels of literacy for women. But this argument is not woven throughout the essays in the book nor is it summarized in the editors’ epilogue. How did conflict (such as the An Lushan Rebellion and the Sino-Japanese War) lead to changes in women’s lived experience? The reader will need to look for answers to this question, and others, on his or her own. Much of this volume will certainly be useful for students of Chinese history. Overall it provides a good overview of genres of women’s biography, some of which is nicely summarized in an appendix. Many of the essays are fine case studies in how to use particular sources and they point historians toward possible future research. Chapters that include extensive excerpts (sometimes as long as a full page) from biographical texts provide a real flavor of the sources and good instruction on how they can and should be used. Taken as a whole, these essays remind us that both reading biographical sources and writing biographies about women is a significant way to discover changes in society over time. Helen M. Schneider Virginia Polytechnic and State University E-mail: [email protected] Jülch, Thomas, Der Orden des Sima Chengzhen und des Wang Ziqiao; Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des Shangqing-Daoismus in den Tiantai-Bergen (The Order of Sima Chengzhen and Wang Ziqiao: An Inquiry into the History of Shangqing Daoism in the Tiantai Mountains). München: Herbert Utz Verlag, 2011. ISBN: 978-3-831-64083-6. 145pp. EUR 49.00. DOI 10.3868/s020-002-013-0020-2 Though small, this work is important for the study of Taoist history. It throws a better light on one of its major representatives, Sima Chengzhen 司马承祯 (647–735), 12th patriarch of the Shangqing 上清 tradition, a blooming Taoist school under the Tang (618–907). Ute Engelhardt had certainly already studied him notably with her translation of one of his principal texts on the breath Book Reviews 301 technics; Livia Kohn too has worked on one of his short texts on meditation and Paul Kroll has written several articles on his poetry. But Thomas Jülch brings a new vision of this Taoist and his essential role on the legitimation of imperial power with the moving of the Shangqing tradition center to the Tiantai Mountains 天台山. He shows local situations as more complex than thought before with the usual split between the two major religions Taoism and Buddhism, and he demonstrates important links between imperial support and local life. Moreover he gives us the translation of three texts: Sima Chengzhen’s hagiography of Wang Ziqiao 王子乔, antiquity’s famous immortal associated with the Tiantai mountains, a Buddhist Canon text: “Notes on Tiantai Mountain” (Tiantai shan ji 天台山记), and “A Monograph on Tiantai Mountain” (Tiantai shan zhi 天台山志) from the Taoist Canon. The result is meticulous and detailed, and his faithful translations abound with annotations and commentaries, proving not only his erudition but that he traces back to the primary sources. From pages 100 to 132, we find the two complete translations of the Chinese texts and at the end a very rich bibliography. At its beginning the Shangqing School was linked to the Maoshan Mountains 茅山 in Anhui, but became temporarily associated with Mount Tiantai in Zhejiang where the eminent Taoist Sima Chengzhen had the Tongbo guan temple 桐柏观 built. For centuries these mountains sheltered an important Buddhist school, the Tiantai school with its main temple, the Guoqingsi 国清寺. Placing Buddhisn and Taoism side by side, Thomas Jülch unveils Buddhist influences on Sima Chengzhen, studying Mount Tiantai like James Robson did for the Southern Peak (Nanyue 南岳) in Hunan and revealing its importance as a center for both Taoism and Buddhism. To justify moving the Shangqing center to Tiantai, Sima Chengzhen used their association with a famous immortal in antiquity, Wang Ziqiao, whose hagiography he would write, taking old elements in such a way as to bring out striking similarities between this hagiography and his own life. The choice for this new Shangqing location shows political motives. The Sui dynasty preceding the Tang had unified China and had been legitimized through a Buddhist ideology thanks to the eminent Tiantai monk Zhiyi 智顗 (538–97). The Tang then based their support on Taoism with Sima Chengzhen, very close to the Emperor, judiciously linking Taoism with Tiantai. If Thomas Jülch describes Sima Chengzhen as a representative of what he calls political eremetism, comparing him to Tao Yuanming 陶渊明, we cannot see them as that similar, since they exhibit different attitudes and ideals. Sima Chengzhen’s influential position makes him more an imperial advisor than an eremite, and besides, we wonder how long he really resided on these mountains. A detailed analysis of the Wang Ziqiao hagiography by Sima Chengzhen introduces Jülch’s excellent translation. However in note 80, page 17, we read .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Imagining a Universal Empire: a Study of the Illustrations of the Tributary States of the Myriad Regions Attributed to Li Gonglin
    Journal of chinese humanities 5 (2019) 124-148 brill.com/joch Imagining a Universal Empire: a Study of the Illustrations of the Tributary States of the Myriad Regions Attributed to Li Gonglin Ge Zhaoguang 葛兆光 Professor of History, Fudan University, China [email protected] Abstract This article is not concerned with the history of aesthetics but, rather, is an exercise in intellectual history. “Illustrations of Tributary States” [Zhigong tu 職貢圖] as a type of art reveals a Chinese tradition of artistic representations of foreign emissaries paying tribute at the imperial court. This tradition is usually seen as going back to the “Illustrations of Tributary States,” painted by Emperor Yuan in the Liang dynasty 梁元帝 [r. 552-554] in the first half of the sixth century. This series of paintings not only had a lasting influence on aesthetic history but also gave rise to a highly distinctive intellectual tradition in the development of Chinese thought: images of foreign emis- saries were used to convey the Celestial Empire’s sense of pride and self-confidence, with representations of strange customs from foreign countries serving as a foil for the image of China as a radiant universal empire at the center of the world. The tra- dition of “Illustrations of Tributary States” was still very much alive during the time of the Song dynasty [960-1279], when China had to compete with equally powerful neighboring states, the empire’s territory had been significantly diminished, and the Chinese population had become ethnically more homogeneous. In this article, the “Illustrations of the Tributary States of the Myriad Regions” [Wanfang zhigong tu 萬方職貢圖] attributed to Li Gonglin 李公麟 [ca.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Taizhou City As a Case Study
    1 Is the trade of electronic waste sacrificing the environment for economic efficiency? China’s Taizhou City as a case study By Yejun Qian Abstract This paper provides key findings obtained through a field investigation in the booming site of electronic waste recycling (e-recycling) in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, and analyzes the entire cycle of the business focusing on its socioeconomic players and environmental impacts. The analysis demonstrates various risks associated with every point in the flow of electronic waste (e-waste) and manifests the complexity in resolving the problem. In addition, the paper includes a critical review of the roles of different players in the political arena of e-waste trading and recycling in an attempt to shed light on the resolution of the vast issue of global e-waste. Last but not least, the paper suggests a few alternatives, such as offering more incentives to develop “greener” technologies, that may ameliorate the situation in the short run and other policy measures required to achieve a longer term solution. Introduction Situated on the winding east coast of middle China, the Taizhou area enjoys a widespread fame for its beautiful natural scenery and the entrepreneurship of its people. Known as “the renowned mountain in the sea” for hundreds of years, this 9,411-square-kilometer land area encompasses more than ten national tourist sites, such as the Tiantai Mountain and the “Holy Residence,” and over a hundred provincial and local scenic spots. Moreover, it prides itself not only on being one of the main production bases of grain, fruit and fish in China, but also on serving as an important port of foreign trade with the outside world.
    [Show full text]
  • "Road of Tang Poetry" in Eastern Zhejiang Province
    ISSN 1799-2591 Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 11, No. 6, pp. 676-680, June 2021 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1106.11 A Study on Chinese-English Translation Standard of Landscape Public Signs Along the "Road of Tang Poetry" in Eastern Zhejiang Province Ning Zhao Zhejiang Yuexiu University, China Yong Wu Zhejiang Yuexiu University, China Abstract—Based on the development background of the "Road of Tang Poetry" in eastern Zhejiang, this paper discusses the influence of the non-standard Chinese-English translation of public signs along the "Road of Tang Poetry" on the development of the "Road of Tang Poetry," which to some extent hinders the acceptance and understanding of foreigners and affects the international dissemination of Chinese culture. Therefore, it is urgent to regulate the translation of public signs in scenic spots. This research studies the theory and practice of translating public signs from the perspective of translation norms discuss the problems existing in translating public signs in the vital scenic spots of "Road of Tang poetry" in eastern Zhejiang Province. This research also puts forward corresponding translation principles and strategies, hope that relevant developments can pay attention to and standardize the translation of public signs in scenic spots, to promote the promoting role of the translation of public signs in the construction of the "Road of Tang poetry" in eastern Zhejiang, and deepen the level of the foreign communication and exchanges. Index Terms—landscape of the road of Tang poetry, Chinese-English translation standard public signs I. INTRODUCTION In 1991, Professor Zhu Yuebing, a famous scholar, first put forward the concept of "Road of Tang Poetry," pointing out the "Road of Tang Poetry in Eastern Zhejiang." The whole "Tang poetry road" refers to the ancient tourist scenery in ancient Shanzhong, where Tang poets traveled frequently and greatly influenced Tang poetry's development.
    [Show full text]
  • Daoism Quiz: Questions and Answers
    kupidonia.com Daoism Quiz: questions and answers Daoism Quiz: questions and answers - 1 / 4 kupidonia.com 1. Where is Taoism native to? Korea China Japan 2. The roots of Taoism go back at least to the: 4th century BC 5th century BC 3th century BC 3. Who is regarded as the founder of Taoism? Laozi Confucius Cao Cao 4. Taoism, in form of the Shangqing school, gained official status in China again during the: Sui dynasty Zhou dynasty Tang dynasty 5. Who compiled a series of scriptures which later served as the foundation of the Lingbao school? Huizong Ge Chaofu Daoism Quiz: questions and answers - 2 / 4 kupidonia.com Qiu Chuji 6. When was the Quanzhen School founded in Shandong? 13th century 12th century 11th century 7. Which Taoist master was successful in influencing the Khan towards exerting more restraint during his brutal conquests? Qiu Chuji Ge Chaofu Chung-ying Cheng 8. Taoism can be defined as pantheistic, what does it mean? Pantheism is the belief that reality is identical with divinity Pantheism is the belief that the divine pervades and interpenetrates every part of the universe and also extends beyond time and space Pantheism is the view that consciousness, mind, or soul (psyche) is a universal and primordial feature of all things 9. Which text is widely considered the most influential Taoist text? "The Daozang" "The Zhuangzi" "Tao Te Ching" 10. What is the name of the main association of Taoism in the People's Republic of China? Chinese Taoist Association Taoist Association Taoist Association of China Daoism Quiz: questions and answers - 3 / 4 kupidonia.com Daoism Quiz: questions and answers Right answers 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Characteristics of the Distribution-Initiation-Motion-And
    Characteristics of the Distribution, Initiation, Motion, and Evolution of the Thunderstorms over the Yangtze River Delta Region DAI Jianhua*, TAO Lan, and SUN Min Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory China Meteorological Administration Shanghai, China * [email protected] Abstract —Using the WSR-88D Doppler Weather radar and Topography, surface features and the urban heat island all the Vaisala lightning detection data, some characteristics (the play important roles in YRD’s weather. In the YRD, for spatiotemporal distributions and motion features) of example like Shanghai, receives an average annual rainfall of thunderstorms over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region are 1,200 mm; nearly 60% of the precipitation comes during the investigated. Local storms tend to be cluster over cities, isolated April-September warm season. During July and September, mountains or hills, and water-land borders. Storm intensifying thunderstorms with lightning strikes, heavy rain, hail and centers are found about 10-30 km downwind of the city centers, damaging winds (squalls) become frequent. On average there while the medium-path storms also show a downwind effect with are 15 rainy days and 8 thunderstorm days per month in the a distance of from medium-sized cities and centers of larger cities warm seasons. about 10 km farther than those of local storms. In Shanghai, sea- breeze front is found to be more important for local Using the WSR-88D Doppler Weather radar and the thunderstorm initiation and development than the urban heat Vaisala lightning detection data, some characteristics (the island effect. Vertical structure of storm cell and lightning spatiotemporal distributions and motion features) of activity during the evolutionary stages of several types of thunderstorms over the Yangtze River Delta region are thunderstorms are also analyzed, and a basic conceptual model investigated.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Daoist Meditation and the Origins of Inner Alchemy
    EARLY DAOIST MEDITATION 7 EARLY DAOIST MEDITATION AND THE ORIGINS OF INNER ALCHEMY Fabrizio Pregadio According to one of the scriptures belonging to the Taiqing, or Great Clar- ity, tradition, after an adept receives alchemical texts and relevant oral instructions from his master, he withdraws to a mountain or a secluded place to perform purification practices. He establishes the ritual area, demar- cates it with talismans for protection against demons and wild animals, and builds a Chamber of the Elixirs (danshi) at the centre of this protected space. To start compounding the elixir, he chooses a favourable day based on traditional methods of calendrical computation. When all ritual, spatial and temporal conditions are fulfilled, he may finally kindle the fire. Now he offers food and drink to three deities, and asks that they grant the successful compounding of the elixir: This petty man, (name of the adept), truly and entirely devotes his thoughts to the Great Lord of the Dao, Lord Lao and the Lord of Great Harmony. Alas! This petty man, (name of the adept), covets the Medicine of Life! Lead him so that the Medicine will not volat- ilise and be lost, but rather be fixed by the fire! Let the Medicine be good and efficacious, let the transmutations take place without hesitation, and let the Yellow and the White be entirely fixed! When he ingests the Medicine, let him fly as an immortal, have audience at the Purple Palace (Zigong), live an unending life and become an accomplished man (zhiren)!1 The Great Lord of the Dao (Da Daojun), Lord Lao (Laojun, or Laozi in his divine aspect) and the Lord of Great Harmony (Taihe jun) are not mentioned together in other alchemical texts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Contribution of Buddhist Scholars Toward the Friendship of China and Japan
    The Contribution of Buddhist Scholars toward the Friendship of China and Japan Yang Zengwen EING geographically close to each other, China and Japan have Bshared a history of amicable exchanges for over 2,000 years, which has had many important influences on the economy, politics, and culture of both countries. Since the normalization of the diplomatic relationship of the two countries in 1972, the governments of both China and Japan have placed great importance on the development of their bilateral rela- tionship, and have continuously developed their good relationship since then. In 1998, the leaders of the two countries agreed to a joint declara- tion to establish the concord for their peace and development. In 2008, the two countries further reached the Chinese-Japanese joint statement that promoted a full-scale strategic reciprocal relationship. It upheld a lofty long-term goal which aimed to accomplish a peaceful coexistence, a friendship from generation to generation, and a mutually beneficial collaboration for shared development.1 On the occasion of the academic conference “Modern Society and Religion” co-sponsored by the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Institute of Oriental Phi- losophy in Japan, I wish to discuss the appropriate attitude and responsibility of Buddhist scholars in both countries for the sake of peaceful coexistence and ever-lasting friendship between both coun- tries from the view of a Buddhist researcher. I. Buddhism was Once the Important Bond and Bridge of the Cultural Exchanges between China and Japan According to the records in the history books of China, exchanges between China and Japan can be traced back to the Western Han period in the second century B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • THE DAOIST BODY in the LITURGY of SALVATION THROUGH REFINEMENT by BINGXIA BIAN B.L., South-Central University for Nationalities, 2016
    THE DAOIST BODY IN THE LITURGY OF SALVATION THROUGH REFINEMENT by BINGXIA BIAN B.L., South-Central University for Nationalities, 2016 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Religious Studies 2019 ii This thesis entitled: The Daoist Body in the Liturgy of Salvation through Refinement written by Bingxia Bian has been approved for the Department of Religious Studies Terry F. Kleeman Loriliai Biernacki Holly Gayley Date The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. iii Bian, Bingxia (M.A., Department of Religious Studies) The Daoist Body in the Liturgy of Salvation through Refinement Thesis directed by Professor Terry F. Kleeman Abstract This thesis will address the concept of the body and souls in the context of a Daoist ritual, the Liturgy of Salvation through Refinement (liandu yi 鍊度儀) based on the "Great Refinement of Numinous Treasures" (Lingbao dalian 靈寶⼤鍊) in the Great Rites of Shangqing Lingbao (Shangqing Lingbao dafa 上清灵宝⼤法) written by Wang Qizhen 王契真 (fl. ca 1250). The first chapter is a brief review of traditional Chinese ideas toward the body and souls. People believed that the deceased live in the other world having the same need as they alive. Gradually, they started to sought methods to extend their life in this world and to keep their souls alive in the other world.
    [Show full text]
  • Late Works of Mou Zongsan Modern Chinese Philosophy
    Late Works of Mou Zongsan Modern Chinese Philosophy Edited by John Makeham, Australian National University VOLUME 7 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/mcp Late Works of Mou Zongsan Selected Essays on Chinese Philosophy Translated and edited by Jason Clower LEIDEN | BOSTON The book is an English translation of Mou Zongsan’s essays with the permission granted by the Foundation for the Study of Chinese Philosophy and Culture. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mou, Zongsan, author. [Works. Selections. English] Late works of Mou Zongsan : selected essays on Chinese philosophy / translated and edited by Jason Clower. pages cm — (Modern Chinese philosophy ; VOLUME 7) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-27889-9 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-27890-5 (e-book) 1. Philosophy, Chinese. I. Clower, Jason (Jason T.), translator, editor. II. Title. B126.M66413 2014 181’.11—dc23 2014016448 This publication has been typeset in the multilingual ‘Brill’ typeface. With over 5,100 characters covering Latin, ipa, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see brill.com/brill-typeface. issn 1875-9386 isbn 978 90 04 27889 9 (hardback) isbn 978 90 04 27890 5 (e-book) Copyright 2014 by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill nv incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Nijhoff, Global Oriental and Hotei Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • The Revival of Tiantai Buddhism in the Late Ming: on the Thought of Youxi Chuandeng 幽溪傳燈 (1554-1628)
    The Revival of Tiantai Buddhism in the Late Ming: On the Thought of Youxi Chuandeng 幽溪傳燈 (1554-1628) Yungfen Ma Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2011 © 2011 Yungfen Ma All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The Revival of Tiantai Buddhism in the Late Ming: On the Thought of Youxi Chuandeng 幽溪傳燈 (1554-1628) Yungfen Ma This dissertation is a study of Youxi Chuandeng’s (1554-1628) transformation of “Buddha-nature includes good and evil,” also known as “inherent evil,” a unique idea representing Tiantai’s nature-inclusion philosophy in Chinese Buddhism. Focused on his major treatise On Nature Including Good and Evil, this research demonstrates how Chuandeng, in his efforts to regenerate Tiantai, incorporated the important intellectual themes of the late Ming, especially those found in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra. In his treatise, Chuandeng systematically presented his ideas on doctrinal classification, the principle of nature-inclusion, and the practice of the Dharma-gate of inherent evil. Redefining Tiantai doctrinal classification, he legitimized the idea of inherent evil to be the highest Buddhist teaching and proved the superiority of Buddhism over Confucianism. Drawing upon the notions of pure mind and the seven elements found in the Śūraṃgama Sūtra, he reinterpreted nature-inclusion and the Dharma-gate of inherent evil emphasizing inherent evil as pure rather than defiled. Conversely, he reinterpreted the Śūraṃgama Sūtra by nature-inclusion. Chuandeng incorporated Confucianism and the Śūraṃgama Sūtra as a response to the dominating thought of his day, this being the particular manner in which previous Tiantai thinkers upheld, defended and spread Tiantai.
    [Show full text]
  • Chen Meiwen-Gendered Ritual and Performative Literacy
    Cover Page The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/41195 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation Author: Chen Meiwen Title: Gendered ritual and performative literacy : Yao Women, goddesses of fertility, and the Chinese imperial state Issue Date: 2016-06-29 Chapter 3. The Civilizing Project and Its Social Consequences: Ordination, the Manuscript as an Object of Value, and the Male-Female Relations in Religious Domain Many pieces of ethnographical evidence collected in Southeast Asia during the mid-twentieth century confirm that a Yao define his or her Yao-ness through the performance of ritual rather than by any biological relationship.1 In the Chinese context, ritual practices have also continued to play an integral role in the formation of Yao ethnicity, even in the post-Maoist era (1980s--) in which the discourses of and the plans for modernization have dominated every aspect of Chinese society.2 Among all the rituals the Yao practice, ordination, the ritual that bestows the qualification of a ritual specialist upon a Yao man, is undoubtedly the most significant in defining Yao ethnicity. The Yao practise a form of ordination that appears to be a distant mirror of the earliest days of Daoism—namely: the Heavenly Masters’ Church of the second century AD—a time at which communal ordination was popular.3 Jacques Lemoine uses the term ‘collective priesthood’ to contrast Yao ordination with the contemporary Chinese Daoist system, because Chinese ordination singles out the candidates for ordination individually, and the members of this elected elite act out their spiritual roles on behalf of a community of laymen.4 Yao Daoist ordination has also overshadowed a great part of what is called Yao Daoism.
    [Show full text]
  • Hangzhou Shaoxing Ningbo Taizhou Zhoushan Wenzhou Huzhou Lishui
    PAGE 8 | EXPOSURE ZHEJIANG TOURISM JULY 9 - 15, 2010 CHINA DAILY | PAGE 9 Province with plenty to off er Zhejiang has a cornucopia of tourist locations, Yang Yijun details some of them. Huzhou Zhejiang province has more to off er than just the tourist cities of Hangzhou, Ningbo Jiaxing and Wenzhou. With many scenic spots, there is a lot to discover in the province, which lies just to the south of Shanghai. Aft er a tour of the Expo 2010 Shanghai, be sure to 8 check out some of these places for an authentic and less touristy experience. 1. Fenghua A large bronze Guanyin statue on Mount Tiantai Mountain shrouded by mist. Located in eastern Zhejiang province, Fenghua is most famous for the Xuedou Putuo. Mountain Scenic Area. Th e scenic areas include Xikou town, Xuedou Mountain and Tingxia Lake. Xikou town is the hometown of Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese military Hangzhou 4. Suichang and political leader who led the Kuomintang for fi ve decades. Chiang’s residences, 9 Putuo Suichang county, in the southwestern of the province, is where Tang Xianzu, known as the Shakespeare of the which are all traditional Chinese-style houses, including Fenggao House, where he Orient, wrote his masterpiece, Th e Peony Pavilion, about 500 years ago during the Ming Dynasty. Th e county is as was born, are well maintained. beautiful as the play. In Shimuyan Scenic Area, you’ll fi nd a danxia landform, a unique type of petrographic geomor- phology formed from red sandstone and characterized by steep cliff s. 2.
    [Show full text]