Description
Book SynopsisMatthew W. King tells the story of one Mongolian monk’s efforts to defend Buddhist monasticism in revolutionary times. He reveals an unexplored landscape of countermodern Buddhisms beyond old imperial formations and the newly invented national subject.
Trade ReviewThis is not merely an intellectual history; it is religious studies at its best.
Ocean of Milk, Ocean of Blood establishes a new paradigm in the study of Buddhist Asia, showcasing both how to study countermodern Buddhism and what it reveals. -- Johan Elverskog, author of
Buddhism and Islam on the Silk RoadKing's obviously deep exposure to and grasp of a wide range of theoretical readings has made him alert and attentive to fields beyond his immediate interests in Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhist religion and society. This book combines effective argumentation, solid evidence, and a lyrical quality rare in specialized monographs. -- Gray Tuttle, coeditor of
Sources of Tibetan TraditionKing’s brilliant book reshapes our understanding of the countermodern response of postimperial Geluk monasticism in the disenchanted world of the Mongol frontiers of the Qing. This beautifully written and theoretically sophisticated book makes a historiographically significant contribution to scholarship on early twentieth-century Inner Asian Buddhism. -- Vesna A. Wallace, editor of
Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and SocietyKing's examination of Damdin is a useful contribution to the literature on Buddhism. * Choice *
This outstanding monograph provides an urgently needed approach to expose the multivocal and even paradoxical qualities of power, knowledge, and historicity; it is an absolutely indispensable work for any scholar interested in Mongolian Buddhism and religiosities in modern Asia. * Religious Studies Review *
The true worth of this volume lies in King’s excellent narrative ability: He has offered a fascinating insight into not only the understudied figure of Zava Damdin, but also into the intricate world of late- QÌng and early Republican era Buddhism. * Religious Studies Review *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
List of Conventions
Introduction
Part I. Enchantment1. Wandering
2. Felt
3. Milk
Part II. Disenchantment4. Wandering in a Post-Qing World
5. Vacant Thrones
6. Blood
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
