Description
Book SynopsisThe truth of Chan Buddhism - better known as Zen - is regularly said to be beyond language, and yet Chan authors - medieval and modern - produced an enormous quantity of literature over the centuries. To make sense of this paradox, this book explores several genres of Chan literature that appeared during the Tang and Song dynasties (c 600-1300).
Trade Review"As perceptive as it is erudite, and [Cole's] prose is uncommonly readable.... This gem of cogent, provocative scholarship belongs in all collections." * Religious Studies Review *
"Patriarchs on Paper provides a useful pedagogical tool for nonspecialists trying to come to terms with the complexities of Chan, while offering specialized researchers a thought-provoking overview of crucial turning points that transpired over the course of seven centuries in the unfolding of the tradition."
* China Review International *
Table of ContentsPreface A Note on References to the Chinese Buddhist Canon Introduction: Chan-What Is It? 1. Making History: Chan as an Art Form 2. Plans for the Past: Early Accounts of How Perfect Truth Came to China 3. Portable Ancestors: Bodhidharma Gets Two New Families 4. More Local Buddhas Appear: Jingjue, Huineng, Shenhui 5. Truth, Conspiracy, and Careful Writing: A New Version of Huineng 6. The Platform Sutra and Other Conspiracy Theories 7. Chan "Dialogues" from the Tang Dynasty 8. Chan Compendiums from the Song Dynasty 9. Rules for Purity: Handbooks for Running Chan Monasteries 10. Koans and Being There Conclusions: Chan, a Buddhist Beauty Bibliography Glossary Index
