Burning for the Buddha: Self-Immolation in Chinese BuddhismBurning for the Buddha is the first book-length study of the theory and practice of "abandoning the body"(self-immolation) in Chinese Buddhism. It examines the hagiographical accounts of all those who made offerings of their own bodies and places them in historical, social, cultural, and doctrinal context. Rather than privilege the doctrinal and exegetical interpretations of the tradition, which assume the central importance of the mind and its cultivation, James Benn focuses on the ways in which the heroic ideals of the bodhisattva present in scriptural materials such as the Lotus Sutra played out in the realm of religious practice on the ground. |
Contents
SelfImmolation in Early Medieval China | 19 |
The Lotus Sūtra AutoCremation | 54 |
of SelfImmolation | 78 |
Conclusion | 195 |
Appendix 1 | 203 |
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Common terms and phrases
able Account actions appears Appended attain auto-cremation became biography bodhisattva body Buddha Buddhist burned called century Chan chanting Chapter China Chinese cloth collection compiled completely composed contains continued cremation Daoxuan death dharma died disciples discussed donation dynasty early emperor example fact give head important King known late later Liang light lives Lotus Sūtra master material means Medicine King medieval mentioned mind Ming miracles monastery monk month mountain ngers Note offering ordered particular path period person practice precepts present present-day prince recited recorded reference relics religious remains rewood says scripture seems seen self-immolation SGSZ 23 shan shows single Song sources story stūpa suggest Tang teachings thousand tion took translated tree true University whole xu gaoseng zhuan Yanshou Zanning