Out of the Cloister: Literati Perspectives on Buddhism in Sung China, 960-1279

by Mark Halperin

The intense piety of late T'ang essays on Buddhism by literati has helped earn the T'ang its title of the "golden age of Chinese Buddhism." In contrast, the Sung is often seen as an age in which the literati distanced themselves from Buddhism. This study of Sung devotional texts shows, however, that many literati participated in intra-Buddhist debates. Others were drawn to Buddhism because of its power, which found expression and reinforcement...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674022653
• ISBN13: 9780674022652
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 364 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.2"