1st Edition
The Cultural Practices of Modern Chinese Buddhism Attuning the Dharma
Buddhism in China during the late Qing and Republican period remained a powerful cultural and religious force. Francesca Tarocco is a rising star in this field and offers an innovative high-quality piece of work that presents a new perspective on the influence of Buddhism on Chinese culture. Drawing on scarcely analyzed historical and archive sources, including photographs and musical scores, Tarocco adeptly argues that Chinese Buddhism played a more vital role in shaping Chinese culture than previously assumed.
This enlightening study fills a significant gap in the field of Chinese Buddhist history. Focusing on the cultural side of Buddhism, it adds breadth and balance to studies in Buddhism as a whole, appealing to professionals and academics with an interest in Buddhism and Chinese Buddhist history.
Introduction: Modern Buddhist Cultures Part 1: The Cultural Practices of Buddhist Modernity 1.1 Shanghai Buddhism 1.2 Vegetarian Identites 1.3 The Esoteric Fever 1.4 Printing the Dharma 1.5 Continuities and Discontinuities 1.6 Buddhist Canons 1.7 Yang Wenhui 1.8 Awakening the Faith 1.9 Buddhist Books beyond China 1.10 Shanghai Publishers 1.11 The Romantic Buddhism of Su Manshu 1.12 Life and Death in Feng Zikai’s Drawings 1.13 The Buddhist Periodical Press 1.14 Buddhism, Religion and the Nation 1.15 Images of Modern Buddhism Part 2: The Sound of Modern Buddhism 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Li Shutong: From Shaghai to Tokyo, and Back 2.3 Songs of Nationalism 2.4 The Power of Songs 2.5 Hymns, Anthems and Songs 2.6 Songs of Modernity 2.7 Li Shutong ‘Leaves Home’ 2.8 Buddhist Songs 2.9 Buddhist Musical Ties 2.10 Continuities and Discontinuities 2.11 ‘Scientific Gadgets’: Buddhist Radio and Phonograph Recordings 2.12 Buddhist Songs in the Digital Age
Biography
Francesca Tarocco is a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellow and a Lecturer in Buddhist Studies at the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures at the University of Manchester. She is the author of several studies on Chinese Buddhism and co-author of Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon (Reaktion 2007).
'As a brief overview of the beginnings of modern Buddhist publishing and music it will be a valuable source for scholars of Religion in China. The book is particularly important for anyone studying the use of modern mass media by Chinese Buddhists.' - MARCUS GÜNZEL, Hsuan Chuang University, Taiwan, Journal of Chinese Religions, 2008
