Publisher's Synopsis
Through the life stories and translated writings of nine masters, modern Chinese Buddhism comes to light for English readers for the first time. Featuring contributions from Guo Gu on Xuyun, Benjamin Brose on on Laiguo, Justin Ritzinger on Taixu, Raoul Birnbaum on Hongyi, Charles B. Jones on Yinguang, Beata Grant on Benkong, Erik Hammerstrom on Changxing, and Jason Protass on Jichan. Buddhist traditions are often represented by their most renowned teachers, but in the case of Chinese Buddhism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, few such figures are known outside China, to the detriment of our knowledge of the tradition as a whole. Buddhist monastics and laypeople faced enormous challenges as China underwent political revolution and cultural upheaval, yet this proved a time of great vitality for Chinese Buddhism. The pioneering scholar Holmes Welch even described this period as a "Buddhist revival" because so many prominent figures labored to reinvigorate core practices and traditions. Whether we look at Chan, Pure Land, Huayan, or the eclectic intermixing of schools characteristic of Chinese Buddhism; whether we consider intensive meditation, chanting of the Buddha's name, or scrupulous observance of monastic rules; and whether we look at practices rooted in strict traditionalism or those with a reformist bent-the forms of Buddhism now practiced in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia rest firmly on foundations laid during the first half of the twentieth century. Buddhist Masters of Modern China introduces readers to the teachings of some of the most important Chinese Buddhist masters of the modern period. Brilliantly introduced by editor and Buddhist studies scholar Benjamin Brose, the ensuing eight chapters-written by leading scholars of Chinese Buddhism-each profile one eminent monk or nun from the era. They first survey the life and practice of the figure, then offer an English translation of a representative or particularly influential teaching of that individual. Taken together, they paint a detailed and long-overdue portrait of the modern evolution of Chinese Buddhism.
