Anarchy in the Pure Land : Reinventing the Cult of Maitreya in Modern Chinese Buddhism

__Anarchy in the Pure Land__ investigates the cult of Maitreya, the future Buddha, promoted by the Chinese Buddhist reform movement spearheaded by Taixu as an avenue through which to consider the formation of alternative modernities. The cult presents an apparent anomaly: It shows precisely the kind of concern for ritual, supernatural beings, and the afterlife that much scholarship contends the reformers rejected in the name of “modernity.” This book shows that rather than a concession to tradition, the reimagining of ideas and practices associated with Maitreya was an important site for formulating a Buddhist vision of modernity. To make sense of this it develops a new perspective on alternative modernities by drawing on Charles Taylor’s notion of moral frameworks, arguing that the cult of Maitreya represents an attempt to articulate a new constellation of values that integrates novel understandings of the good clustered around modern visions of utopia with the central Buddhist value of Buddhahood. Part I traces the roots of this constellation to Taixu’s youthful career as an anarchist. Part II examines its articulation in the “Maitreya School’s” theology and the cult’s development from its inception to World War II. Part III examines its subsequent decline and its contemporary legacy within and beyond orthodox Buddhism. Cover......Page 1 Anarchy in the Pure Land......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Abbreviations and Conventions......Page 12 Contrasting Impressions......Page 14 The Push to Modernization: A Historiographic Survey......Page 15 Taixu and the Reform Movement in Republican China......Page 17 The Pull of Modernity: An Alternative Approach......Page 20 Buddhism, Radicalism, and the Framework of Revolutionary Utopianism......Page 24 The Many Faces of Maitreya......Page 25 Sources, Structure, and Significance......Page 28 Part I: Taixu’s Buddhist Radicalism......Page 38 Introduction......Page 40 A World Breaking Open......Page 42 Taixu’s Years of Living Dangerously......Page 52 Conclusion......Page 74 Introduction......Page 85 Anarcho-​socialist and Buddhist Values in Taixu’s Radical Thought......Page 87 Conclusion......Page 108 Part II: The Cult of Maitreya......Page 116 Introduction......Page 118 Maitreya’s (Ivory) Tower: Laying the Foundation in the May 4th Era......Page 120 Budai in the Marketplace: Expansion and Articulation in the Nanjing Decade......Page 131 Conclusion......Page 158 Introduction......Page 184 The Three Essentials......Page 186 Conclusion......Page 212 Part III: Worlds Closing and Opening......Page 224 Introduction......Page 226 War and Its Aftermath......Page 227 Maitreya in Exile......Page 232 Conclusion......Page 247 Introduction......Page 257 Openings: The Cult of Maitreya in the PRC......Page 259 Openness: The Cult of Maitreya in Taiwan......Page 265 Heterodox Legacies: Yiguan Dao and Maitreya Great Way......Page 273 Conclusion......Page 282 Conclusion: Remembrances of Futures Past......Page 295 Appendix A. Taixu’s Lectures on Maitreyan Texts and Topics to 1937......Page 302 Appendix B. Articles on the Maitreya School, 1922–​1937......Page 304 Appendix C. Timeline of the Maitreya School and Related Events......Page 308 Bibliography......Page 312 Index......Page 336 Cover; Anarchy In The Pure Land; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations And Conventions; Introduction: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maitreya?; Contrasting Impressions; The Push To Modernization: A Historiographic Survey; Taixu And The Reform Movement In Republican China; The Pull Of Modernity: An Alternative Approach; Buddhism, Radicalism, And The Framework Of Revolutionary Utopianism; The Many Faces Of Maitreya; Sources, Structure, And Significance; Part I: Taixu's Buddhist Radicalism; 1. Portrait Of The Master As A Young Anarchist; Introduction A World Breaking Opentaixu's Years Of Living Dangerously; Conclusion; 2. Disorienting Frameworks; Introduction; Anarcho-​socialist And Buddhist Values In Taixu's Radical Thought; Conclusion; Part Ii: The Cult Of Maitreya; 3. A New Cult For New Buddhists; Introduction; Maitreya's (ivory) Tower: Laying The Foundation In The May 4th Era; Budai In The Marketplace: Expansion And Articulation In The Nanjing Decade; Conclusion; 4. Bodhisattva Of Progress; Introduction; The Three Essentials; Conclusion; Part Iii: Worlds Closing And Opening; 5. Future Interrupted; Introduction; War And Its Aftermath Maitreya In Exileconclusion; 6. Reawakening Maitreya: Legacies Orthodox And Heterodox; Introduction; Openings: The Cult Of Maitreya In The Prc; Openness: The Cult Of Maitreya In Taiwan; Heterodox Legacies: Yiguan Dao And Maitreya Great Way; Conclusion; Conclusion: Remembrances Of Futures Past; Appendix A. Taixu's Lectures On Maitreyan Texts And Topics To 1937; Appendix B. Articles On The Maitreya School, 1922-​1937; Appendix C. Timeline Of The Maitreya School And Related Events; Bibliography; Index Justin R. Ritzinger. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 299-321) And Index. Anarchy in the Pure Land investigates the twentieth-century reinvention of the cult of Maitreya, the future Buddha, conceived by the reformer Taixu and promoted by the Chinese Buddhist reform movement. The cult presents an apparent anomaly: It shows precisely the kind of concern for ritual, supernatural beings, and the afterlife that the reformers supposedly rejected in the name of "modernity." This book shows that, rather than a concession to tradition, the reimagining of ideas and practices associated with Maitreya was an important site for formulating a Buddhist vision of modernity. Justin Ritzinger argues that the cult of Maitreya represents an attempt to articulate a new constellation of values, integrating novel understandings of the good, clustered around modern visions of utopia, with the central Buddhist goal of Buddhahood. In Part One he traces the roots of this constellation to Taixu's youthful career as an anarchist. Part Two examines its articulation in the Maitreya School's theology and its social development from its inception to World War II. Part Three looks at its subsequent decline and contemporary legacy within and beyond orthodox Buddhism. Through these investigations, Anarchy in the Pure Land develops a new framework for alternative understandings of modernity in Buddhism. Anarchy in the Pure Land shows that the modern Chinese reinvention of cult of Maitreya, the future Buddha, functioned as an important site for articulating a Buddhist vision of modernity.