Spreading Buddha's Word in East Asia: The Formation and Transformation of the Chinese Buddhist Canon (The Sheng Yen Series in Chinese Buddhist Studies)

A monumental work in the history of religion, the history of the book, the study of politics, and bibliographical research, this volume follows the making of the Chinese Buddhist canon from the fourth century to the digital era. Approaching the subject from a historical perspective, it ties the religious, social, and textual practices of canon formation to the development of East Asian Buddhist culture and enlivens Chinese Buddhist texts for readers interested in the evolution of Chinese writing and the Confucian and Daoist traditions. The collection undertakes extensive readings of major scriptural catalogs from the early manuscript era as well as major printed editions, including the Kaibao Canon, Qisha Canon, Goryeo Canon, and Taisho Canon. Contributors add fascinating depth to such understudied issues as the historical process of compilation, textual manipulation, physical production and management, sponsorship, the dissemination of various editions, cultic activities surrounding the canon, and the canon's reception in different East Asian societies. The Chinese Buddhist canon is one of the most enduring textual traditions in East Asian religion and culture, and through this exhaustive, multifaceted effort, an essential body of work becomes part of a new, versatile narrative of East Asian Buddhism that has far-reaching implications for world history. Table of Contents 8 Preface, by Lewis Lancaster 12 Acknowledgments 18 Conventions 20 Introduction, by Jiang Wu and Lucille Chia 24 Part I: Overview 36 1. The Chinese Buddhist Canon Through the Ages: Essential Categories and Critical Issues in the Study of a Textual Tradition, by Jiang Wu 38 2. From the “Cult of the Book” to the “Cult of the Canon”: A Neglected Tradition in Chinese Buddhism, by Jiang Wu 69 Part II: The Formative Period 102 3. Notions and Visions of the Canon in Early Chinese Buddhism, by Stefano Zacchetti 104 4. Fei Changfang’s Lidai sanbao ji and Its Role in the Formation of the Chinese Buddhist Canon, by Tanya Storch 132 Part III: The Advent of Printing 166 5. The Birth of the First Printed Canon: The Kaibao Edition and Its Impact, by Jiang Wu, Lucille Chia, and Chen Zhichao 168 6. The Life and Afterlife of Qisha Canon, by Lucille Chia 204 7. Managing the Dharma Treasure: Collation, Carving, Printing, and Distribution of the Canon in Late Imperial China, by Darui Long 242 Part IV: The Canon Beyond China 270 8. Better Than the Original: The Creation of Goryeo Canon and the Formation of Giyang Pulgyo, by Jiang Wu and Ron Dziwenka 272 9. Taisho Canon: Devotion, Scholarship, and Nationalism in the Creation of the Modern Buddhist Canon in Japan, by Greg Wilkinson 307 Appendix 1. A Brief Survey of the Printed Editions of the Chinese Buddhist Canon, by Li Fuhua and He Mei 334 Appendix 2. The Creation of the CBETA Electronic Tripitaka Collection in Taiwan, by Aming Tu 344 Bibliography 360 List of Contributors 398 Index 402 The editors present "extensive readings of major scriptural catalogs from the early manuscript era as well as major printed editions, including the Kaibao Canon, Qisha Canon, Goryeo Canon, and Taisho Canon. Contributors add fascinating depth to such understudied issues as the historical process of compilation, textual manipulation, physical production and management, sponsorship, the dissemination of various editions, cultic activities surrounding the canon, and the canon's reception in different East Asian societies. The Chinese Buddhist canon is one of the most enduring textual traditions in East Asian religion and culture. Through this multifaceted effort, an essential body of work becomes part of a new narrative of East Asian Buddhism."--Adatped rom the dust jacket. Provided by publisher