The Koan

Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism

By: Steven Heine (Editor), Dale S. Wright (Editor)

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Hardcover | 1 April 2000

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Hardcover
336 Pages

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22.86 x 15.24 x 2.24

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Koans are enigmatic spiritual formulas used for religious training in the Zen Buddhist tradition. This innovative religious practice is one of the most distinctive elements of this tradition, which originated in medieval China and spread to Japan and Korea. Perhaps no dimension of Asian religous has attracted so much interest in the West, and its influence is apparent from beat poetry to deconstructive literary critisism. The essays collected in this volume, all previously unpublished, argue that our understanding of the koan tradition has been severely limited. The authors try to undermine stereotypes and problematic interpretations by examining previously unrecognized factors in the formation of the tradition, and by highlighting the rich complexity and remarkable diversity of koan practice and literature.

Industry Reviews

Anyone obliged to teach the history of Zen Buddhism will welcome this book ... The editors are to be congratulated on bringing such a wealth of fresh research into the public domain. Buddhist Studies Review This book includes essays that cover everything you need to know about koans, and explore the controversies surrounding them ... the book is valuable not only for those interested in koans and Zen but also for people who want to know how a tradition constitutes itself, how it grows, and how it has described itself over time. Dharma Life

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Non-Fiction Religion & Beliefs Buddhism Zen Buddhism Philosophy Non-Western Philosophy Oriental & Indian Philosophy

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Published: 1st April 2000

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Abbreviations	p. ix
List of Contributors	p. xi
Introduction Kōan Tradition: Self-Narrative and Contemporary Perspectives	p. 3
The Form and Function of Koan Literature: A Historical Overview	p. 15
The Antecedents of Encounter Dialogue in Chinese Ch'An Buddhism	p. 46
Mahākās&U0301yapa's Smile: Silent Transmission and the Kung-An (kōan) Tradition	p. 75
Kung-An Ch'An and the Tsung-Men T'Ung-Yao Chi	p. 110
Visions, Divisions, Revisions: The Encounter Between Iconoclasm and Supernaturalism in Kōan Cases About Mount Wu-T'Ai	p. 137
""""Before the Empty Eon"""" Versus """"A Dog Has No Buddha-Nature"""": Kung-An Use in the Ts'Ao-Tung Tradition and Ta-Hui's Kung-An Introspection Ch'An	p. 168
Kōan History: Transformative Language in Chinese Buddhist Thought	p. 200
Ikkyū and Kōans	p. 213
Transmission of Kirigami (secret Initiation Documents): A Sōtō Practice in Medieval Japan	p. 233
Emerging from Nonduality: Kōan Practice in the Rinzai Tradition Since Hakuin	p. 244
Kōan and Kensho in the Rinzai Zen Curriculum	p. 280
Index	p. 317
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

The Koan

Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

Other Editions and Formats

Paperback

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