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For centuries Daoism (Taoism) has played a central role in the development of Chinese thought and civilization, yet to this day only a few of its sacred texts have been translated into English. Now Stephen R. Bokenkamp introduces the reader to ancient scriptures never before published in the West, providing a systematic and easily accessible introduction to early Daoism (c. 2nd-6th C.E.). Representative works from each of the principal Daoist traditions comprise the basic structure of the book, with each chapter accompanied by an introduction that places the material within a historical and cultural context. Included are translations of the earliest Daoist commentary to Laozi's Daode jing (T...
While the customary path to achievement in traditional China was through service to the state, from the earliest times certain individuals had been acclaimed for repudiating an official career. This book traces the formulation and portrayal of the practice of reclusion in China from the earliest times through the sixth century, by which time reclusion had taken on its enduring character. Those men who decided to withhold their service to state governance fit the dictum from the Book of Changes of a man who "does not serve a king or lord; he elevates in priority his own affairs." This characterization came to serve as a byword of individual and voluntary withdrawal, the image of the man whose...
In classical Chinese, The Great Enterprise means winning The Mandate of heaven to rule over China, the Central Kingdom. This first of a two-volume work on The Great Enterprise of the Manchus is the first scholarly narrative in any language relating their conquest of China during the seventeenth century. (This book was originally published as a boxed two-volume set. It is now available as separate volumes with a plain hardcover. The page numbering continues from the first volume to the second.)
If any subject lends itself to treatment in an edited volume, it is Chinese Religions; It is a recognized fact that the boundaries between the various religions in China, and those between religion and culture in general, have always been fluid. This can only be duly acknowledged by careful research from many angles – and by many experts. It is exactly these mutual influences that form the leading theme in this Festschrift in honour of Kristofer Schipper, taken up by a selection of his many expert pupils and colleagues. The thirteen contributions span over two millennia, ranging from the late Zhou to the present. Topics include divination, religious puppet theatre, the art of translating, late Ming Christianity, and literature. The major focus, however, is Taoism and its connections with medieval society, popular cults and medicine. Special mention, in this connection, should be made of an extensive analysis and translation of a fourth century poem from the Taoist Canon, and a study of the social circle of a leading Tang dynasty Taoist.
The extensive ritual and mythological lore of the Chinese Triads form the scope of this new paperback title in Brill’s Scholars’ List. The author critically evaluates the extant sources and offers a wealth of contextual information. The core of the book is formed by a close reading of the initiation ritual, including the burning of incense, the altar, the enactment of a journey of life and death, and the blood covenant. Different narrative structures are also presented. These include the messianic demonological paradigm, political legitimation, and the foundation of myth. Triad lore is placed in its own religious and cultural context, allowing radically new conclusions about its origins, meanings and functions. This book is of special interest to social historians, anthropologists, and students of Chinese religious culture.
In this volume, Lipman and Harrell explore the prevalence and ubiquity of violence in China, a society whose official norms value harmony and condemn conflict. The book investigates violence in a wide variety of situations through the sweep of history and in contexts ranging from the family to the national polity. The book explores motivations for violence from both a historical and a contemporary perspective. Historically, the authors cover bloody religious rebellions in premodern times, the depiction of violence in traditional popular novels, ethnic strife between Muslims and Han Chinese in the Northwest, and feuding local communities in the Southeast. Modern China is depicted by analyses of rural and urban violence in Maos Cultural Revolution and an examination of continuing domestic violence. This depiction of the cultural themes and motivations for violence allow lessons drawn from specific contexts to be applied to the nature of Chinese culture in general.
The extensive ritual and mythological lore of the Chinese Triads form the scope of this new paperback in Brill’s Scholar’s List. In it the reader will find a critical evaluation of the extant sources together with a true wealth of context. The core of the book is formed by a close reading of the initiation ritual, including the burning of incense, the altar, the enactment of a journey of life and death, and the blood covenant. Different narrative structures are also presented. These include the messianic demonological paradigm, political legitimation, and the foundation of myth. Triad lore is placed in its own religious and cultural context, allowing radically new conclusions about its origins, meanings and functions. This book is of special interest to social historians, anthropologists, and students of Chinese religious culture.
Introducing the English translations of 8 selected research articles originally written in Chinese by Professor Yuan Yulin, Cognition-based Studies on Chinese Grammar is an essential reading for researchers in Chinese syntax. Yuan Yulin is one of the very first Chinese scholars who introduced cognitive sciences into the study of Chinese language some twenty years ago, and his work is well-known and highly regarded in China for its originality and theoretical contribution. The collection covers the core of his engagement with Chinese language studies, ranging from lexical exploration to grammatical discussion. Cognition-based Studies on Chinese Grammar is designed for students or researchers who specialize in the Chinese language, contemporary Chinese grammar and cognitive linguistics. It can also serve as a reference book for instructors or teachers engaged in Chinese language pedagogy or in teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language.