Re-reading the Classics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: Seeking the Lost Tradition

Author: Xu Yangshang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Are Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Song Jiang, Sun Wukong, Xuanzang, the Jade Emperor, Buddha, Laozi, Yuanshi, Pan Jinlian, and Jia Baoyu respectively mere wise scholars pursuing self-validation of life's values; benevolent and righteous rulers dedicated to saving the world; chivalrous figures who rescue those in peril; rebels and subversives of the divine order, heroes who subdue demons and; devout Buddhist disciples and enlightened monks; deities who eliminate evil and spread goodness, leading the realms of gods, ghosts, and humans toward peace and bliss; licentious courtesans; dissolute and redundant young aristocrats? Or are they opposites that complement and nourish each other, two in one? Are they associated with the fame-seeking and self-righteous who cling to merit and loyalty; the unprincipled political figures; the opportunistic seekers of power who take shortcuts through petty politics; the manipulators of basic human rights; the ignorant and loyal servants of kings and Buddha; the symbols of corrupt and rigid secular and divine authority; the pursuers of basic human rights; and the sacrifices on the altar of male dominance and lust? Is the Journey to the West about retrieving scriptures from the West or delivering them to the East? This book will take you on a postmodern interpretation that deconstructs centrality, authority, and the sublime, returning to the text, the masses, and tradition!