The Legacy of Remote Transmission (Japanese-Derived Dunhuang Buddhist Literature)

Author: Wang Xiaoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Buddhist literature has played a special role in cultural exchanges between China and Japan. The genre of "volitional texts," which was forgotten in Chinese literature, developed into a sorrowful lyrical literature in Japan, its influence continuing to this day. The Chinese legendary deity governing longevity, Mount Tai Fu Jun, was transmitted to Japan and became a ceremonial figure in Onmyodo, protecting the nation, extending life, and granting blessings. In classical theater, he was also celebrated as a guardian of cherry blossoms, ensuring their enduring bloom.
Dunhuang literature and Buddhist literature are treasures of Chinese culture and hotspots in overseas Chinese culture studies. This book explores Dunhuang Buddhist literature that originated in Japan, using substantial materials and rigorous analysis to comprehensively examine its dissemination and Japan's cultural reception of it, drawing valuable conclusions. We are about to enter a strange world—created in the name of the Buddha. The Dunhuang caves preserve a world filled with magical and dreamlike wonders, as well as a history of cultural exchanges spanning Eurasia and surrounding islands. Especially noteworthy are the rich Buddhist literary classics there, recounting the beliefs and wisdom of ancient peoples and nations.