Buddhism Fifteen Questions

Author: Ji Xianlin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Must academic articles be obscure and difficult to understand? Take a look at Professor Ji Xianlin's academic articles, and you will discover that academic papers can also be this engaging and lively. This book organizes Professor Ji Xianlin's essays on Buddhism into fifteen topics, following the thread of how Buddhism originated, developed, and spread in India, how it entered China, its impact on China, and how it further evolved in China before flowing back to India. It allows readers to read Professor Ji's important discussions on Buddhist history and the history of Sino-Indian relations in a clear and logical manner: the historical origins of primitive Buddhism, on Shakyamuni, on the linguistic issues of primitive Buddhism, a distorted and forgotten "line struggle" during the early period of Buddhist founding—the issue of Devadatta, Futu and Buddha, further discussion on "Futu" and "Buddha," Faxian, the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch in the history of Chinese Buddhism, the translation and translation organizations of Buddhist scriptures, the development of Buddhist doctrines and the formation of sects, the relationship between Buddhism and Confucianism and Taoism, on Xuanzang, on the Record of the Western Regions During the Great Tang Dynasty, the influence of Buddhism on Confucianism and Taoism in China, and the reverse flow of Buddhism. Reading this book not only provides basic knowledge of Buddhism and Sino-Indian relations but also allows readers to learn about the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha, his struggle with his cousin Devadatta, and the stories of Xuanzang and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, as well as Bodhidharma and Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty. Professor Ji Xianlin's writing is accessible and easy to understand, with clear and logical arguments. He studies Buddhism from a linguistic perspective while revealing the cultural exchange between China and India through the spread and development of Buddhism. His academic thoughts fully embody the characteristics of Chinese and Eastern cultures in their emphasis on synthesis and connection. It is hoped that this book will meet the needs of ordinary readers who yearn for the research achievements of academic masters.