scholarly journals What about Rats? Buddhist Disciplinary Guidelines on Rats: Daoxuan’s Vinaya Commentaries

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 508
Author(s):  
Ann Heirman
Keyword(s):  
Tang Dynasty ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Strict Adherence ◽  
Early Tang

Buddhist texts generally prohibit the killing or harming of any sentient being. However, while such a ban may seem straightforward, it becomes much more complex when annoying or dangerous animals are involved. This paper focuses on one such animal—the rat. These rodents feature prominently in monastics’ daily lives, so it should come as no surprise that both Indian and Chinese Buddhist masters pay attention to them. In the first part of the paper, we investigate the problems that rats can cause, how monastics deal with them, and what the authors-compilers of Buddhist vinaya (disciplinary) texts have to say about them. In the second part, we focus on how Daoxuan 道宣 (596–667)—one of the most prominent vinaya masters of the early Tang Dynasty—interprets the vinaya guidelines and their implementation in Chinese monasteries. As we will see, he raises a number of potential issues with regard to strict adherence to the Buddhist principles of no killing and no harming, and so reveals some of the problematic realities that he felt monastics faced in seventh century China.

The Imprisoned Queen

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Anne N. Feng
Keyword(s):  
Tang Dynasty ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Land Art ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Chinese Art ◽  
Pure Land ◽  
Spatial Imagery ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
The Tang Dynasty ◽  
The Buddha

Abstract This paper reconsiders how and why the representation of landscape became an increasingly central component of Pure Land art in the Tang dynasty. Focusing on the seventh-century Cave 209, I examine the first set of mountain panels at Dunhuang, arguing that those polychrome landscapes represent Vulture Peak, the sacred abode of Śākyamuni Buddha. Cave 209 shows how Lady Vaidehī—the protagonist of the Meditation Sutra—emerges as the first female viewer of landscape in Chinese art. Departing from the Meditation Sutra, painters at Dunhuang resituate Lady Vaidehī, the formerly imprisoned royal consort and model Pure Land adept, within mountain ranges where she converses with the Buddha. I argue that Lady Vaidehī's encounter with the Buddha is mapped onto the space of a Dunhuang cave to enable the viewer to assume her position when facing the icon of Śākyamuni surrounded by Vulture Peak. By grappling with Vaidehī's imprisonment, painters use landscape to develop a new spatial imagery of salvation. I maintain that the striking innovations in landscape representation at Dunhuang—achievements that have been seen to anticipate later Tang “blue and green” landscapes—are in actuality based on an effort to visualize Buddhist soteriology in the early seventh century.

Introducing the Chinese Name-taboo Method Gaijian An expansion of recent work by Dou Huaiyong

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-383
Author(s):  
Sun Jianqiang
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Tang Dynasty ◽  
First Time ◽  
Early Tang

ABSTRACTThe present paper represents the first attempt to expand Dou Huaiyong’s recent contributions to the field of the Chinese name-taboo practice or bihui 避諱. Exclusively dealing with gaixing 改形 (modify the shape), a taboo method recognized only by Dou Huaiyong, the paper delves into his use of the term gaixing and a group of orthographies that might overthrow the recognition. Although it abandons the term gaixing and promotes a new phrase gaijian 改件 (modify the components), the paper finds Dou Houiyong’s core conclusion agreeable, taking gaijian as a taboo method that appeared in the year 658 by analyzing 500 stones carved between 618 and 663. While doing so, this paper introduces for the first time gaijian to the English scholarship, proposing to re-examine how the Chinese name-taboo practice developed in the early Tang dynasty.

scholarly journals Ketamadunan Melayu dan Sains: Satu Analisis Awal Ke atas Pencapaian Masyarakat Melayu dalam Bidang Sains

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Koharuddin Mohd Balwi
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Seventh Century ◽  
Science Knowledge ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The People ◽  
Islamic Civilization ◽  
Century Science

Kertas ini merupakan satu usaha untuk meneroka dan mendedahkan pencapaian masyarakat Melayu dalam bidang sains sebelum masyarakat Melayu mengenal ilmu sains moden daripada Barat. Terdapat tiga pencapaian sains yang diteliti iaitu pencapaian sains dalam bidang perubatan, matematik dan kimia (peleburan logam). Perkembangan ketiga–tiga bidang ini banyak dipengaruhi oleh kepentingannya dalam kehidupan seharian masyarakat Melayu. Perkembangan ilmu sains Melayu juga berlaku terutama apabila mereka memeluk agama Islam pada abad ke 7 Masihi. Bermula dari detik itu sebahagian tradisi keilmuan Melayu mengongsi tradisi keilmuan dari umat Islam lain. Ilmu–ilmu ini kemudiannya diubahsuai dan diperbaiki oleh para cerdik pandai tempatan untuk digunakan dalam kehidupan masyarakat Melayu. Terdapat juga cerdik pandai tempatan ini yang menghasilkan ilmu–ilmu sains baru bagi menyelesaikan permasalahan seharian masyarakat dari masa ke semasa. Kata kunci: Tamadun, Melayu, sains, pengubatan, matematik, kimia This paper want to explores and reveals the achievement of Malay Society in science, expecially before western modern science was introduced in Malay civilization. Three Malay achieve–ments in sciences; medicine, mathematics and chemistry were studied. The progress of Malay science was determined not only by its importance in the daily lives of the people but also by Islamic civilization after the Malays embraced Islam in the seventh century. Science knowledge had been absorbed and adapted by the local geniuses. They also produced new knowlege and practices to overcome various problems which they faced from time to time. Key words: Civilisation, Malay, science, medicine, mathematics, chemistry

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