ocean of reasoning: a great commentary on nāgārjuna’s mūlamadhyamakakārikā– by je...

1
Religious Studies Review VOLUME 33 NUMBER 4 OCTOBER 2007 332 utes to the filling of this gap. She provides an informative introduction, providing the reader with a history of this text and its interpretation. Her translation is clear and helpfully annotated. The section of the book translated here is also quite fascinating, as it represents a formative work of Chinese political and social thought presented from the per- spective of a Daoist tradition. It deals with a number of fascinating issues, including the status of women and non- Han Chinese people within the ideal state. It should thus be of interest not only to scholars of religion but also to anyone interested in the history of Chinese political thought. Hen- drischke has made an important contribution to the study of Chinese thought, and her work should be read by scholars and graduate students with an interest in Chinese religious and social history. David B. Gray Santa Clara University Buddhism OCEAN OF REASONING: A GREAT COMMENTARY ON N G RJUNA’S MVLAMADHYAMAKAK:RIK:. By Je Tsongkhapa. Translated by Geshe Ngawang Samten and Jay L. Garfield. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Pp. xxiv + 603. N.p., ISBN 978-0-19-514733-9. Garfield and Samten have produced an excellent trans- lation of Tsongkhapa’s commentary on N5g5rjuna’s M9lamadhyamakak5rik5, the pivotal work for the Madhya- maka school of Buddhist philosophy. Tsongkhapa’s work is challenging both on account of its technical nature and its very complex organizational outline (sa bcas). Their transla- tion clearly reflects the original without resorting to overly complex Buddhist translationese. They also conveniently present the entire outline at the beginning of the work, and provide chapter outlines at the beginning of each chapter. They have also included helpful Tibetan-English glossaries, as well as bibliographies of works of and about Tsongkhapa. In so clearly presenting Tsongkhapa’s text, they have pro- duced a model work, which will hopefully be emulated by A A others working in the field. It is highly recommended for anyone who is seriously interested in Madhyamaka philos- ophy and/or its reception in Tibet. David B. Gray Santa Clara University SHAPING THE LOTUS SUTRA: BUDDHIST VISUAL CULTURE IN MEDIEVAL CHINA. By Eugene Y. Wang. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2005. Pp. xxiv + 487; plates, illustrations, maps. $60.00, ISBN: 0-295-98462- 7. One of the most popular texts in medieval China, the Lotus Sutra was a common theme in the religious art of the period, abundant examples of which survive in cave shrines and grottoes such as those at Dunhuang, Yungang, and Lon- ghushan. Wang’s book provides an in-depth examination of the formal impulses and visual logic of these works. He starts with the so-called “transformation tableaux,” usually characterized as illustrations of the stories in Buddhist scrip- tures. Wang, in contrast, argues that these tableaux are not just pictorial illustrations or derivatives of the sutra, but instead constitute a holistic spatial and temporal domain that indicates “an optimum itinerary for the deceased.” He traces the cosmological structure and composition of these works to Chinese archaic funerary practices and the Daoist topographic tradition. He shows, moreover, how political power and metropolitan fashion led to changes in thematic and iconographic representation. Wang also reveals how the Lotus Sutra inspired the visual representation of a larger numinous world beyond its textual depiction, and that it evoked miracle tales and hagiographies. One problem with his emphasis on the influence of pre-Buddhist Chinese art is that Wang tends to overlook the origins of these practices and styles in the Indian tradition. Despite occasional typos (i.e., Zhan Ziquan for Zhan Ziqian), his book provides novel perspectives for deciphering the medieval Buddhist repre- sentation. Fan Lin McGill University

Upload: david-b-gray

Post on 23-Jul-2016

213 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 33 • NUMBER 4 • OCTOBER 2007

332

utes to the filling of this gap. She provides an informativeintroduction, providing the reader with a history of this textand its interpretation. Her translation is clear and helpfullyannotated. The section of the book translated here is alsoquite fascinating, as it represents a formative work ofChinese political and social thought presented from the per-spective of a Daoist tradition. It deals with a number offascinating issues, including the status of women and non-Han Chinese people within the ideal state. It should thus beof interest not only to scholars of religion but also to anyoneinterested in the history of Chinese political thought. Hen-drischke has made an important contribution to the study ofChinese thought, and her work should be read by scholarsand graduate students with an interest in Chinese religiousand social history.

David B. GraySanta Clara University

BuddhismOCEAN OF REASONING: A GREAT COMMENTARYON N G RJUNA’S MVLAMADHYAMAKAK:RIK:.By Je Tsongkhapa. Translated by Geshe Ngawang Samtenand Jay L. Garfield. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.Pp. xxiv + 603. N.p., ISBN 978-0-19-514733-9.

Garfield and Samten have produced an excellent trans-lation of Tsongkhapa’s commentary on N5g5rjuna’sM9lamadhyamakak5rik5, the pivotal work for the Madhya-maka school of Buddhist philosophy. Tsongkhapa’s work ischallenging both on account of its technical nature and itsvery complex organizational outline (sa bcas). Their transla-tion clearly reflects the original without resorting to overlycomplex Buddhist translationese. They also convenientlypresent the entire outline at the beginning of the work, andprovide chapter outlines at the beginning of each chapter.They have also included helpful Tibetan-English glossaries,as well as bibliographies of works of and about Tsongkhapa.In so clearly presenting Tsongkhapa’s text, they have pro-duced a model work, which will hopefully be emulated by

A– A–

others working in the field. It is highly recommended foranyone who is seriously interested in Madhyamaka philos-ophy and/or its reception in Tibet.

David B. GraySanta Clara University

SHAPING THE LOTUS SUTRA: BUDDHIST VISUALCULTURE IN MEDIEVAL CHINA. By Eugene Y. Wang.Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2005. Pp. xxiv +487; plates, illustrations, maps. $60.00, ISBN: 0-295-98462-7.

One of the most popular texts in medieval China, theLotus Sutra was a common theme in the religious art of theperiod, abundant examples of which survive in cave shrinesand grottoes such as those at Dunhuang, Yungang, and Lon-ghushan. Wang’s book provides an in-depth examination ofthe formal impulses and visual logic of these works. Hestarts with the so-called “transformation tableaux,” usuallycharacterized as illustrations of the stories in Buddhist scrip-tures. Wang, in contrast, argues that these tableaux are notjust pictorial illustrations or derivatives of the sutra, butinstead constitute a holistic spatial and temporal domainthat indicates “an optimum itinerary for the deceased.” Hetraces the cosmological structure and composition of theseworks to Chinese archaic funerary practices and the Daoisttopographic tradition. He shows, moreover, how politicalpower and metropolitan fashion led to changes in thematicand iconographic representation. Wang also reveals how theLotus Sutra inspired the visual representation of a largernuminous world beyond its textual depiction, and that itevoked miracle tales and hagiographies. One problem withhis emphasis on the influence of pre-Buddhist Chinese art isthat Wang tends to overlook the origins of these practicesand styles in the Indian tradition. Despite occasional typos(i.e., Zhan Ziquan for Zhan Ziqian), his book provides novelperspectives for deciphering the medieval Buddhist repre-sentation.

Fan LinMcGill University