Sunday, February 22, 2015

Buddhist Stone Sutras in China: Sichuan 2 中國佛教石經:四川省 (第二卷)

Editors:
Tsai Suey-ling and Sun Hua

Publisher: 
Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden

Publication Year: 
2015




Abstract:
The Buddhist sutra inscriptions in cave chapels at the Grove of the Reclining Buddha (Wofoyuan 臥佛院) are almost unknown outside China. This second volume on the site presents the sutras in caves 29 and 33. Engraved in cave 29 are four of the twelve chapters of the Sutra on the Names of the Buddhas 佛說佛名經 (T#440). Differing from woodblock printed versions, the task of the carvers is here indicated by recording the numbers of names that they accomplished. Engraved in cave 33 are scrolls 11 and 12 of the Consecration Sutra 灌頂經 (T#1331), the Dhāraṇī Sutra of the Six Gates 佛說六門陀羅尼經 (T#1360), the Deathbed Injunction Sutra 佛臨般涅槃略說遺教經 (T#389), the Sutra on Renouncing the Householder’s Life 佛說出家功德經 (in T#202), and the Diamond Sutra 金剛經 (T#235). These text versions offer completely new insights into Buddhist scriptural transmission and practice.  The engravings are fully reproduced in high quality, detailed photographs of the cave walls and of ink rubbings. All engraved texts are transcribed for the first time. The scholarly apparatus notes textual variants and variant characters in the calligraphy.

A conspicuous common feature of all texts in the two caves is their performative character and their liturgical use. Death is a common theme, as it is powerfully enacted and made visible in the giant sculpture of the Reclining Buddha directly opposite the two caves. The individual sutras are analyzed in separate essays by Chen Frederick Shih-Chung, Alexander L. Mayer, Ryan Richard Overbey, Manuel Sassmann, Tsai Suey-Ling and Claudia Wenzel. Annotated English translations are provided for the Dhāraṇī Sutra of the Six Gates and the Sutra on Renouncing the Householder’s Life.

Table of Contents:
Please click here 
http://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/dzo/artikel/201/552_201.pdf?t=1420731975





No comments:

Post a Comment