Guo Gu's book on Dharma Drum lineage and a Chan Reformation

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SilenceMonkey
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Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Guo Gu's book on Dharma Drum lineage and a Chan Reformation

Post by SilenceMonkey »



Click the picture to go to his Facebook page. Or read here:
My academic book on "Reimagining Chan Buddhism, Sheng Yen and the Creation of the Dharma Drum Lineage of Chan" will be released on November 15, 2021 by Routledge Publications.

To learn more:
https://www.routledge.com/Reimagi.../Yu ... 1032048444
(Hardcover only. Academic pricing is $128.00. Paper-back to be released next year at a discounted rate).

This book is the first socio-intellectual history of the Dharma Drum Lineage of Chan (Zen), a new lineage of Buddhism founded by the late Chinese Buddhist cleric, Sheng Yen (1931–2009)—arguably one of the most influential Chan masters in contemporary times.

The book challenges the received academic and popular image of Chan Buddhism as a meditation school that bypasses scriptural learning. Using Sheng Yen’s doctrinal classification (Chn. panjiao) chart as an example, the book shows Sheng Yen’s Chan as a synthesis of both Indian and Chinese premodern forms of Buddhism, and as the summum bonum of Han transmission of Chinese Buddhism (Chn. Hanchuan fojiao). The book demonstrates how Sheng Yen’s presentation of Chan was intimately related to the volatile social and political realities of his life—the Communist takeover of China and the subsequent industrial boom that impacted Taiwanese society. In short, this book presents a historically and culturally embodied approach to the formation of Buddhist doctrine and practice. Drawing on the works of postcolonial theories that integrate the role of the researcher into the research, the book also offers a more integrated approach between emic and etic, insider and outsider perspectives to research.

Advancing the field of Buddhist studies, the book will be of interest to scholars of Buddhism in the modern period, twentieth-century religious history of China and Taiwan, Chan/Zen studies, World Religions, Asian civilizations, and Modern Biographies.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Guo Gu's book on Dharma Drum lineage and a Chan Reformation

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Congratulations.
It looks very interesting!
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
SilenceMonkey
Posts: 1448
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:54 am

Re: Guo Gu's book on Dharma Drum lineage and a Chan Reformation

Post by SilenceMonkey »

Here's what might be a taste of the research that went into the book. (For those who don't know, Jimmy Yu is Guo Gu.)

http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT ... piMT8YY6P4
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SubduerOfNegativity
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Re: Guo Gu's book on Dharma Drum lineage and a Chan Reformation

Post by SubduerOfNegativity »

Dr. Yu, Guo Gu, was my Chan Buddhism professor! He also was the dharma teacher at the Chan Center after the academic day :yinyang:

He is the greatest! Really cool, intelligent, and kind man. He's also the 'most interesting man in the world': was a bass player in Harcore Straitedge Punk bands in the late 80's NYC scene in bands like Judge. Then, he becomes a Chan monk -- personally attending and translating for Master Sheng Yen for a decade. Then, with his Master's encouragement, he moves on to the next adventure: getting his PhD from Princeton. Now, he's a professor at university and teaches dharma on the side. I just bought his book 'The Essence of Chan' recently, and I must say it's a great read!
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