Buddhist Materiality: A Cultural History of Objects in Japanese Buddhism (Asian Religions and Cultures)

✍ Scribed by Fabio Rambelli

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 409
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Throughout its history, Buddhism has developed a sophisticated philosophy of materiality, addressing the status of material objects and their role in the quest for salvation. This is an innovative book that addresses the ways in which Buddhism has conceived of, and dealt with, material objects ranging from the environment to everyday tools, ritual implements, icons, and sacred texts. Contrary to received assumptions, careful reading of original sources and study of ritual practices show that in Buddhism the realm of materiality is not simply an obstacle for spiritual pursuits but also a space for interplay in which human beings can give shape and expression to their deepest religious and spiritual ideas.

✦ Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Contents
Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations and Conventions
Introduction
1 The Buddhist Philosophy of Objects and the Status of Inanimate Entities
2 The Buddhist System of Objects
3 Materiality and Performativity of Scared Texts
4 The Cultural Imagination of Trees and the Environment
5 Tools and Labor as Mediators Between the Sacred and the Profane
6 Objects, Rituals, Tradition: Memorial Services (Kuyō) for Inanimate Objects
7 Buddhist Sacred Commodities and the General Economy
Notes
Bibliography
Index