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Parasutraic Narratives and Cultic Repertoire: The Plurality of Afterlife Abode in the Tang Lotus Sūtra Cult |
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| Author |
Ho, Chiew Hui (著)=何秋輝 (au.)
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| Source |
Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies
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| Volume | v.6 n.1 Special Issue |
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| Date | 2023.05 |
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| Pages | 1 - 54 |
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| Publisher | Cambria Press |
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| Publisher Url |
http://www.cambriapress.com/
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| Location | New York, US [紐約州, 美國] |
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| Content type | 期刊論文=Journal Article |
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| Language | 英文=English |
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| Note | 1. Special Issue: Buddhist Narrative Literature.
2. Author Affiliation: The University of Sydney, Australia. |
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| Keyword | parasutraic narratives; miracle tales; medieval Chinese Buddhism; Tang China; afterlife; sūtra cult; cultic repertoire |
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| Abstract | Until recently, the role and significance played by parasutraic narratives in the formation and maintenance of scriptural cults have largely been overlooked. These narratives offer valuable insights into the cultic repertoire, the set of defining elements that distinguish one scriptural cult from another. One element that characterises the Lotus Sūtra cult is the trope of devotees attaining rebirth in various afterlife abodes, as depicted in the narratives. While the idea of rebirth in Tuṣita, Trāyastriṃśa, and the Western Pure Land could be found in the Lotus Sūtra, the association between the scripture and these realms as afterlife abode is almost indiscernible in pre-Tang monastic biographical collections, such as the Gaoseng zhuan and Biqiuni zhuan. By the early Tang, the association is noticeable, as evidenced in the early Tang biographical collection, Xu Gaoseng zhuan. The biographies of the Tiantai patriarchs, known for their esteem of the Lotus Sūtra, are the most critical for examining the trope of afterlife abodes. The ambivalence surrounding their afterlife destinations, accentuated by intriguing details about their deaths in their biographies, could have highlighted the various afterlife abodes open to Lotus Sūtra practitioners, which the cult adapted to accommodate a growing and diverse community of followers. |
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| Table of contents | Abstract 1
Keywords 1
1. Introduction 2
2. The Lotus Sūtra Cult 3
2.1. Parasutraic Narratives 4
2.2. Cultic Repertoire 8
3. Death and the Afterlife in Lotus Sūtra Narratives 11
3.1. Higher Realms of Afterlife Abodes: Heavens and Pure Lands 15
4. Gaoseng zhuan and Biqiuni zhuan: Afterlife Abodes 18
5. Xu Gaoseng zhuan: Afterlife Abodes 21
5.1. Lotus Sūtra and Afterlife Abodes 22
5.2. Afterlife Abodes of the Tiantai Patriarchs 25
6. The Legacy of Lotus Sūtra Exponents in Parasutraic Collections 30
6.1. Biographical Collections vs Parasutraic Collections 32
7. The Formation of an Element of Cultic Repertoire 38
APPENDIX A Narratives in Parasutraic Collections of the Lotus Sūtra and the Garland Sūtra 41
APPENDIX B Afterlife Abode Trope in the Hongzan Fahua zhuan (HFZ, T no. 2067, vol. 51) 42
APPENDIX C Afterlife Abode Trope in the Fahua zhuanji (FZ, T no. 2067, vol. 51) 43
APPENDIX D Lotus Sūtra and Afterlife Abodes in the Gaoseng zhuan and the Xu Gaoseng zhuan 47
Bibliography 48
Abbreviations 48
Primary Sources 48
Secondary Sources 50 |
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| ISSN | 25762923 (P); 25762931 (E) |
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| DOI | 10.15239/hijbs.06.01.01 |
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| Hits | 154 |
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| Created date | 2024.08.22 |
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| Modified date | 2024.08.23 |
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