The body incantatory : spells and the ritual imagination in medieval Chinese Buddhism / Paul Copp.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Copp, Paul F., 1965- author.

Series:

Sheng Yen series in Chinese Buddhist studies.

Sheng Yen Series in Chinese Buddhist Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Buddhist incantations--History.

Buddhism--China--Rituals--History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (397 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : Columbia University Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Whether chanted as devotional prayers, intoned against the dangers of the wilds, or invoked to heal the sick and bring ease to the dead, incantations were pervasive features of Buddhist practice in late medieval China (600-1000 C.E.). Material incantations, in forms such as spell-inscribed amulets and stone pillars, were also central to the spiritual lives of both monks and laypeople. In centering its analysis on the Chinese material culture of these deeply embodied forms of Buddhist ritual, The Body Incantatory reveals histories of practice-and logics of practice-that have until now remained hidden. Paul Copp examines inscribed stones, urns, and other objects unearthed from anonymous tombs; spells carved into pillars near mountain temples; and manuscripts and prints from both tombs and the Dunhuang cache. Focusing on two major Buddhist spells, or dharani, and their embodiment of the incantatory logics of adornment and unction, he makes breakthrough claims about the significance of Buddhist incantation practice not only in medieval China but also in Central Asia and India. Copp's work vividly captures the diversity of Buddhist practice among medieval monks, ritual healers, and other individuals lost to history, offering a corrective to accounts that have overemphasized elite, canonical materials.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Illustrations

Preface: The Body Incantatory

Thanks

Abbreviations

Introduction: Dhāranīs and the Study of Buddhist Spells

1. Scripture, Relic, Talisman, Spell

2. Amulets of the Incantation of Wish Fulfillment

3. Dust, Shadow, and the Incantation of Glory

4. Mystic Store and Wizards' Basket

Coda: Material Incantations and the Study of Medieval Chinese Buddhism

Appendix 1. Suiqiu Amulets Discovered in China

Appendix 2. Stein No. 4690: Four Spells

Notes

Glossary

Sources

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780231537780

0231537786

OCLC:

890982164