Viator

Viator
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 420
Release: 1970
Genre: Civilization, Medieval
ISBN: 9780520018303

The Body Incantatory

The Body Incantatory
Author: Paul Copp
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2014-09-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0231162707

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 (600Ð1000 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 practiceÑand logics of practiceÑthat 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. His 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.

The Spectator

The Spectator
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1106
Release: 1911
Genre: English literature
ISBN:

A weekly review of politics, literature, theology, and art.