Guardian of a Dying Flame: Śāriputra (C. 1335-1426) and the End of Late Indian Buddhism Contributor(s): McKeown, Arthur (Author) |
|
ISBN: 0674984358 ISBN-13: 9780674984356 Publisher: Harvard University Press OUR PRICE: $49.50 Product Type: Hardcover Published: December 2019 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Asia - India & South Asia |
Series: Harvard Oriental |
Physical Information: 1.1" H x 7.2" W x 10.1" (2.30 lbs) 480 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - Indian - Cultural Region - Asian |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Arthur McKeown presents the first full-length analysis of the continuation of Buddhism in India after the thirteenth century. This study describes later Indian Buddhism through a detailed examination of the life of Śāriputra (c. 1335-1426), the last known abbot of the Bodhgayā Mahāvihāra, whose very presence extends Indian Buddhism by two centuries. This work also provides a view into the legacy of Indian Buddhism in fifteenth-century Nepal, Tibet, and China. McKeown follows Śāriputra's travels and works throughout pan-Buddhist Asia, from restoring the Swayambhunātha caitya in Nepal and establishing tantric lineages in Tibet to overseeing the rebuilding of the Mahābodhi temple in Ming Dynasty Beijing. McKeown centers his examination on newly revealed Tibetan and Chinese biographies of Śāriputra, as well as looking at a collection of historical documents in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese. These sources point to a fundamental reconsideration of later Indian Buddhism, its relationship with Brahmanism and Islam, and its enduring importance throughout Central, East, and Southeast Asia. |
Contributor Bio(s): McKeown, Arthur: - Arthur McKeown is Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Carleton College, Minnesota. |