Mediating the Power of Buddhas: Ritual in the Manjusrimulakalpa Contributor(s): Wallis, Glenn (Author) |
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ISBN: 0791454118 ISBN-13: 9780791454114 Publisher: State University of New York Press OUR PRICE: $90.25 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: July 2002 Annotation: Mediating the Power of Buddhas offers a fascinating analysis of the seventh-century ritual manual, the Manjusrimulakalpa. This medieval text is intended to reveal the path into a ritual universe where the power of a buddha abides. Author Glenn Wallis traces the strategies of the Manjusrimulakalpa to enable its committed reader to perfect the promised ritual, uncovering what conditions must be met for ritual practice to succeed and what personal characteristics practitioners must possess in order to realize the ritual intentions of the Buddhist community. The manual itself was written at a key point in Buddhist history, one when Hindu forms of practice were still imitated and on the cusp of the shift from Mahayana to Vajrayana (or Tantric) Buddhism. In addition, the Manjusrimulakalpa presents a rich compendium of Buddhist life in an earlier era, containing information on a variety of its readers' concerns: astrology, astronomy, medicine and healing, ritual practice, iconography, devotion, and meditation. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Religion | Buddhism - History - Religion | Eastern - Religion | Buddhism - Sacred Writings |
Dewey: 294.385 |
LCCN: 2001049443 |
Series: Suny Buddhist Studies |
Physical Information: 0.8" H x 5.7" W x 9" (1.05 lbs) 279 pages |
Themes: - Religious Orientation - Buddhist |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Mediating the Power of Buddhas offers a fascinating analysis of the seventh-century ritual manual, the Ma jusrimulakalpa. This medieval text is intended to reveal the path into a ritual universe where the power of a buddha abides. Author Glenn Wallis traces the strategies of the Ma jusrimulakalpa to enable its committed reader to perfect the promised ritual, uncovering what conditions must be met for ritual practice to succeed and what personal characteristics practitioners must possess in order to realize the ritual intentions of the Buddhist community. The manual itself was written at a key point in Buddhist history, one when Hindu forms of practice were still imitated and on the cusp of the shift from Mahayana to Vajrayana (or Tantric) Buddhism. In addition, the Ma jusrimulakalpa presents a rich compendium of Buddhist life in an earlier era, containing information on a variety of its readers' concerns: astrology, astronomy, medicine and healing, ritual practice, iconography, devotion, and meditation. |