Illusory Abiding - The Cultural Construction of the Chan Monk Zhongfeng Mingben - Natasha Heller - Hardback Bog - Harvard University, Asia Center -

Description

Natasha Heller offers a cultural history of Buddhism through a case study of the Chan master Zhongfeng Mingben. Monks of his stature developed a broad set of cultural competencies for navigating social and intellectual relationships. Heller shows the importance of situating monks as actors within wider sociocultural fields of practice and exchange.