Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes: Japan's Tokeiji Convent Since 1285 Contributor(s): Morrell, Sachiko Kaneko (Author), Morrell, Robert E. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0791468283 ISBN-13: 9780791468289 Publisher: State University of New York Press OUR PRICE: $33.20 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 2006 Annotation: A fascinating look at a Zen convent throughout its history. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Religion | Buddhism - Zen (see Also Philosophy - Zen) - History | Asia - Japan |
Dewey: 294.357 |
LCCN: 2005027280 |
Physical Information: 0.65" H x 6.06" W x 9" (0.81 lbs) 266 pages |
Themes: - Religious Orientation - Buddhist - Cultural Region - Japanese |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes examines the affairs of Rinzai Zen's Tōkeiji Convent, founded in 1285 by nun Kakusan Shidō after the death of her husband, Hōjō Tokimune. It traces the convent's history through seven centuries, including the early nuns' Zen practice; Abbess Yōdō's imperial lineage with nuns in purple robes; Hideyori's seven-year-old daughter--later to become the convent's twentieth abbess, Tenshu--spared by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle for Osaka Castle; Tōkeiji as divorce temple during the mid-Edo period and a favorite topic of senryu satirical verse; the convent's gradual decline as a functioning nunnery but its continued survival during the early Meiji persecution of Buddhism; and its current prosperity. The work includes translations, charts, illustrations, bibliographies, and indices. Beyond such historical details, the authors emphasize the convent's inclusivist Rinzai Zen practice in tandem with the nearby Engakuji Temple. The rationale for this inclusivism is the continuing acceptance of the doctrine of Skillful Means (hōben) as expressed in the Lotus Sutra--a notion repudiated or radically reinterpreted by most of the Kamakura reformers. In support of this contention, the authors include a complete translation of the Mirror for Women by Kakusan's contemporary, Mujū Ichien. |