The Story of Han Xiangzi

The Story of Han Xiangzi PDF Author: Erzeng Yang
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295801948
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 510

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Book Description
In this seventeenth-century Chinese novel, Han Xiangzi, best known as one of the Eight Immortals, seeks and achieves immortality and then devotes himself to converting his materialistic, politically ambitious Confucian uncle—Han Yu, a real historical figure—to Daoism. Written in lively vernacular prose interspersed with poems and songs, the novel takes its readers across China, to the heavens, and into the underworld. Readers listen to debates among Confucians, Daoists, and Buddhists and witness trials of faith and the performance of magical feats. In the mode of the famous religious novel Journey to the West, The Story of Han Xiangzi uses colorful characters, twists of plot, witty dialogue, and action suitable for a superhero comic book to convey its religious message—that worldly life is ephemeral and that true contentment can be found only through Daoist cultivation. This is the first translation into any Western language of Han Xiangzi quanzhuan (literally, The Complete Story of Han Xiangzi). On one level, the novel is a delightful adventure; on another, it is serious theology. Although The Story of Han Xiangzi’s irreverent attitude toward the Confucian establishment prevented its acceptance by literary critics in imperial China, it has remained popular among Chinese readers for four centuries. Philip Clart’s introduction outlines the Han Xiangzi story cycle, presents Yang Erzeng in his social context, assesses the literary merits and religious significance of the text, and explores the theory and practice of inner alchemy. This unabridged translation will appeal to students of Chinese literature and to general readers who enjoy international fiction, as well as to readers with an interest in Daoism.

The Story of Han Xiangzi

The Story of Han Xiangzi PDF Author: Erzeng Yang
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295801948
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 510

Get Book

Book Description
In this seventeenth-century Chinese novel, Han Xiangzi, best known as one of the Eight Immortals, seeks and achieves immortality and then devotes himself to converting his materialistic, politically ambitious Confucian uncle—Han Yu, a real historical figure—to Daoism. Written in lively vernacular prose interspersed with poems and songs, the novel takes its readers across China, to the heavens, and into the underworld. Readers listen to debates among Confucians, Daoists, and Buddhists and witness trials of faith and the performance of magical feats. In the mode of the famous religious novel Journey to the West, The Story of Han Xiangzi uses colorful characters, twists of plot, witty dialogue, and action suitable for a superhero comic book to convey its religious message—that worldly life is ephemeral and that true contentment can be found only through Daoist cultivation. This is the first translation into any Western language of Han Xiangzi quanzhuan (literally, The Complete Story of Han Xiangzi). On one level, the novel is a delightful adventure; on another, it is serious theology. Although The Story of Han Xiangzi’s irreverent attitude toward the Confucian establishment prevented its acceptance by literary critics in imperial China, it has remained popular among Chinese readers for four centuries. Philip Clart’s introduction outlines the Han Xiangzi story cycle, presents Yang Erzeng in his social context, assesses the literary merits and religious significance of the text, and explores the theory and practice of inner alchemy. This unabridged translation will appeal to students of Chinese literature and to general readers who enjoy international fiction, as well as to readers with an interest in Daoism.

The Novel: An Alternative History, 1600-1800

The Novel: An Alternative History, 1600-1800 PDF Author: Steven Moore
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1623565197
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 1025

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Book Description
Winner of the Christian Gauss Award for excellence in literary scholarship from the Phi Beta Kappa Society Having excavated the world's earliest novels in his previous book, literary historian Steven Moore explores in this sequel the remarkable flowering of the novel between the years 1600 and 1800-from Don Quixote to America's first big novel, an homage to Cervantes entitled Modern Chivalry. This is the period of such classic novels as Tom Jones, Candide, and Dangerous Liaisons, but beyond the dozen or so recognized classics there are hundreds of other interesting novels that appeared then, known only to specialists: Spanish picaresques, French heroic romances, massive Chinese novels, Japanese graphic novels, eccentric English novels, and the earliest American novels. These minor novels are not only interesting in their own right, but also provide the context needed to appreciate why the major novels were major breakthroughs. The novel experienced an explosive growth spurt during these centuries as novelists experimented with different forms and genres: epistolary novels, romances, Gothic thrillers, novels in verse, parodies, science fiction, episodic road trips, and family sagas, along with quirky, unclassifiable experiments in fiction that resemble contemporary, avant-garde works. As in his previous volume, Moore privileges the innovators and outriders, those who kept the novel novel. In the most comprehensive history of this period ever written, Moore examines over 400 novels from around the world in a lively style that is as entertaining as it is informative. Though written for a general audience, The Novel, An Alternative History also provides the scholarly apparatus required by the serious student of the period. This sequel, like its predecessor, is a “zestfully encyclopedic, avidly opinionated, and dazzlingly fresh history of the most 'elastic' of literary forms” (Booklist).

The Eight Immortals of Taoism

The Eight Immortals of Taoism PDF Author: Man-Ho Kwok
Publisher: Random House (UK)
ISBN:
Category : Ba Xian (Taoist mythology)
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
A collection of tales and legends about the semi-divine Eight Immortals of Chinese Taoism, each of whom is supposed to have lived as an historical person. However the main role of the Eight Immortals is as symbols of the success of Taoist discipline and magic.

Many Faces of Mulian

Many Faces of Mulian PDF Author: Rostislav Berezkin
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295742534
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
The story of Mulian rescuing his mother’s soul from hell has evolved as a narrative over several centuries in China, especially in the baojuan (precious scrolls) genre. This genre, a prosimetric narrative in vernacular language, first appeared around the fourteenth century and endures as a living tradition. In exploring the evolution of the Mulian story, Rostislav Berezkin illuminates changes in the literary and religious characteristics of the genre. He also examines material from other forms of Chinese literature and from modern performances of baojuan, tracing their transformation from tools of Buddhist proselytizing to sectarian propaganda to folk ritualized storytelling. Ultimately, he reveals the special features of baojuan as a type of performance literature that had its foundations in multiple literary traditions.

Comprehensive Introduction to Chinese Traditional Music

Comprehensive Introduction to Chinese Traditional Music PDF Author: Yuan Jingfang
Publisher: Hollitzer Wissenschaftsverlag
ISBN: 399094097X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 667

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Book Description
"Comprehensive Introduction to Chinese Traditional Music" offers a detailed survey of Chinese traditional music in five chapters, each dealing with a different genre. The five genres are folk songs, dance music, narrative singing, music from Chinese opera, and instrumental music. The book begins with an introduction providing an overview of Chinese traditional music history, its connotations and main musical features, an indispensable context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. Within the main text, the authors discuss not only the local music genres, focusing on instruments, music analysis, and tonal theories, but also the historical evolution, performance, and social contexts associated with the music. A glossary of Chinese musical terms is listed in the appendix.

I Ching, the Oracle

I Ching, the Oracle PDF Author: Benebell Wen
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1623178746
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 955

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Book Description
Benebell Wen’s (Holistic Tarot and The Tao of Craft) historic new translation of the I Ching brings the power and mysticism of The Book of Changes to contemporary readers. Now in a beautiful hardcover format with a ribbon bookmark. Through in-depth annotations, cultural and historical references, and magical practices, Wen amplifies the wisdom—both profound and practical—of the 3,000-year old text. She includes aspects of the I Ching that have never before been translated into English, offering fresh perspectives on a classic work. Rooted in her experience and knowledge as a Taiwanese-American occultist and Buddhist with deep family ties to Taoist mysticism, Wen's groundbreaking translation is accompanied by a critical analysis of earlier I Ching transmissions. Readers will learn how to: Situate the I Ching within its historical and cultural context Interpret the hexagrams and utilize various divination methods, such as yarrow stalk, coin toss, cowrie shells, and rice grains Work with the I Ching for personal guidance and developing intuitive wisdom Understand correspondences of Taoist mystical tradition with other schools of metaphysics, including shamanism, faith healing, and soul retrieval Approach the Book of Changes as a grimoire and attain a foundational understanding of the eight trigrams and Wu Xing five alchemical phases Whether you’re new to the I Ching or an experienced occultist, I Ching, The Oracle will deepen your understanding of esoteric Taoism and the art and craft of divination. Highlighting the two main schools of interpretation—Image and Numbers and Meanings and Principles—and exploring Taoist cosmology, mysticism, ritual practice, and the shamanic origins of the I Ching, Wen provides you with everything you need to apply the I Ching for life guidance, spiritual practice, and ancestral connection.

Chinese Thought

Chinese Thought PDF Author: Roel Sterckx
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141984848
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
How did the ancient Chinese think about the world? Why are human rights as a concept so controversial in China? What does environmental consciousness stand for in the Chinese tradition? Where does China's obsession with education come from? What gets lost in translation in the Chinese language? We are often told that the twenty-first century is bound to become China's century. Never before has Chinese culture been so physically, digitally, economically or aesthetically present in everyday life in the Western world. In this enlightening book, Roel Sterckx takes us through centuries of Chinese history, with evocative examples from philosophy, politics and everyday life. A deeply knowledgeable expert who has been studying the country's culture and language for years, Sterckx is the perfect guide who can show us how the ancient Chinese have shaped the thinking of a civilization that is now influencing our own.

Further Adventures on the Journey to the West

Further Adventures on the Journey to the West PDF Author: Master of Silent Whistle Studio
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 0295747730
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
As the audacious Monkey King battles his way through a landscape of inexplicable places and unfamiliar passions, Further Adventures on the Journey to the West offers a wry, revisionist critique of the late-Ming fascination with desire. Building on the great sixteenth-century novel Journey to the West, which recounts the escapades of a monk and three companions traveling to India in search of Buddhist scriptures to carry back to China, this sequel is a parable of self-delusion that explores the tension between desire and emptiness from a Buddhist perspective. The consummate literati novel, written by an accomplished artist for a well-educated readership, it is filled with allusions and parodies and features a dream-sequence narrative that is innovative and sophisticated even by modern standards. This new, fully annotated translation by two acclaimed scholars and translators brings to life this remarkably inventive, playful early modern text. The volume includes the original commentaries and illustrations, a critical introduction and afterword, and notes that highlight the sources of the novel’s intertextual references, revealing the author’s erudition and versatility.

The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature: From 1375

The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature: From 1375 PDF Author: Kang-i Sun Chang
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521855594
Category : Chinese literature
Languages : en
Pages : 830

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Book Description
Stephen Owen is James Bryant Conant Professor of Chinese at Harvard University. --Book Jacket.

The Resurrected Skeleton

The Resurrected Skeleton PDF Author: Wilt L. Idema
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231536518
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
The early Chinese text Master Zhuang (Zhuangzi) is well known for its relativistic philosophy and colorful anecdotes. In the work, Zhuang Zhou ca. 300 B.C.E.) dreams that he is a butterfly and wonders, upon awaking, if he in fact dreamed that he was a butterfly or if the butterfly is now dreaming that it is Zhuang Zhou. The text also recounts Master Zhuang's encounter with a skull, which praises the pleasures of death over the toil of living. This anecdote became popular with Chinese poets of the second and third century C.E. and found renewed significance with the founders of Quanzhen Daoism in the twelfth century. The Quanzhen masters transformed the skull into a skeleton and treated the object as a metonym for death and a symbol of the refusal of enlightenment. Later preachers made further revisions, adding Master Zhuang's resurrection of the skeleton, a series of accusations made by the skeleton against the philosopher, and the enlightenment of the magistrate who judges their case. The legend of the skeleton was widely popular throughout the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), and the fiction writer Lu Xun (1881–1936) reimagined it in the modern era. The first book in English to trace the development of the legend and its relationship to centuries of change in Chinese philosophy and culture, The Resurrected Skeleton translates and contextualizes the story's major adaptations and draws parallels with the Muslim legend of Jesus's encounter with a skull and the European tradition of the Dance of Death. Translated works include versions of the legend in the form of popular ballads and plays, together with Lu Xun's short story of the 1930s, underlining the continuity between traditional and modern Chinese culture.