In this book, Julia Ching offers a magisterial survey of over four thousand years of Chinese civilisation through an examination of the relationship between kingship and mysticism. She investigates the sage-king myth and ideal, arguing that institutions of kingship were bound up with cultivation of trance states and communication with spirits. Over time, these associations were retained, though sidelined, as the sage-king myth became a model for the actual ruler, with a messianic appeal for the ruled. As a paradigm, it also became appropriated by private individuals who strove for wisdom without becoming kings. As the Confucian tradition interacted with the Taoist and the Buddhist, the religious character of spiritual and mystical cultivation became more pronounced. But the sage-king idea continued, promoting expectations of benevolent despotism rather than democratisation in Chinese civilisation.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
ISBN-13
9780521462938
eBay Product ID (ePID)
95664134
Product Key Features
Book Title
Mysticism and Kingship in China: the Heart of Chinese Wisdom
Author
Julia Ching
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Buddhism
Publication Year
1997
Number of Pages
326 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
229mm
Item Width
152mm
Item Weight
650 g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
Julia Ching
Series Title
Cambridge Studies in Religious Traditions
Country/Region of Manufacture
United Kingdom
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