When Buddhism was introduced into China at about the beginning of the Christian era; the Chinese were captivated at first by its overpowering world view. Consequently; Buddhism in China has usually been discussed in terms of the Indianization of Chinese life and thought; but Kenneth Ch'en shows that as Indian ideas were gaining ground the Chinese were choosing among them and modifying them to fit their situation.To demonstrate how the Chinese transformed Buddhism the author investigates its role in the ethical; political; literary; educational; and social life of the Chinese. Buddhism was able to gain a wide following by accommodating itself to Chinese ethical practices. The Buddhist monastic community submitted to the jurisdiction of the state and the monasteries also became integrated into the economic life of the empire through their ownership of land and their operation of industrial and commercial enterprises. Through an analysis of the work of a representative Chinese poet the author reveals the ways in which Buddhism came to be reflected in the literary life of China. Finally; he explores the methods used by the Buddhists to popularize their religion.Originally published in 1973.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
#951427 in Books Green Nile 2015-11-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.20 x 6.30l; .0 #File Name: 0691168326416 pagesThe Love of Strangers What Six Muslim Students Learned in Jane Austen S London
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Full of fascinating tidbits; but the errors undermine credibilityBy SCMHave you ever been seated at a family dinner next to a distant uncle or cousin and you're delighted to discover that he has similar interests--only to have that relative dominate the conversation with information you already know? And worse; he keeps drinking; he screws up facts; he keeps repeating himself; and you never get a word in edgewise?If not; you must have had a much more pleasant family than I. Also; you probably haven't read this yet.Whenever a book is marketed with the words "Jane Austen's England" or "Jane Austen's London;" I have a rule to run fast and far. I'm not strong enough to OBEY my rule; though. Here; a book about six (but mostly one or two) Persian students in Regency England is contorted into a book about Persian students in "Jane Austen's England/London." In fact; Jane Austen was busy dying of Addison's Disease (or whatever the current theory is) at the time; and the only real connections to Austen are so tenuous that it's insulting to Janeites as well as students of the Regency. The England/London these students moved through was that of the Regency. Jane Austen was hardly part of the beau monde (and neither were the students; despite the author's statement they were).This is what I expected: a view of Regency England from the point of view of Persian bureaucrats; with heavy quoting from the newly discovered diary of Mirza Salih. There is some of that; but it's so interspersed with redundancies and random facts that have nothing to do with the experiences of the students (while I found the distinctions about Dissenters fascinating; I already knew my dissenting sects pretty well).I could not; for the life of me; figure out how a book to repeat itself so often from chapter to chapter; page to page; paragraph to paragraph; and even LINE TO LINE until I read that this is an amalgamation of several journal articles. Even so; that's not an excuse. An editor should have caught the repetitions; and the author should never have made them (or should have at least proofed the galleys).Also related to editing: anyone who uses the word "synecdoche" and insists on using "varsity" instead of "university" does not get a pass on sentence fragments or run-on sentences; not even for style. Nor does the author get a pass on using exclamation points (e.g.; "More on this later!" p. 162).[And whoever came up with the academic press equivalent of comic-sans as a chapter subheading font? What is that?]In any case; there is always the frustration of the book you thought you were going to read and the book you actually read. I read a book that was so full of duplications that I started jotting phrases down on an index card to turn into a drinking game (for example;"Bible Society" or mention of Jane Austen's father attending Oxford=1 drink; "varsity" instead of "university"=2 drinks; "men of the pen"=3 drinks; plus giggling allowed; "Jane Austen's England/London"=4 drinks).The worst part; though; were the anachronisms. The cover art is ridiculous (Queen Victoria and Napoleon III--really?). Again; an editor should have spotted these. The author should have known better. I'm rarely tempted to toss a book across a room; but the word "tarmac" nearly did it to me.Specifically; the author describes James MacAdam (spelled McAdam on the previous line on page 145--really; the name is spelled differently directly above itself in the same paragraph. In fairness; either spelling could be correct; but it's sloppy). The author also describes men driving on "tarmac;" a great improvement on previous roads.If they *were* driving on tarmac; it really would have been one hell of an improvement. M[a]cAdam was responsible for "Macadamized" roads; which were made up of crushed stone; and which made carriage travel faster and safer. (The first known use of the word "macadamized" was 1824; but don't tell Regency romance novelists this.)Tarmac is something else. It's based on macadamization; but it has a layer of tar or asphalt on top of it (hence "tarmac;" which was patented in 1901 and is short for "tar macadam").I'm out of time--real life means I'm about to drive on tar-covered raised roads to take my daughter to gymnastics--but essentially; this is a book that is worth reading if you have an interest in Anglo-Persian relations in the early 19th century; and you should; because they're fascinating. And yet...it is very repetitive. Given its recent publication (2016); I hope future editions (or electronic editions) address the errors and redundancies.2 of 4 people found the following review helpful. It reads like a poorly writtenBy CustomerDon't be fooled! The title mentions Jane Austen as a way to get Jane Austen fans to read it. It reads like a poorly written; repetitive dissertation. The author keeps throwing Jane Austen's name and novels into the text; but makes no real connection to her life and works.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. fascinating story of the first Iranian students in Regency EnglandBy hmf22The story is an enthralling one: six Iranian students studying in London and its environs for four years in the 1810s; learning English and Latin; trying out British dress and British cuisine; strolling in Vauxhall Gardens and cavorting in high society; learning to make guns and operate printing presses; enduring mud and rain and carriage accidents and evangelical proselytizing and the shocked stares of new neighbors when one strolls the streets hand-in-hand with an English girl. Nile Green did a phenomenal amount of research; including the first translation of one student's diary; to assemble this panoramic work; and it is indeed an odyssey. But Green is so fulsomely admiring of the students' "xenophila;" and so stuck on questions like whether they drank ale or patronized prostitutes; that I felt like the work occasionally strayed into an unpleasant (albeit mostly very positive) Orientalism. Green also harps on and on about Jane Austen; in a manner that is neither perfectly well-informed nor very relevant to his analysis. Overall; I wasn't thrilled by the presentation of the information; but I do think the story itself; and Green's reconstruction of the students' lives in England; is impressive.
