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Chinese Buddhism or Han Buddhism is a Chinese form of Mahayana Buddhism which draws on the Chinese Buddhist canon as well as numerous Chinese traditions. Chinese Buddhism focuses on studying Mahayana sutras and Mahāyāna treatises and draws its main doctrines from these sources. Some of the most important scriptures in Chinese Buddhism include: Lotus Sutra, Flower Ornament Sutra, Vimalakirtī Sutra, Nirvana Sutra, and Amitābha Sutra. Chinese Buddhism is the largest institutionalized religion in mainland China. Currently, there are an estimated 185 to 250 million Chinese Buddhists in the People's Republic of China. It is also a major religion in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as among the Chinese Diaspora.
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Along With the Gods is a South Korean manhwa series written and illustrated by Joo Ho-min. The webtoon was released on Internet portal Naver WEBTOON since 2010, and the first volume in print was published on December 27, 2010. It was inspired by the Korean Joseon dynasty Buddhist paintings and early Buddhist texts of the Ten Kings of Hell. A manga adaptation was serialized in Young Gangan from 2012 to 2014 and was illustrated by Yoshiyuki Miwa; some scenes were changed due to the cultural differences between Japan and Korea. A staged musical adaptation has been hosted by the Seoul Performing Arts Company since 2015. A film adaptation, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, was released on December 20, 2017, with a sequel, Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, released on August 1, 2018. Two additional sequels are in active development as of September 2022, as well as a television series spin-off as of April 2022.
Filial piety has been an important aspect of Buddhist ethics since early Buddhism, and was essential in the apologetics and texts of Chinese Buddhism. In the Early Buddhist Texts such as the Nikāyas and Āgamas, filial piety is prescribed and practiced in three ways: to repay the gratitude toward one's parents; as a good karma or merit; and as a way to contribute to and sustain the social order. In Buddhist scriptures, narratives are given of the Buddha and his disciples practicing filial piety toward their parents, based on the qualities of gratitude and reciprocity. Initially, scholars of Buddhism like Kenneth Ch'en saw Buddhist teachings on filial piety as a distinct feature of Chinese Buddhism. Later scholarship, led by people such as John Strong and Gregory Schopen, has come to believe that filial piety was part of Buddhist doctrine since early times. Strong and Schopen have provided epigraphical and textual evidence to show that early Buddhist laypeople, monks and nuns often displayed strong devotion to their parents, concluding that filial piety was already an important part of the devotional life of early Buddhists.
Jacqueline Ilyse Stone is an emeritus professor of Japanese religion in the department of religion at Princeton University and a specialist in Japanese Buddhism, particularly Kamakura Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism from medieval to modern times, and deathbed practices in Japan. Stone has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
References
- ↑ "Stephen F. Teiser". 22 August 2016.
- ↑ Stephen "Buzzy" Teiser Center on Contemporary China (Princeton University)
- ↑ Teiser (1988), p. xi-xii.
- ↑ Terry F Kleeman, "Review," The Journal of Asian Studies 49.1 (1990): 141-142. Quote from Teiser (1988) p. 42.
- ↑ B.J. Ter Haar, "Review", T'oung Pao (1993) p. 379
- 1 2 Kieschnick, John (2009), "(review)", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 69 (1): 234–239, doi:10.1353/jas.0.0013, S2CID 191151878 .
- ↑ Teiser, Stephen F. (1994). The Scripture on the Ten Kings and the Making of Purgatory in Medieval Chinese Buddhism. p. 3.
- ↑ Teiser, Stephen F. (1994). The Scripture on the Ten Kings and the Making of Purgatory in Medieval Chinese Buddhism. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824815874. Book reviewed by The China Quarterly.